How do I prune clematis the right way?
How do I prune clematis the right way?
How do I prune clematis the right way? Is a question I wish passed the lips of more people, instead of:
Which clematis grow fast?
Why isn’t my clematis flowering?
Which clematis will grow up an ugly wall?
Plants, like all things, need careful nurture and a basic understanding of their needs, a little planning would avoid the above panicked questions.
A flash in the pan
Fast growing climbers do exist, however you should be cautious about their purchase.
Most fast growing climbers will get huge. They will quickly swamp the area they were planted in, and without proper maintenance and care, will end up as a matted mess of dusty twigs with a few flowers on the outside.
Clematis Montana and Lonicera (Honey Suckle) along with the Rambling Rose, were a favourite of the 80’s and 90’s which explains their constant recommendation by wise old gardeners.
These plants are too large for the average modern garden and underwhelming in their flowering potential.
There are so many better climbers out there, offering more abundant blooms for longer periods. Remember variety is the spice of life.
Clematis Jackmanii Superbra, Pruning Group 3
Choosing the right climber
When choosing a climber consider where its going.
How big does it need to be, the average fence panel is 1.8m x 1.8m
Where is north?
Is it shady?
When a climber label says Height 18m+ and Width 6m+ this is a good indication that it is fast growing and likely to be too vigorous for the average garden.
Knowing where north is will help you know if a particular spot will be sunny or not, most smartphones have a compass built in.
When growing climbers up a fence, it is easy to forget that it could be in shade, so select climbers which are happy with this.
The early years
Giving your new climber the best chance in life doesn’t begin with throwing the label away, because it suggests pruning the plant back by 1/3 for 3 years.
I understand you want results quickly and are desperate to cover something unsightly.
It is really important to suck it up and accept that it’s going to take a little time to get results, but it will be worth it.
Always follow the pruning advice for your plant
Never trail straggly stems around a wire for miles
Do cut plants back to healthy buds and encourage side growth
Clematis buds are side by side, so a flat cut above the buds is needed
Clematis Group 1 (Flowers on last years growth)
Clematis in Group 1 flower early in the year, on shoots from the previous summer.
They need no regular pruning, just trimming back after flowering. This includes the aforementioned Montana.
Sounds great, you don’t need to do anything. This is very true for some of the slow growing varieties like Alpina.
However apply that apathy to a Montana or an Armandii and you will quickly end up with a wall of old bare twigs and beautiful flowers meters above you.
Don’t ignore these fast growing clematis, instead cut them back after flowering to make space for the summer growth which will give next years flowers.
Clematis Armandii planted March 2020. Flowers on last seasons growth.
Clematis Group 2 (Flowers on old stems and younger growth)
Clematis in Group 2 are generally the big flowered varieties, know for their soup bowl sized flowers and long flowering season.
These varieties will need a little more attention than others in order to get the best from them.
Prune in late winter, up until february. Cut back growth to a strong framework of older branches. Don’t go overboard and cut too much off of established plants, find a nice pair of buds and trim back to these.
If after flowering you cut off the old flowers and trim the stem back to the first set of strong buds, you will get a second flush of flowers!
If you don’t want to, don’t worry, but remember to do your winter pruning.
Clematis Crystal Fountain, Pruning Group 2
Clematis Group 3 (Flowers late summer on this years growth)
Clematis in Group 3 need to be cut right back to the lowest healthy bud or around 30cm above ground level each year to get any flowers.
This can make them great for growing on fences, as you don’t have to worry about the inevitable maintenance.
They grow very fast, and are exceptionally generous in their flowering, but may be less useful at covering something unsightly!
Polish Spirit Clematis, Pruning Group 3
This brings us to the end of How do I prune climbers the right way? and has hopefully answered the question to your satisfaction.
Useful Links
Pruning Plants, including other climbers