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clematis pruning

rosemummyrosemummy Posts: 2,010
in Talkback

I bought 7 clematis 18 months or so ago, 3 have flowered so I think I know what they are, the others the ink has washed off! I think they're all group 2 except 1, I', reading that group 2 you start at top, go down to live buds and prune above those, group 3 you prune 6 ins from base, one that only flowered in sept/oct has quite a few new buds but they're quite high, underneath is a straggly mess, I think it's group 3 but am unsure, if I hard prune later this month chopping off new buds will it recover?

Posts

  • Dave MorganDave Morgan Posts: 3,123

    Rosemummy, I come across this decision all the time, there's never a label when you'd like to see one! My rule of thumb is cut back to 6 inches from the base if there's no visible bud or lowest bud if there is one. Works every time. Never had one not come back in fact a few flower better for it. I sometimes wonder if we can be a bit too careful with clematis.

  • rosemummyrosemummy Posts: 2,010

    thanks Dave you are as usual v helpful

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,087

    I treat all my group 2s as group 3s as they usually get their tops frozen to bits in a normal winter.

    Gave up growing group 1s as they too get frozen and then die as they don't respond well to being cut back hard unless they've been going for years and years and have good strong roots to drive recovery.

    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
  • rosemummyrosemummy Posts: 2,010

    I chopped all clematis yesterday as had someone to watch littlies and was mild, shopped all at lowest bus thogh one or two have a lot of bare growth under that should I chop further?

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,087

    I wouldn't at this stage but maybe in a couple of years when they're really established you can.   In the mean time, give them a good feed and wait and see what you've got.

    You can use this website to help identify them.  It's a research website so has no commercial axe to grind.  You can search by colour of tepals, stamens, flowering period and so on.

    http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/ 

    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
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384

    Young clematis (1-2 years old) should really all be cut back to about 30cm or the lowest pair of buds, regardless of which group they are.  This will result in much better plants in years to come. image

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • rosemummyrosemummy Posts: 2,010

    ooh that's interesting bob, unsure whati'll do, going to repot one with a miniature rose that's in another pot, that'll give it a bit more interest low doen

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