Poorly looking clematis

sunshine preferred

I planted 2 clematis this year , first time i have planted any. They are General Sikorski and have flowered quite well. I know i have to prune them in spring to 6 inches above ground. However the leaves are now turning yellow , none fallen as yet. Is this normal and if not what should i do ? 

Fairygirl

Most clematis are deciduous, not evergreen, so it's perfectly normal that the leaves turn yellow and drop  

sunshine preferred

Thats good , i was getting a bit worried. I assume i just leave the stem and prune that in the spring . 

Fairygirl

Yes - you'll have the woody stems over winter and then you can prune accordingly. I like to feed well and mulch at that point too  

sunshine preferred

Thanks for the advice. I have planted a garden from scratch and although i enjoy gardening i am not very experienced . I have a list of what to do for each season , Too much for my memory to cope with ! I will add that to the list.

Fairygirl

It's all a big learning curve sp  

Nothing so fulfilling as  starting from scratch and building something you can enjoy. If plants are given the best conditions you can offer them, they will generally thrive. Clematis take several years to give their best display, but they're incredibly rewarding (and addictive) plants.

sunshine preferred

Already got another 2 ordered to arrive in the spring 

Fairygirl

Only two?  

Fairygirl

I've just taken a couple of pix now that the snow's disappearing - this is what you'll have once the foliage drops:

and this is an alpina clematis (with a bit of Etile Violette's bare stems) which still has a fair bit of it's foliage and some seedheads. That'll disappear and the new growth will come back in early spring

sunshine preferred

Thanks for the pictures. Snow you must live further north. I live in Dorset and you do not see snow very often , major panic when it arrives. I used to live in the Midlands so used to it. I was in a restaurant here once and people were saying oh god its snowing and it was literally only a few flakes .

Fairygirl

I'm in Scotland sp. My ex husband had a friend who had relocated to the south east of England and when we visited one time, the whole place had ground to a halt because there was half an inch of snow. He said it was hilarious how people reacted to any snow.