So I found a Clematis buried behind some giant cedars against my neighboring building...it had one little vine with three leaves on it. I tried to 'rescue' it from the extreme dark and be very careful transplanting it bu the little vine was very brittle and snapped off so now it has no leaves...

Is there any hope it will come back?

I planted the remaining root ball in a semi-shade area (that is not total darkness like the old spot) and watered it well but should I expect any growth? Its been behind the cedars and building for....who knows how long...well over 5 years for sure. And really looked like it was on its last leggs... I just bought the property and am still finding surprises...the last owner was NOT a gardener (he mowed the former gardens except for day lilies...) but the owners before him really were!

I have a Duchess of Albany that struggled and was moved and snapped off over three different site relocations. I thought I killed it with the last move, but it bounced back this year and seems to like where it is planted as it has dozens of leaves. Keep faith with it for awhile and see what it does.

Brenda - keep the faith as Debra said.

How big was the root ball? If it was the size of a baseball you've got a better chance than if it was tiny.

Give it mulch! About 2" would be fine and give it a big drink of Epsom Salt - 1 tablespoon dissolved in a gallon of lukewarm water. It should respond within two to three weeks. Let us know how it looks then.

I tried to take as much of the soil with as I could so it should have a good sized rootball, if it was there to start with! It seemed to have some roots poking out the edges and I had about 6 inches of soil on each side around the stem.

I've seen the Epsom Salt rec in other posts...never tried before, guess I'll pick some up and try it. :P

And I gots lots and lots of mushroom compost hanging around so I'll mulch with that.

Thanks both of you! I'll keep hope and let you know how it goes. A few weeks and we'll know? If no action within a month should I assume its a goner? Or is there hope it would come next year even if there is no growth this year? (I tend to be important or just forget about it if there is no growth).

It might pop right back with more stems. You can't lose by trying the Epsom Salt. It's really cheap and every drugstore has it.

I've had one that took almost five years to give me a flower. Like you, I'd tend to forget it was there and then it surprised me this spring!

I had a clematis crispa that had one tiny stem, moved it, it died back. Next spring one tiny stem few weeks later it died back. Next spring one tiny stem, you guessed it, it died too. This year still only one stem BUT it has grown quite a bit and has had a number of flowers! Moral of the story is 'There is always hope and patience is rewarded'! Here's a pic of the second bloom this year.

Like the form and color of that bloom, Brian.

There IS hope!

I saw my first bit of green on the old stem today! So happy. Such a relief to know I didn't kill it totally. Now the anticipation starts to find out what colour it is!!!

*sigh*

Well there was hope, then it disappeared, then it came back again, and now its gone.

The first leaf died, a new one appeared on the other side, now it to has died back....I don't know what is going on...could chlorinated city water be an issue? I forget to water to much so I am in the process of getting a drip irrigation with the city water going. Used it a few times now...not sure they coincide totally but still suspicious...no idea why the new buds keep dying off...

It has me puzzled. It seems to want to grow but then stops. Would you be curious enough to dig it up and move it? Something isn't making that clematis happy.

Our water is chlorinated and more than 100 clematises haven't had any problems.

Are the stems, and any leaves that do appear, green or do they go brown and wither? I'd have guessed it was getting too much water rather than not enough since the new buds keep dropping off.

They appeared green. The first one had two little leaves that just seemed to wilt suddenly. The second bud I didn't appear to even open but it was green and looked ready to open up...then next time I looked it was not progressed and not really green anymore. The first one I had thought maybe I had accidentally knocked something into it and broken it but investigating it showed it was still attached just all wilted...I don't know. So confused.

The ground is getting quite dry between waterings.
I just moved it here was hoping it would be a good spot....maybe more sun?

It could easily be transplant shock. If you feel brave you could cut all stems back to the earth, give it a big drink of lukewarm water with Epsom Salt (1 TBSP of Epsom Salt to a gallon of lukewarm, not hot, water), mulch it very well (2 - 3") and wait for the new stems to arrive.

About how many hours of sun does it get. Clem's don't have to have full sun to prosper so don't let that concern you.

The stem is kinda already cut back just an inch from the ground...thats all that was left after I moved it the first time.

I have been meaning to give it some more Epsom Salt for a while now...will do that and wait and see.

It probably gets between three and four hours of sun in the morning, then dappled shade from the poplar until 1 pm, then the fence shades it.

Clearly you can't cut it back much more!

Try it and let us know how it works for you.

Three to four hours of morning sun and whatever sunlight gets through the poplar should be fine. The shade from the fence may be "dead shade" if no light gets through.

Heh, yes...I do consider the shade from the fence "dead shade". I was thinking the clematis would not mind that through the heat of the day...

I'll keep hoping it will come back to life.

In general how often should you give Epsom Salts?

That's how I feel about plants and myself!

Yes, keep the gardening faith!

Once a month is fine. You want the water lukewarm to dissolve the Epsom Salt, which isn't "salt" as we know it so there isn't anything to fear.

"Why Epsom Salt works in the garden" is the key paragraph here: http://www.saltworks.us/garden...

Well I thought it was dead for sure but it has come back!
It has a nice little stem with multiple leaves!
Its alive!

Hurray! My own personal rule for clematises is NEVER GIVE UP HOPE. Never dig one, even if you're sure it's dead. They do sometimes take a long rest and then zoom into growth.

as long as the root ball stays alive, it will just be a matter of time before it starts sending up several new shoots. give it time to produce a good root system until then. clematis plants are tough as nails. I think it will be fine in time, and given a little patience!