Clematis
Pruning
GROUP 1
No pruning
Early Blooming
Clematis
This category includes Clematis alpina, Clematis chrysocoma, Clematis macropetala, Clematis montana and the evergreen Clematis cirrhosa and Clematis armandii groups. If you wish to prune these types because they have outgrown their space they should be pruned immediately after flowering. You may or may not lose your plant as a result of the pruning. You might want to reduce the plant size over two or three seasons rather than in one go.
GROUP 2
light pruning
Large Flowered Hybrids
Flowering in May & June
GROUP 3
HARD PRUNING
Late Flowering in Summer on this Season’s Growth
This category includes the late large-flowered hybrids and the small-flowered viticellas, orientalis and texensis groups. These plants flower on the new season's growth. Prune in February by starting at the bottom of the plant and working your way up the stem to the first pair of plump, healthy buds. Prune the stem above the buds and remove everything above the cut. Treat each stem in a similar way. The plant will be encouraged to make strong new growth and an abundance of flowers.
This category includes the early large-flowered forms including the double and semi-double cultivars. These plants produce their main flush of flowers in May and early June on stems made in the previous year so pruning is limited to cutting out dead or weak shoots in February. This is best achieved by working your way down from the top of each stem until you reach a healthy bud and then pruning just above it. Refrain from heavier pruning or you will have no early flowers. After the early flowers have finished you can prune back some of the flowered shoots to encourage new growth. This is also the time to cut back a plant that has outgrown its position or which has become an unsightly tangle at the top. Again, be careful. Reduce the plant over two or three seasons rather than in one brutal prune.
"If it blooms before June ....... don't prune!"
