I've never had trouble moving clematis other than they can be heavy. If you have an out of the way spot in some shade, I'd plant it there. Water it well, and move it back when the new fence is in. That is if you really want to save it. It probably won't look like much this year, but it will rebound next year.

If it has deep roots (which it probably does after 5 years in the ground), I wouldn't move it if I were in your situation. I don't think it will harm it to just cut it way back right before the contractors come to replace the fence, and maybe you can put some chicken wire (or something like it) around what is left so it won't get trampled.

If you're going to move it, you should cut it way back anyway, so regardless of which route you take it's not going to put on a show for you this year. But at least if you don't disturb the roots by digging it up you will give it a chance to concentrate on root growth. I (or my pets) have cut some of my clematis back almost to the ground at various times and they have always come back even more vigorous than before.

Last year I decided to move a few that weren't doing that well where they had been planted, One was a Wada's Primrose that I had over 5 years, and next to it a 3 or so year old Lemon Chiffon that had never bloomed (a Donahue baby).

I just cut off enough to release them from the trellis, not way back.

There were so many stems & crowns & roots on Wada, I thought, "why not try to divide this?". I think I got 3 plants, but forgot where I put the smaller 2. Have a couple of untagged plants coming up in various place, and all I can tell about them are the type.

LC came up early and had a bloom on a short stem. WP was slower to emerge but now has 3 stems, the first over 6 ft high, none blooming yet.

Also Willy had not been moved from a sunken pot because the previous Fall the roots didn't look big enough. When I did dig up the pot after blooming I found so many roots etc I divided by 2. Both bloomed this year.

This Spring I dug up what I think is Polish Spirit which was sold as "Will Godwin" that was the only clem that I had successfully raised from one of thise plastic bags with a couple of plugs in it. As it was purchased about 5 years ago (so anxious to get clems going before the stores had potted ones available) I thought that I had planted 2 of the little plants next to each other because there was about 8 inches of space between 2 clumps of stems. But it was only one until I cut the one root connecting the crowns.

Both pieces are doing well in their new home but it is a bit early for type 3s to bloom here.

So, I have successfully divided all 3 of the types growing here with at least one plant surviving, which is what I had hoped for. I have a few other older ones in tubs that I may do the same with this Fall.

So I would suggest that you do dig up Betty and pot up a large division and as many smaller ones as you can. You should be able to have at least one healthy plant to put back when the fence is done (but I would wait until she gets over the first transplant shock before doing so). If the others survive and you don't have room to put them, you could always gift them to gardening friends.

Marie

I have found that clematis don't suffer much if you dig a large root ball and remember to water regularly afterward.

I moved a 4-yr. old Royal Velours in April. It was in a bad spot and I couldn't get a root ball much bigger than a volley ball. The root ball collapsed as I moved it. No matter. Its growing well and should bloom this week.

Just cutting it back and leaving it seems like a good idea. If you put something around it or over it, the workers may not step on it. Just hope the don't locate a post too close.

I would cut her way back and dig her up. Put her in a large pot or separate into smaller clumps and keep well watered.

I've got two I dug up last summer because my husband was putting new siding on the shed they were climbing on. He still hasn't gotten it painted and my trellises back up. They are still in pots and doing just fine. One was over five years old. One was three.