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CLEMATIS. PRUNING

fredmason861fredmason861 Posts: 7
in Plants
Hallo, my Clematis is well overgrown and is on 3 sides of my garden all the way round. Photo attached. I am unsure how to start pruning and how much to take off or how low to the ground. I would welcome some advice please.  Thanks. Fred Mason

Posts

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,051
    It looks like a montana type. It'll flower soon then you can cut it back, how hard is down to you. It'll come back but you need to be careful if you want to keep the coverage. No simple way round it I'm afraid.
    Devon.
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 11,426
    Hello Fred  :)
    If it is a Montana type and as Hostafan1 says,  it looks like it,  you can cut it back really hard after floweing. It will grow back fairly quickly, but it does mean fewer flowers next year, before it gets going again. 
    Do you know which variety it is ?
  • Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 6,713
    I have two Montana clematis in much the same state as yours @fredmason861.  I also missed the pruning time (after flowering last summer), leaving me frustrated because the plants look so messy now and I wanted to prune it, but will wait until after flowering. Picture 1 shows how it looked last summer when in full flower and picture 2 shows it looks now.  I don't think the flowers will be so abundant this summer.
  • fredmason861fredmason861 Posts: 7
    Yes I think mine is a Montana also. I will take your advice and prune after flowering. Thanks Fred.
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