Planting clematis for the first time

Latimer · February 2021

Hi all (again)

I purchased three group 1 clematis from Taylor's to grow on a dividing fence.

The label says in the first spring after planting to trim back to 30cm. The plants I bought have multiple branches (I'm told they are 2 years old). Do I plant, tie in the stems to the fence, then trim each branch back to 30cm from the tip of each branch? The other alternative is to cut the whole lot back to 30cm but that will get rid of most of the stems, which doesn't make much sense. Or am I too late to do anything this year and I treat next Feb/mar as my first pruning year?

Thanks!!

FlyDragon · February 2021

I would leave it this year and do your first prune spring 2022.

Latimer · February 2021

Thanks @FlyDragon

Cambridgerose12 · February 2021

I think the thinking behind this is to encourage the production of more shoots from low down on the plant from the word go. So it probably won't hurt to do it this year, but you might have to wait until next for flowers.

Latimer · February 2021

Cambridgerose12 said:

I think the thinking behind this is to encourage the production of more shoots from low down on the plant from the word go. So it probably won't hurt to do it this year, but you might have to wait until next for flowers.

Indeed, that's what I understood too. There are quite a few branches in it already which is why I thought to ask before cutting them back.

Let me get it planted and then I'll post a picture.

Planting clematis for the first time

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