Clematis in CLAY soil? Any success?

[Ohsuchaperfectday]

About to plant very beautiful clematis and watered the hole and noticed water sitting there for ages!!

I've can dig more out and add manure or am I on a hiding to nothing. Another idea I had was to plant it in a pot, with the bottom out and improved soil below? To give it more height... And depth!

You do need to dig out soil and mix in plenty of grit/sharp sand and organic matter. If drainage is poor then your clematis will drown over winter, if not before. Use your garden fork to break up the soil as far down as you can, and mix in lots of sharp sand and organic matter into it. You can put them in pots, but be aware that clematis to be planted deeply, so ensure that about 10-15 cms of stem are under the soil. (This is so that if it succumbs to Clematis Wilt, you can cut it off at ground level and it will most likely grow new shoots from below ground.)

There are lots of more knowledgeable posters on the gardening board, you could try there for more suggestions?

Thanks noodles!
I drug more out and put in manure and soil. Then I placed a deep plastic pot over it, and then cut out the bottom. I hope its deep enough etc to protect it. It will have the depth of the pot and then the dug out below. Digging clay!!

I’ve got four clematis and all but one are doing very well on clay. However the whole bed was dug over and mixed with compost before planting. The one that’s not doing very well does flower, it’s just a bit small and sickly looking.

Good news belle!! I read today that their roots mostly go sideways not down very much?
Also in clay it can make them go into a bowl.
I've waited a long time for a fence and this clematis! I hope what I have done will be enough for it.