Pruning Clematis

[cgcw]

Will I kill my clematis if I prune it now??

I've read it should be done in late winter (February) but I'm not sure mine can wait that long. It's over taken the area that it's in. There are at least a thousand buds waiting to open as well as another thousand which have already started (okay maybe not that many but a lot of them). Actually, it's a combination of 3-4 plants. They are growing along a fence but have started to hang down really low and overtake some of the other plants beneath them. I notice tonight that the lilies underneath have some blooms beginning to form and if the clematis gets any bigger it will be on top of the lilies. I don't know how to post a picture to share as to what it looks like.

I don't usually have such a green thumb. The fence the clematis is growing on is shared with a neighbor who put some new sod in last year and watered very frequently. I suspect my clematis enjoyed getting it's feet really wet.

Thanks for any help.

 

[marydmjj]

I don't think you will kill it if you trim it back a bit. Do you know what kind it is? Clematis is categorized in groups and you prune depending on which group it is in. Some you cut back to the bottom 2 buds in the spring, some you thin out leaving some long and some short vines, etc. If you know what kind(s) you have I can look up the pruning schedule for you.

 

[cgcw]

Hi Mary,

Thanks for the offer of help with my clematis. I don't know what type it is....I did notice you have a number of very beautiful ones blooming in your garden right now. I will hunt around and see if I can find a picture similar to what I have.

I have never cut it down to the ground. I leave it over the winter and just prune off some of the shoots which do not get leafy in the spring. Up until now, it's been very well contained on the fence but this year it has just taken off.

Cindy

 

[Snowwark]

Cindy, here's a link from The International Clematis Society on how to prune Clematis. It also tells you what to do if you're unsure of what pruning group your vine fits into



Pruning Clematis

Is there anyway that you can lift them off your flowers and gently tie them back on the fence? It would be a shame to miss the opening of thousands of buds.

 

[Snowwark]

I meant to mention that if you go to the bottom of the link for the above website (International Clematis Society), and go to their Homepage, you'll find all kinds of info, including a FAQ page, and a section where they identify clematis through pics. Maybe you'll see your clematis, Cindy.