Clematis

[ThreeKneeRepeater]

I’m new to gardening.
I bought a clematis plant which was about 12” tall. I repotted it and it is growing inches every day. It’s not planted out yet, and I put it out in the garden during the day.
How do I get it to grow bushier, as it is just one stem getting longer and longer! Do I have to pinch it out? If so how and where. Wouldn’t it die?
I’m very proud of it and want it to do well.

At 12” it’s still quite young. Different types of Clematis grow in different ways. What does the label say it is?
Plant it where the roots will get some shade, but the top of the plant will be in sun. Do not prune it, just let it grow for this season. Clematis so young will need a settling in period.
When you know what type of clematis it is, then that will indicate future pruning times.

ThanksBee
The label just says Climbing Clematis, Rhapsody.
Should I plant it out, or leave it in the pot?
It’s about twice the size of when I bought it about three weeks ago.

It's an early large flowered clematis in Pruning Group 2.
RHS says to plant it with the crown just below soil level to encourage new shoots from ground level. Clematis don't do a lot of branching, they tend to just produce more single shoots from the base.

www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/66955/Clematis-Rhapsody-F-Watkinson-(EL)/Details

Thank you.
I should plant it out then? At the moment it’s only going out in the pot during the day, as it’s quite chilly at night.

Assuming you're in the UK, it will be hardy (to about -20). It will become harder to plant out if it gets too much bigger as the stems can be very fragile.

It will be fine, they’re tough old things. It won’t get bushy, but it will throw up new shoots.

Agree with all the above, just make sure you plant it deep as the bottom part of the stem like to be in the shade. I’d also give it something to climb up as the base of the leave wind themselves round whatever’s in it’s path and it easier to train it with something to wind itself around.

My clematis didn’t do well until I added more compost to cover up the base.

Brilliant, thanks. I’ll do it this weekend.