They were planted I'm early spring and some are already at the top of the fence (although still v thin). I want bushy plants as well as to the top of my fence. Any help would be MASSIVELY appreciated :-)
If they're clematis @emmett221 , it'll help if you give the varieties you've got. They have different pruning regimes depending on the type. There are three main groups
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
You prune Viticellas at the end of winter to just a few inches. Easy, just cut it all off. They make all their growth in one year. They will thicken up with age. Yours are young so they will be spindly this year.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
Clematis vitalba is Group 3 (same as Viticella) so you cut it right back in winter to a foot or so, same as @Busy-Lizzie advised. Don't cut the jasmine right back though. You can prune it selectively just after flowering (I have one that's in flower right now.. lovely!) - just a general tidy up and maybe remove some old stems. If it's a young plant it probably doesn't need any pruning at all this year.
The key is to catch the stems before they grow to the top of the fence and tie them in horizontally as they grow. That way you can spread the clematis sideways along the fence in a nice even way.
When you prune back in winter, you could experiment with leaving some of the old stems longer and tying them in horizontally along the bottom of the fence. New growth will come from the old stems and try to grow upwards, which you then tie in horizontally as mentioned before.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
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There are three main groups
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I would love some spread with them :-)
Thank you.
What about Red Jasmine and my other Clematis, Vitalba?
Can you advise me on those?
When to prune/cut back and by how much?
Don't cut the jasmine right back though. You can prune it selectively just after flowering (I have one that's in flower right now.. lovely!) - just a general tidy up and maybe remove some old stems. If it's a young plant it probably doesn't need any pruning at all this year.
Jasmine can be thinned out and dead shoots removed after flowering. If it's taller than you want you can shorten it in late summer.
When you prune back in winter, you could experiment with leaving some of the old stems longer and tying them in horizontally along the bottom of the fence. New growth will come from the old stems and try to grow upwards, which you then tie in horizontally as mentioned before.