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Clematis Prince George

paulbaxendale4813wtYe2lypaulbaxendale4813wtYe2ly Posts: 65
in Plants
Just had a walk round the garden and noticed that the clematis planted last year is starting to get new growth on it .Is this about right  for time of year  and should I think about pruning it any time soon.
It's called Prince George and is a group 3.
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  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    edited 5 January
    @paulbaxendale4813wtYe2ly I think that is good news, most of these shoots will be removed when you prune[ late Feb here] Just ensure you cut back to a strong growing pair of buds. You want to get your plant to develop good strong roots at this stage so a feed would be good too.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • paulbaxendale4813wtYe2lypaulbaxendale4813wtYe2ly Posts: 65
    OK thanks so how do you know when the times right to prune it .
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @paulbaxendale4813wtYe2ly Here in the midlands I would prune it mid to late February. It may be shooting all over by then, not sure just how vigourous this particular one is, assume it is a fairly new introduction. 
    You may find that you will cut away lots of new shoots. The aim is to encourge lots of new growth at the base. By cutting back to a strong pair of buds at approx 18 inches this will force it to do that. They are delicate and can get tangled so take time with this job.
    If it is left unpruned you will get a bird's nest effect, with long leafless stems at the bottom and a tangled effect at the top.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • paulbaxendale4813wtYe2lypaulbaxendale4813wtYe2ly Posts: 65
    OK thanks again .Merseyside here so probably do the same .It says it grows about 3 Mt's so not a huge plant but read that it's supposed to be vigorous. It didn't  seem  very vigorous last year though and to be honest  I thought it was a gonna. 
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @paulbaxendale4813wtYe2ly It does take time for a new clematis to bulk up. You may have thought you had lost it but it is amazing how much can be going on under ground.
    I have dug one up, thinking like you it's probably dead looking at the top growth. Only to find that there was a good healthy root system. A friend cut a group 2 clematis Niobe to the ground one year and it went on to flower better than ever.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    I prune my Group 3 clematis, Etoile violette, in late autumn every year down to a foot above ground level and it always comes back strongly in early spring. As long as the location is fairly sheltered and not a frost pocket, you can be flexible with your pruning timing, once the plant is well established.
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • paulbaxendale4813wtYe2lypaulbaxendale4813wtYe2ly Posts: 65
    Thank you both . I think the penny's dropped, it doesn't matter  if I  chop off most of that new growth  I'm seeing now as long as I  do it early enough the plant should still send up plenty of new shoots to flower on but hopefully  from lower down not all bunched up at the top of the fence  :)
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It takes several years for a clematis to fully mature, even if you're buying a 2 or 3 yr old plant from a reputable supplier. Group 3s benefit from cutting back quite hard to encourage the new stems to be produced from below ground. I sometimes cut back a good bit in autumn too, as already said. 
    Most people do it from around February to late March depending on the age of the plant, and location - ie climate. If you can avoid doing it when a long spell of frost/ice is due, that's better. Slugs eat a lot of new, emerging growth too, so bear that in mind. It's always a problem for me with these types - they often do the pruning for me  :|

    They're one of the few plant types that benefit from planting lower than the soil level of a pot you get them in. Not all should have that treatment - the Group 2s and 3s are the ones to do that with, not the Group 1s, many of which prefer drier, poorer conditions to do well.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @paulbaxendale4813wtYe2ly The stems of clematis are able to grow roots that is why deep planting is recommended.

    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • richardhodsonrichardhodson Posts: 36
    February 14th is the day to prune Group 3 clematis, The Valentine's Day Massacre.
    Seriously, though, you could try some of the stems with new growth for cuttings, some may strike.

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