Pruning Group 1
This group contains the early-flowering clematis that flower on shoots produced the previous season. They require no regular pruning except for the removal of faded flowers. In following years some training and thinning might be necessary. If renovation is necessary, plants can be cut back to the main stems to 15cm (6in) from the base after flowering. This will affect flowering and should not be carried out for another three years.
Initial pruning and training
Young clematis often produce very long single stems with the
flowers produced only at the top (how you would normally see them when buying
in a nursery or garden centre). Unless the plant already has three or four
healthy stems growing from the base, all newly planted clematis should be
pruned back hard the first spring after planting. Cut back to just above a
strong pair of leaf buds about 30cm (12in) above soil level. This will
encourage multiple stems which can be then trained on supports to give good coverage.
During the spring and summer, tie in new growth, spacing stems evenly on the
support.
Pruning established plants
- Trim long branches and prune back dead or damaged shoots
to a pair of healthy buds.
- Vigorous clematis, such as C. montana, can be
sheared over after flowering to keep tidy.
- Old congested plants can be thinned but it is usually
easier to renovate them.
- To renovate, cut all stems back to approx. 30cm just after
flowering. Apply a general fertiliser and water in dry spells. Response is
generally good. Leave at least three years before pruning hard again.
- C. armandii does not usually respond well to renovation and pruning established plants should be limited to keeping them trimmed to the space available and removing, in spring, any leaves damaged by wind scorch.
Examples of clematis in pruning group one:
Clematis alpina AGM C.
alpina 'Pamela Jackman'
C. armandii C.
× cartmanii 'Avalanche'
C. cirrhosa var. balearica C.
cirrhosa 'Freckles'
C. 'Constance' AGM C.
'Frances Rivis' AGM
C. macropetala C.
macropetala 'Blue Bird'
C. 'Markham's Pink' AGM C.
montana
C. 'Rosy O'Grady’ C.
'Ruby'
Clematis 'Nelly Moser' Clematis 'The President'
Pruning Group 2
This group contains the large-flowered cultivars that flower
in May and June on the previous year's growth. Some flower again in late summer
on new growth. They only need to have the flowers cut off back to a large
growth as soon as flowering is over. They can be left unpruned apart from the
removal of dead shoot ends in spring.
Initial pruning and training
Young clematis often produce very long single stems with the
flowers produced only at the very top. Unless the plant already has three or
four healthy stems growing from the base, all newly planted clematis should be
pruned back hard the first spring after planting. Cut back to just above a
strong pair of leaf buds about 30cm (1ft) above soil level. This will
encourage more stems which can be trained in to give good coverage. During the
spring and summer, tie in new growth, spacing stems evenly. It does feel
counterintuitive but is best for the plant in the long run.
Pruning established plants
Prune in late winter or early spring (February) as follows:
- Remove dead or weak stems before growth begins. Follow
individual stems from the top down until you reach a pair of healthy buds, and
prune just above them.
- Avoid heavy pruning or flowers will be lost.
- To encourage a second flush of flowers later in the season
prune back some stems by cutting to large buds or a strong side shoot
immediately below the blooms.
- Top-heavy or overgrown plants can be gradually reduced
over two to three seasons by pruning back harder after the first flush of
flowers. They are unlikely to produce a second flush of flowers, but should
flower again the following year, in late spring or early summer
- Otherwise leave clematis in this group unpruned and prune
them to 30-90cm (1–3ft) from the base every three or four years in late winter.
In the first year after renovation, they might only flower once.
Examples of clematis in pruning group two include:
C. 'Barbara Jackman’ C.
'Bees' Jubilee’
C. 'Belle of Woking’ C.
'Beauty of Worcester’
C. 'Duchess of Edinburgh’ Clematis
florida var. sieboldiana
C. 'Jackmanii Alba’ C.
'Jackmanii Rubra’
C. 'Nelly Moser' AGM C.
'The President' AGM
C. 'Rebecca’ C.
'Royal Velvet’
 |
| Clematis 'Ville de Lyon' |
 |
| Clematis ‘Royal Velours’ |
Pruning Group 3
This group comprises clematis that flower from mid- to late
summer on the terminal 60cm (2ft) or so of the current year’s growth. If this
type is left unpruned growth will continue from where it ended the previous
season, resulting in a tangled mass of growth, flowering often well above eye
level and stems bare at the base. These late-flowering clematis are best pruned
back hard in February each year to the lowest pair of buds
Examples of clematis in pruning group three:
C. 'Étiole Violette' AGM C.
'Ernest Markham' AGM
C. 'Princess Diana' AGM C.
'Royal Velours' AGM
C. 'Ville de Lyon’ C.
viticella
C. viticella 'Purpurea Plena Elegans'
Combining Pruning Groups 2 or 3
Some mid- to late summer flowering clematis may be pruned by
combining method 2 and 3, to retain a basic framework while cutting other stems
to the base. This extends the flowering season.
Examples:'Comtesse de Bouchaud AGM’, ‘Gipsy Queen AGM’,
‘Hagley Hybrid’, ‘Jackmanii ’,
‘Jackmanii Superba’, 'John Huxtable AGM’, ‘Perle d’Azur’, ‘Rouge Cardinal’
and ‘Star of India’.
Herbaceous Clematis
Prune herbaceous clematis such as C. heracleifolia, C.
integrifolia and C. recta to near ground level
in late autumn or early spring.
 |
| Clematis integrifolia |
Unsure of which pruning group
If you are unsure or forget which group your clematis fall
into, observe the flowering time on your plant and use the following simple
guide;
Flowering before early summer (June), do not prune
Flowering from late June onwards, prune in late winter
(February)
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