Hi folks can anyone advise me I have Rebecca and arctic queen that I planted last year this is the first year that I should prune them back some of the buds look as though they are about to burst into flower is it still advisable to prune them back
I'd cut them back to about 18" / 0.5m depending if you're old , or new , school.
If you leave them, they have a tendency to become leggy with just a couple of stems. I know it's hard to cut them when you see new shoots, but you'll end up with more stems and a much bushier plant.
Simple rule for pruning clematis.............. ' If it flowers before June, do not prune '.
So all the evergreens, atragenes, montanas, Early Large Flowered hybrids flower on last years wood, so if you prune them you chop off the flowering shoots. The Summer flowering clematis, viticellas, viornas, orientalis, Late Large Flowering hybrids and many of the species clematis need butchering back to the floor on February 14th.
That's fine general advice Richard but these are less than a year old plants and I disagree with you in this instance and follow the RHS advice which says that all year old clematis, regardless of type, should be cut back to encourage more stems to shoot from the root crown. The following is quoted from their 'Group 2' advice page:
"Unless the plant already has three or four healthy stems growing from the base, all newly planted clematis should be pruned back hard the first spring after planting. Cut back to just above a strong pair of leaf buds about 30cm (1ft) above soil level. This will encourage multiple stems which can be trained in to supports to give a good coverage."
Guys I planted them out last year the instructions that came with them indicates that I should prune them back to 12 inches the first year less in the second year as they look as though they are ready to burst into flower I am unsure whether to cut them back I have also watched monty Don video where he says if they flower before June don't prune am I best just to let them get on with it
If you purchased Rebecca and Arctic Queen from Taylors of Doncaster, who are probably the best clematis nursery in the country at present and they sell many of the Evison cultivars, they would be 2 year old plants and should have several growing stems. They would not need pruning as they would have been pruned year 1 on the nursery. If you purchased young plants with only 1 stem, known in the trade as liners, they would be best pruned, but you will lose the early flush of flowers.
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I'd cut them back to about 18" / 0.5m depending if you're old , or new , school.
If you leave them, they have a tendency to become leggy with just a couple of stems. I know it's hard to cut them when you see new shoots, but you'll end up with more stems and a much bushier plant.
Both of your 2 cultivars are Early Large Flowered Group, ( Evisons Group 2 ),they should not be pruned hard back.
Simple rule for pruning clematis.............. ' If it flowers before June, do not prune '.
So all the evergreens, atragenes, montanas, Early Large Flowered hybrids flower on last years wood, so if you prune them you chop off the flowering shoots. The Summer flowering clematis, viticellas, viornas, orientalis, Late Large Flowering hybrids and many of the species clematis need butchering back to the floor on February 14th.
That's fine general advice Richard but these are less than a year old plants and I disagree with you in this instance and follow the RHS advice which says that all year old clematis, regardless of type, should be cut back to encourage more stems to shoot from the root crown. The following is quoted from their 'Group 2' advice page:
"Unless the plant already has three or four healthy stems growing from the base, all newly planted clematis should be pruned back hard the first spring after planting. Cut back to just above a strong pair of leaf buds about 30cm (1ft) above soil level. This will encourage multiple stems which can be trained in to supports to give a good coverage."
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=346
I've been following that advice for years with excellent results.
I would have thought that all Raymond Evison clematis would be 2 year old plants when planted ?
Were they just little 1 year old ' liners ' ?
If you purchased Rebecca and Arctic Queen from Taylors of Doncaster, who are probably the best clematis nursery in the country at present and they sell many of the Evison cultivars, they would be 2 year old plants and should have several growing stems. They would not need pruning as they would have been pruned year 1 on the nursery. If you purchased young plants with only 1 stem, known in the trade as liners, they would be best pruned, but you will lose the early flush of flowers.