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Cilla Bodger

cilla_bodgercilla_bodger Posts: 7
in Plants
I have been given a Miss Bateman clematis, which belongs to the pruning group 2. All my others are pruning group 3, if I treated Miss Bateman the same and pruned it hard in the early Spring would it just restrict its height or would I lose any flowers, does it only bloom on the old wood? Thankyou for your help.

Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384
    You'll lose the early flowers which grow from old wood but you'll still get the 2nd flush in autumn.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    In my last garden I treated all my group 2s as group 3s because winters were often so hard their top growth was frozen to death anyway.  As long as you give a good feed and make sure she's never thirsty, Miss Bateman will provide a good flush of flowers thru summer instead of the May/June flush followed by a late flush that you would normally expect.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • cilla_bodgercilla_bodger Posts: 7
    Thankyou for your help Obelixx and Bob the Gardener, that sounds fine. You have helped enormously. I was going to give the plant away as it would have been difficult to keep it separate from all the other clematises, but I shall be able to keep it now.
  • StevedaylillyStevedaylilly Posts: 1,102
    I have Clem. Miss Bateman. 
    I normally prune further up the plant in spring. Prune back to a new bud from 2 feet up and you will get a good show in summer 
  • StevedaylillyStevedaylilly Posts: 1,102
    And a new flush in late summer 
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