Clematis pruning

Posts

• Obelixx Posts: 30,090

  1 February

  Elizabeth is probably a Montana which is a group 1 for pruning.   That means she doesn't get pruned unless you need to keep her in bounds and then you do it after flowering is over.
  
  There are 8 possibilities for Margaret on this clematis site - https://clematisontheweb.org/new-clemlist/ - so you need to be more specific.
  
  Group 2s flower on old stems so get pruned after the initial flowering period in May and June but you just tidy it up and dead head.  Give it a good feed and it will flower again in late summer on new stems.  You can also treat them as group 3s if you prefer.
  
  Group 3s get pruned back hard in February/March and then given a good feed as they flower on new wood.

  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
  

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• Fairygirl Posts: 55,117

  1 February

  I agree with @Obelixx - Elizabeth is likely to be a montana. The amount of pruning depends on the size it is and where it is etc. Many need very little if they have plenty of room, but they can also be cut back pretty hard if they need rejuvenating, or to keep them in check. They get to be very large plants, covering small buildings/sheds or through trees and hedging. 
  
  I don't know the other variety,  but as she says - you can prune hard or leave it and/or do a light trim. It won't harm it whichever method you choose. 
  If you give an idea of the size/age of the plants, that will also help because they may not need much attention other than a light trim back to new buds if they're still young. A photo would really help with that if you can manage one, because if the latter is fairly young, you could leave it until it's flowering and the timing of that will indicate whether it's a Group 2 or a 3 and help with future pruning.
  If you had it last year, flowering in late spring/early summer it's likely to be a Group 2. If it was later it could be a Group3. Just to confuse things, some Group 3s can start flowering in early summer, so it isn't completely failsafe!   

  It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
  
  
  
  I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...

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• benmin60 Posts: 18

  1 February

  Thank you very helpful

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