Clematis pruning

Quercusrobur81

Hello

Have left it too late to prune this clematis:

I’m afraid I don’t know what it is but it was so beautiful late last summer and covered with small green/white flowers. I’m guessing it’s probably group 3, showing no buds or signs of growth yet. How much should I chop it by? Scared I’ll kill it.

thanks

Bijdezee

If it is group 3 then the advice is to work from the ground up until you find the best strong buds and prune just above those. That is in feb/march normally, but as you have no growth as yet i would just do it now and see what happens. 

Fire

Go for it!

Quercusrobur81

Yikes, ok! Normally l love a chance for some severe pruning but never tackled a clematis before-is the point to keep it under control and encourage new growth? If it’s going to help it produce lots of flowers I’ll give it a shot.  Thanks

Bijdezee

Yep thats the idea, keeping it in check and getting a good show 

Thankthecat

It looks like a Grp 3 so you will only get flowers on this season's growth; there is no point in keeping the old growth. I have several in the garden and literally just chop them all down to about a foot / 18" from the ground in February. As spring is so late this year it's not too late to do it now - mine are only just starting to regrow. 

Quercusrobur81

Great, thanks-it is done. Chickened out a bit and went to about three feet from the ground but it is definitely less of a tangle...