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Should I cut this Clematis back?

LeadFarmerLeadFarmer Posts: 1,455
in Problem solving

I have a Clematis Dr Ruppel which flowered wonderfully last year..

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/thebear843/Garden/file_zps37424126.jpg

 I purposely didnt prune it last year as I thought I would increase the flowing height. This year it is very late getting going, at a distance it looks dead but there are some new shoots appearing, albeit very sparce..

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/thebear843/Garden/file_zpsfdb196db.jpg

 

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/thebear843/Garden/file_zpsd1b86cfc.jpg

 

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/thebear843/Garden/file_zpsa4905ece.jpg

 Do you think I should chop it back down or leave it alone?

Posts

  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 22,662

    There is a good website Taylors Clematis which has just about every variety on it and about care and pruning. Here is the pruning page.

    http://www.taylorsclematis.co.uk/Clematis-pruning.html

    It says Dr. Ruppel is group 2, light pruning. But it says a bit more about it so do have a look.

    I saw your clematis on another thread and have been searching for it ever since, even when we went to England in April. Then the supermarket here in France had one of that name. But now a flower has come out and it looks just like Nelly Moser, which I have already. We'll be back to England in June.

    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • pashpash Posts: 109

    Hi, hope this helps:

     

    http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/new-clemdetail.cfm?dbkey=143 

  • LeadFarmerLeadFarmer Posts: 1,455

    Thats very useful, thanks.

    Busy-Lizzie I searched for Dr Ruppel for some time, eventually finding it for sale in my local Morrisons supermarket of all places. I have Nelly Mosser also, along with Bees Jubilee which are both similarto Dr Ruppel but much paler in colour. If I ever find it for sale again I will buy another plant to put the other side of my archway. Perhaps I ought to visit Taylors as I live not far from them.

  • Gardening GrandmaGardening Grandma Posts: 1,746

    Mulch and feed it and wait. It is a young plant and may just be concentrating on making root. I'm sure you are aware that it needs a cool rootrun. It should have been pruned back hard in the first spring after planting in order to encourage multiple stems to grow. These can be nibbled off by slugs, snails and insects when they first break through the soil, so I usually put a plastic pop bottle with the bottom cut out over the new shoots until they have had a chance to make a bit of growth. If you don't prune a young clematis enough ,it can grow tall and straggly with flowers only at the top. Group 2 clematis then need to be allowed to develop a woody framework because they flower on last year's growth, and just pruned into shape. If it is straggly, however, you can prune it back hard; you'll just lose most flowers this year, although they do flower later in the year on new growth.

     

     

     

     
  • LeadFarmerLeadFarmer Posts: 1,455

    Thanks, its about 6-7ft tall and wasnt pruned back last year. Ive just doen some light trimming back to the few buds I can see. Would it be a good idea to cut some of the stems right back so I get a mixture of flowers higher up as well as new growth lower down?

  • chickychicky Posts: 10,396

    I have a Dr Ruppel which I put in last autumn.  If it ends up flowering like yours Lead Farmer, I will be ecstatic !  Mine is growing up an obelisk along with Warsaw Nike.

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,312

    Looks good LF, the garden as well as the clematis.



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • LeadFarmerLeadFarmer Posts: 1,455

    Thanks nutcutlet. Ive decided to redesign my garden this year, reducing the lawn size and creating more planting area. Ive started already at the bottom of the garden but the main part wont be started until autumn. Lots of hard work ahaead as theres noone to help me image. I'll probably start a thread of the project.

  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 22,662

    Looking forward to it. I love seeing photos of people's gardens.

    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • chicachica Posts: 252

    hi leadfarmer looks great but they say flowers befor june dont prune flowers after june then prune,thats what monty don said anywayimage

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