Online clematis health

HI I purchased 2 yr old plants recently and am a bit concerned about the quality. Some look fairly healthy and other very drab. Would be good to hear some thoughts. Weather they will do fine once planted or should I return them as they probably won't survive. I've never planted Clematis before. But would expect more growth, not length and possibly more than just one or two base shoots.

 

They won't be looking brilliant at the moment. As long as the stems are well-attached to the roots, and the roots are healthy when you knock them out of the pots, there shouldn't be a problem. Give them decent friable soil (they don't establish well in unimproved clay) with added bonemeal or blood, fish and bone, plant them 5cms deeper than the level of the rootball, water them in, mulch the bare soil but not the stems and they should establish well and give you a pleasant surprise next spring.

oops! Forgot to say...welcome to GC

 

Hmmm. I don't think they look good, despite the time of year. Where did you get them @Wildtypitch?
It always depends on the type and variety too ,and you seem to have quite a few different types there. Remember that the early ones [alpinas, koreanas etc] really don't like being planted more deeply. They aren't like the large flowered Group 2s and 3s, and can suffer very badly if they're in wetter conditions with heavier soil.

 

Deciduous types will be shutting down and losing their leaves for the winter, so I think those are probably OK.

They do look like small young plants though, the size you sometimes see in the supermarkets, so I hope they were priced accordingly. I would pot them on into bigger deep pots and grow them on for a season. Don't expect too much from them in their first year. And prune them in the spring - you want to encourage good branching from low down, not just a few long stems. See the last paragraph on this page Getting started in pruning clematis | help & advice on how & when to prune / RHS

 

I always plant new clematis up in pots for their first year or two so they can grow a healthy root system without any competition from other plantts or accidental hoeing of stems. Use good quality John Innes no 3 type compost as they generally prefer a loamy soil that doesn't clag or stay soggy and are hungry plants so make sure you give them a good, slow release fertiliser next spring. Keep them outside but sheltered for the winter as they won't like having their roots frozen.

Where you eventually plant them and at what depth depends on the variety.

I would keep your pictures as witness to the general state and maybe inform the supplier of your concerns so that, if they fail to grow next spring, you have evidence.

 

Some of them look fine, but we'd need to know what they are. I'd certainly not expect early clems to look perfect at this time of year, but usually - good grower/suppliers are growing their clems undercover, so they tend to be pruned back to a reasonable height [for ease of packaging and delivery]and are often greener than they would be in an average garden. Some of those are a bit off.

I'd be inclined to keep them all potted too - just have alook at the root systems to see if any are pot bound, and you can move those into a slightly bigger pot for the next 6 months or so. Those early types can suffer if planted out just now, as they don't like the wetter conditions over winter. As @Obelix-Vendée says - it also means you have a record of their appearance on delivery, which can be useful if any of them fail. Again - most good suppliers will refund or replace within a decent period of time if that happens.