Changing Clematis pruning time.
madpenguin
Posts: 2,523
Most people say that you prune Clematis in late Winter to Spring but for the past few years I have been cutting mine back in around Oct/Nov as they always seem to be well away with new growth by then.If I left it till the following year I would be taking off so much new growth and in some case flower buds that it wouldn't seem right!
They are all Group 1.
I know the Isle of Wight has a fairly warm winter climate but all my Clematis came through the 'Beast from the East' with no problems.
Does anyone else do this or have other plants which you prune at the 'wrong' time?
They are all Group 1.
I know the Isle of Wight has a fairly warm winter climate but all my Clematis came through the 'Beast from the East' with no problems.
Does anyone else do this or have other plants which you prune at the 'wrong' time?
“Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
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group 3 are for late winter / spring.
I don't particular prune anything at the wrong time but I can be impatient at time and just do something to get it over and done with.
It says prune after flowering but mine seem to keep flowering profusely well into October!
Group 2 clematis can flower on old stem made in previous years and usually just get a light prune to remove spent flowers and any wayward stems after their first flush of flowers in June. If pruned well and fed generously they will then produce a second flush in late summer. However, in my last garden their stems were always frozen hard in winter so I treated them as group 3s which just meant a longer but later sustained flowering period over summer.
Group 1s flower over winter or very early in spring and on old wood so they only get pruned once flowering finishes and only to keep them to the size of their supports or to remove entire stems form the base to promote new growth which will flower lower down the following year.
All clematis are hungry, thirsty plants and should be given a generous annual feed in spring plus occasional treats of liquid tomato food thru summer. They will need extra water during hot, dry spells such as we had last year and the year before.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
I cut it back in Oct/Nov and the following year I just let it clamber over up the trellis on the fence and then over surrounding shrubs etc. Bought it for £1.75 from Morrisons!
Maybe have a go at cuttings or try layering one or two of the stems with higher buds?
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=358 Read all the way down.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw