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When to prune

Tall treesTall trees Posts: 175
in Plants
hi, I can't remember the name of this Clematis or how to prune it and when.
can someone help.
thanks 
Gareth 
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Posts

  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    It looks like Montana to me.  Link to pruning and care info.  https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/3959/Clematis-montana/Details

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    If it were mine, I'd not have it growing through that maple.
    It might be a bit of a struggle , but I'd untangle it and grow it along the fence, even if you have to cut it back. 
    IMHO that maple will suffer if you leave it there.
    Devon.
  • RubytooRubytoo Posts: 1,630
    Prune it straight after it finishes flowering, but it will probably put on some long strong new growth. You might be able to control it by doing it very year, but it will be a job and a half, the new stems wrap around everything.

    Hostafan is right,  montanas do grow quite big and rampant.

    Could not guess the named variety, it looks white?
    Try here under montana, it might jog your memory for its name.
    http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/new-clemalphasearch.cfm

    But I love the combination, it looks beautiful.

    The maple looks old with some big branches and trunks that have been cut back at some point already.




  • Tall treesTall trees Posts: 175
    The Acer is dying, that's why I'm growing the clematis up it, I think it acts as a good natural frame work, I'll see what happens this season by giving it a light prune to keep it under control, as I've missed my chance to cut it hard back after flowering. 
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    your garden, your choice, but I'd say the acer is very much salvageable.
    Devon.
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    I'd be inclined to agree with Hosta. Acers often "shed" certain branches but usually in reaction to the local conditions. If a branch is too close to another plant or fence etc or if it is covered & not getting enough light for any other reason- such as being smothered by a climber!
    AB Still learning

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Is it scented?  If so it could be C. Montana grandiflora. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Tall treesTall trees Posts: 175
    Allotment boy and Hosafan take a close look at the Acer it's on it's way out, it had many happy years but it's time is up, it's had massive die back over the past few years, that's why I took the decision to put a climber over the frame that way I can re use the tree, the bonus at the moment is that I'm still getting some foliage on the acer, the only thing I'm not sure of is the pruning of this type of c
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    edited January 2019
    If it's a Montana (eg like this https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/210221/Clematis-montana-var-grandiflora-(M)/Details ), you prune it as Group 1, ie in spring as soon as it's finished flowering (more info:  https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=344 ).
    If it doesn't flower in spring then it's not Montana (unless it was pruned too late last year in which case it might not flower this spring).
    If it is Montana, it will want to grow a lot bigger than the framework provided by the acer.


    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • Tall treesTall trees Posts: 175

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