Question
Sorry I didn't include where I was writing from - we're in Pittsburgh, PA.

Thank you so much for the great advice.  I really want to save this beauty.

I would like to put it back in the same spot.  Should I pot it until the new fence post is in place or should I find it some earth until the fence is installed?

Thanks again!  Great advice!
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Followup To

Question -
Hello.  I have a beautiful clematis that is well over 20 years old.  It was planted long before my husband and I bought our home.  We are replacing the fence that it grows on this summer.  The vine is planted just outside of the existing fence post.  I'm concerned that when my husband digs up the post that he will also dig up the root.  

Is there a way to transplant it in the summer?  All of the advice I've read has said to transplant it before new growth.  I don't have that luxury and I really want to save it.  Is there anything I can do?

Answer -
Ah yes, your note recalls that old gardener's saying about vines: First year they sleep, Second year they creep, Third year they leap.

All based on the truism that the bloom of any flowering vine is rooted in the size of their root system.

Ryan, I think the biggest danger of moving your Clematis is that the delicate stem might break. They are brittle and if you break one at the base, the plant attached to it is a goner.  Just a warning.  Watch those stems.

Now, as you point out, summer is not the IDEAL time of year to transplant Clematis, or anything else.  

Can it be done?  Absolutely!

With extra TLC you will be able to compensate for the shock treatment you are putting your little plant and its friends through.  

You probably have multiple plants at this point since it is an established specimen.  Cut the whole thing down to perhaps 2 feet of the intact stem -- the more, the better, but it has to be manageable.  Just dig up as much of the root ball as you can shovel together.  

These vines are famous for their shallow roots (which is why you hear so much advice about keeping the lower plant in shade to keep the roots cool).  But some established specimens can have large, deep root systems.  Be prepared for some work.

If you are moving C. paniculata (aka C. terniflora), "Sweet Autumn Clematis", you will be dealing with a cast iron vine with nerves of steel.  Hybrid Clematises are fussier, but as they say you do what you gotta do.  If your husband is anything like my father, he doesn't know Clematis from Cranberries.  

If you are planning on putting your Clematis back in the same hole, look at it as an opportunity to amend the soil further, maybe thin out the base and increase your collection.  You will disturb the roots less that way.  

When you finally set your Clematises in their final resting place, I heartily recommend a few cups of delicious bone meal to boost the root repair.  You can put in as much as you want; no need to fear over-feeding.  You can also use Superphosphate BUT watch the dosage carefully and mix well with soil because it will most certainly burn the roots if you are not VERY careful.

So, all things considered (and seeing you really have no choice anyway!), get out the shovel and start digging.  Never know when someone might decide to get an early start on that fence...

Answer
Hello Ryan from Pittsburgh, good to hear from you again.

My opinion about this is that if you re-plant it, the root system will be re-damaged when you lift it again later.  I vote for a large pot instead.

This exercise will require extra attention on your part.  Pennsylvania summer days can be hot and dry.  Pots of anything can dry very quickly and you really do not want to do this to your Clematis.  Or Clematises.  They NEED water.

Try to keep the roots cool.  You may have gotten away with non-protected roots while it was out by the fence.  But in a pot, especially a black pot that will soak up all solar heat that bakes down on it, it is the least you can do.

How you do it.... Geez, I don't know.  A little creative problem solving will go a long way with that challenge.  

Don't water it with cold water.  Especially in warm soil, cold water will send it into shock.  Rainwater would be great.  Room temperature, chlorine free, straight from Heaven.

Watch the stem.  I can't say that enough.  Watch the stem.  Watch the stem.    

Keep it out of all sun for the first week at least.  When you see new growth, start a little bit more sun every day.  Just take it easy.  

If you see bugs or anything seems to be going wrong, please write.  These are usually trouble-free.  I think you'll be fine.