What do you all think about hard pruning Clematis of any group to encourage more stems? I have some group 2 and 3 that are about 3 years old and doing well but with only two stems per plant, I'm scared they'll die of shock if I prune them hard after flowering but I would like more stems.
Tetley I can vouch for that. I had one that died in a wee 9cm pot about four years ago and was lying beside the greenhouse forgotten. This year a new leaf came on it. How bad did I feel? It has since been potted up in fresh compost and spoiled rotten! I hope it can cope and will thrive when planted out in Spring. Naughty pp!
Flowerlover - I have a lovely blue clematis growing on an obelisk, called 'The President'. Two years ago it was in full bloom, when all of a sudden it turned brown from the top down - 'clematis wilt' ? Whatever it was, I cut it right back down to earth level, and in no time at all, new shoots appeared from out of the ground, (more than before).
I had planted it rather deeply in case of just such an eventuality, and it seems to have worked - 'The President' hasn't been sick since.
I've even dug up and moved a mature example of 'Mrs. Cholmondley' - it barely noticed, and I cut that right back down to ground level too.
I've spent 3 years trying to get rid of a montana that was threatening to engulf my garage door. I chopped it to the ground several times, dowsed it in round up and chopped it again when it refused to give up. Three or four more round up dowsings and I think it's gone but it wouldn't surprise me if it reappears next spring.
I think they are indestructible and possibly sent by aliens to wipe out the human race!
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What do you all think about hard pruning Clematis of any group to encourage more stems? I have some group 2 and 3 that are about 3 years old and doing well but with only two stems per plant, I'm scared they'll die of shock if I prune them hard after flowering but I would like more stems.
Thanks Verdun
Tetley I can vouch for that. I had one that died in a wee 9cm pot about four years ago and was lying beside the greenhouse forgotten. This year a new leaf came on it.
How bad did I feel? It has since been potted up in fresh compost and spoiled rotten! I hope it can cope and will thrive when planted out in Spring. Naughty pp!
Flowerlover - I have a lovely blue clematis growing on an obelisk, called 'The President'. Two years ago it was in full bloom, when all of a sudden it turned brown from the top down - 'clematis wilt' ? Whatever it was, I cut it right back down to earth level, and in no time at all, new shoots appeared from out of the ground, (more than before).
I had planted it rather deeply in case of just such an eventuality, and it seems to have worked - 'The President' hasn't been sick since.
I've even dug up and moved a mature example of 'Mrs. Cholmondley' - it barely noticed, and I cut that right back down to ground level too.
I've spent 3 years trying to get rid of a montana that was threatening to engulf my garage door. I chopped it to the ground several times, dowsed it in round up and chopped it again when it refused to give up. Three or four more round up dowsings and I think it's gone but it wouldn't surprise me if it reappears next spring.
I think they are indestructible and possibly sent by aliens to wipe out the human race!
Birdyboots - thank you, The President is one of the ones I want to have a go at, I did plant it deeply so it should be alright