Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
When to Prune Clematis Vines
When to Prune Clematis Vines. The clematis vine, a delicate climber with a wide spectrum of shaded blooms, can be a sensitive garden guest. With three primary categories of clematis to guide pruning practices, take care to fully understand your vine for the best chance of success.
The clematis vine, a delicate climber with a wide spectrum of shaded blooms, can be a sensitive garden guest. With three primary categories of clematis to guide pruning practices, take care to fully understand your vine for the best chance of success.
Group A: Early Flowering
Clematis that bloom early, part of Group A or 1 clematis, bloom on "old wood" or last year's growth. It is necessary to prune these lightly to remove dead wood in early spring, taking care not to trim any stems with buds, and then prune closely following the blooming period. Clemson University Extension horticulture experts Karen Russ and Bob Polomski suggest pruning no later than July on these early-flowering varieties. Some species belonging to this group include C. alpina, a 6-foot vine with lavender, bell-shaped flowers, and C. armandii, a creamy white, vanilla-scented bloomer that can climb up to 30 feet high.
Group B: Large Flowered
"Niobe," a ruby-red hybrid that flowers all summer long, and "Nelly Moser," with 8-inch-wide, rosy mauve blooms, are both part of Group B or 2. This group produces flowers throughout the summer, blooming on both old and new wood. Russ and Polomski suggest February or March pruning for this group, cutting back the new growth to where the highest pair of green buds emerge on the stems. University of Illinois Extension horticulturist Greg Stack advises that light pruning is best, but if this group is looking leggy and needs a good cut back, do it in spring after the first flush of blooms. You should still have time to produce fall blossoms.
Group C: Late Flowering
Stack calls this the "grit your teeth" group, as the Group C or 3 late-flowering clematis need a heavy cut back every spring in order to thrive. Prune back to 2 to 3 feet of new growth, which is where the flowers will emerge from. The good news is that they are such prolific producers that even with the heavy pruning required, you are assured a mass of blooms throughout the season. If you avoid the task, Stack warns that you may produce an unattractive, sparse-looking vine. C. viticella is a tall-growing, purple-hued variety, and C. tangutica has tiny yellow blossoms that leave silvery fruit pods behind for the winter.
