Growing Clematis From Seed

PROPAGATING CLEMATIS (continued)

FROM SEED
Growing clematis from seed is not really a method of propagating clematis which GardenAction would recommend for the amateur gardener. The main reason for this is that clematis grown from seed may well take up to two years before the seedlings emerge and they will only have a reasonable chance of success if you have a cold frame or unheated greenhouse . In addition to this, the failure rate of clematis seeds is high even in ideal conditions.

The final reason for not recommending propagation from seed is a two-edged sword. Hybrids and cultivars from seeds will not reproduce the same plant when grown from seed, nor are you guaranteed that any clematis will reproduce the same plant. It will of course be a clematis, but not the same one! The good news is that there is a remote chance that you will produce a hybrid which is better than the original and an even remoter chance that it will be accepted as a new hybrid altogether - exciting.

STEP 1
Collect the fluffy seed heads when they are beginning to turn from green to brown. This will normally be in autumn time. Separate the fluffy seeds and pinch off the fluffy 'tails' being sure to keep the enlarged base which is the clematis seed.

STEP 2
Prepare the compost which will go in the pots. This needs to be a free-draining mixture of potting compost and sharp sand - maybe 70% compost and 30% sharp sand. Perlite can be used instead of sharp sand.

Fill the pots with the mixture and spread the seed heads evenly over the top. Water the pot well and cover the seeds with a layer of sharp sand, Perlite or grit.

STEP 3
Label the pots with the clematis name and date of sowing. Place the pots in either an unheated greenhouse or a cold frame which is not in frost-pocket. If possible, surround the pots with sand to maintain an even temperature. wait normally for a year or so, but in some cases two years, for the seedlings to emerge.

STEP 4
When the seedlings emerge, very carefully remove them and transplant them to a 10cm (4in) pot filled with standard potting compost. Keep them out of direct sunlight for the next couple of months, but in a light position. When the roots fill the pot, transplant them to a larger pot until the plants are large enough to place in their final position.

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