pruning
itchyandscratchy
Posts: 2
hi, ive just moved to my new house and about to start on the garden and i have inherited about 30 clematis and about 30 climbing roses !!! my problem is none have labels so with the clematis i dont know what they are so dont know when to prune. they all seem very straggly . shall i prune them all right down to foot above the ground or might i kill them
0
Posts
I wouldn't be able to tell one from t'other at this stage. I'd wait to see what I'd got first. That way you'll get some flowers, ID most of them, and prune appropriately when the time comes.
In the sticks near Peterborough
I agree with nutcutlet; Let them flower this year so you can ID them and post a photo of any of the clematis flowers you aren't sure about. If you cut them all back hard now, while most will probably survive, some of them may not flower until next year, so it will take longer to identify those. If you are desperate to cut back some of them, only cut back to the lowest pair of strongly growing buds. That way you should still get a few flowers to ID them with.
Same with the roses, ramblers flower on last years growth, climbers on this years.
What a lovely problem,Itchy! Love the name, too! hope you really enjoy the process of identifying and naming them and learnng their preferences.
With the roses Look ay them and take out any dead wood you see or any very weak and spindly shoots, dead fowers and dried up hips. That will make them tidier and as the othrs say be patient this year.
Envy here on a garden with all that in