Clematis group 3
Liz Warner
Posts: 199
in Plants
I've got a group 3 clematis which is in its first year. I know I need to prune it in February or so next year but do I do anything with it now? It didn't do particularly well this y at (novice gardener!) but did flower a little and now is just brown above soil. Do I leave it like that? thanks
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I'd leave it for now. If you cut it back it will promote new growth, which will suffer in the coming months. They sometimes take a while to settle in, so hope you get a great display next year
Thank you! That's one less job this winter then!
I know there are meant to be six pruning groups for clematis, but really, in the garden situation, a tidy up in mid Feb is all that is needed for all of the early and mid- summer ones and the later flowering ones. However, I cut all my early and late summer ones to about a few inches high in their pots and give them a feed, which is something all clematis love. Early summer flowering varieties can be tidied up after their first flush for a second show in mid- to late autumn. Evergreen clematis like c. armandii can be tidied after flowering, about May time. C. montana - go steady, can react adversely to being pruned hard, so the removal of a few older stems is the way forward to keep it in check.
H-C
@Liz Warner,
Which species & cultivar is your clematis?
You can chop it back now, then chop it back again in February if any new growth is showing.
Being a group 3 you should have planted it quite deep.
It takes a few years to get a big root system established, then you can expect plenty of flowers.
First year sleep, second year creep, third year LEAP.
Exceptions to my previous quote are some of the ' yellows ', orientalis, tanguticas are not too happy to be pruned when dormant, best to wait until you see plenty of new wood in April, then prune.
Hi Liz, i hadn't read your thread until now and i have been looking up how to prune my clematis. I have all three groups, so began listing what i should do with each one, getting organised like you. It is scary cutting some down quite short but needs must
what do we feed them with folks?
Hello Loana, the best food for clematis is H2O, gallons and gallons of it.
My clematis are still head to toe in full flowers. I had cut them hard mid season when they were affected by mildew. Should i cut them now or leave them. Some group 2, some group 3.
Last edited: 22 November 2016 07:56:05