I have six clematis across the back side of my shed. They are all type 2 little orange pot varieties from a big box store. I planted them last year and they are growing like mad. Unfortunately, I had to remove the trellises so I could paint my shed, which I procrastinated about. Now I have mounds of hopelessly entangled cematis loaded with nice fat buds. What to do (big sigh)?
Tangled mess
I'd be inclined to cut them all back like a pruning group 3. The vines will regrow and you'll have them where you want them. With buds already set, you wouldn't have much of a display this year. Or let them bloom where they are, then cut them back. Because of our short growing season, if this was here, I'd want to get the new vines growing as soon as possible, so I'd cut them back now.
Maybe Shirley has some better advice.
Your advise is excellent beaker_ch. It's a toss up! It's really up to you! Personally, I would leave them this season and cut back hard next year. You'll just have a kaleidoscope of colors!
Thank you both for the advice. I try to complete these projects on a timely basis, but I keep getting distracted (by more plants, of course). Painting sheds is just not as exciting as planting new roses, clematis, etc. I love Shirley's imagery of a kaleidoscope of colors. I just never anticipated the growth that would come from those little pots. I treated them very badly last summer. When I went to paint, I was amazed at what had happened back there.
I would not have the heart to cut off fat buds! LOL But then I am a softie. I am sure the others advice is excellent, but I think with my softie approach I would leave them alone this year & enjoy the blooms. You might want to lift the whole tangled mass up and lay some 5 gallon pots on their sides and drape the mass over them, at least that would get them off the ground.
Yup. That is what I decided -- enjoy the blooms as is.
I am weak :-)
I did cobble together a series of low supports to get what I could off the ground. Your idea about the five gallon pots would have been much easier. I wish I'd thought of it or you'd have posted sooner LOL! I am just amazed with these plants. I never expected so much so soon. I'll also have to admit to have being a bit of a snob with regard to them -- I mean who'd have thought that very cheap (3.99) little pots of clematis would produce so much so soon. The price had them at the bottom of my list of priorities last year. I did terrible things to them (left them in the little orange pots, let them get dried out off and on, and stuck them in the bed with a lick and a prayer at the end of the summer). They are outperforming the "larger" clematis I got at a specialty nursery around the same time, and those I babied (very expensive). Live and learn!
This message was edited May 16, 2006 2:22 PM