It's been a glorious day and I noticed that big fat buds are appearing on the clematis viticelli and so I pruned them right down to about 12 inches, just above the bud!! Pruning clematis was always such a headache for me because of the 3 groups that they fell into!! It makes such a difference to prune each group the correct way. So in case anyone is interested I am providing a link you might find useful!! I also discovered that it's a good thing to pinch back clematis in order that they flower lower down on the stems and I will try and find that link again and post it - it was very helpful!! You have to click onto the secateurs for the pruning guide!! Like you wouldn't know that :-)
http://dialspace.dial.pipex.com/clematis/clemindx.htm
Edited to provide the second link :-
http://www.britishclematis.org.uk/
This message was edited Sunday, Jan 27th 4:56 PM
Clematis buds
Louisa, I can't ever keep those groups separate!! Thanks for posting this. Also one can root clematis by layering the vines. Just make a small cut at the node, pin to the ground and cover with soil. When it's rooted good, cut it free.
Cala glad you found it helpful!! That's the way I propagate them - by layering but using a long stem and thereby producing more than one plant because they root at the nodes as you are aware :-)
well. I cut back the ones I should not of I guess. Cut my Nelly...Left my Montana...my my my Looks like I am not doing too well with these. at all,I will have to go around to each one. if I still have the plant tag on it and lable it and write to prune or not to prune.
Oh goodness something else for me to figure out. I recieved 3 of these in trades and never got them out so they are growing very well right now in pots in my house.
It's not too difficult really once you get the hang of it because you have early, mid and late season bloomers!! The early ones like the montanas don't really need to be cut back unless they are growing way too big for you or if it's a small plant and you want to encourage new growth. The large flowered clematis usually bloom in the early summer and sometimes repeat late summer/early fall!! These you can either trim back or leave alone. The viticellas - which I grow - flower in the late season. They lose most of their top growth which I cut right back to about 1 foot of the ground or to 'big fat buds'!!
If you have an extra start of the viticellas I would love a piece come spring. As I need more late blooming things.
Midwestersnowbird - My plants only went in last July. New house, new bare garden (except for the trees)!! But I will gladly layer one for you when it grows long enough to bend to the ground. Is that OK - it might take a while though!! And you will have to remind me :-)