I have a 3 or so year old william kennett that has several new buds, obviously on last years wood. I'm in Tennessee and the weather has been a tad warm for a few days. (62 degrees today, but dropping very cold over the next few days.) I'm wondering if maybe the plant is confused thinking spring is here??? Why are buds popping up in January?
I have never pruned this clematis and am wondering if I need to just wait. I read in a Garden Gate magazine that this plant is a group 2, so it should be lightly pruned in the spring, but if the plant is confused......
any ideas?
thanks
Many buds in January??? and several questions
It is not unusual for Clematis to set winter flowerbuds in warmer climates but to also bloom...having an unusual warm spell and possibly in a micro-climated area are ideal for them to spit out a winter bud...I have some that are still blooming now in my Texas Zone of 8B...Clematis "William Kennett" is a pruning group 2 as you mentioned and does bloom on the vines grown from previous years..it SHOULDN'T be pruned unless you want to shape or keep in bounds and ONLY after it's bloom period is over...Hopefully your weather will keep so you can have a bit of beauty during the winter...Jeanne
ps...hardpruning newly planted baby pruning group 2 clematis is recommended to ensure strenghtening it's rootsystem and viability but after year two you shouldn't use this technique IMHO
Thanks so much for your help. Honestly, I think I will just leave it alone. I'd hate to mess up a gorgeous 4 year clematis. My blooms are generally 7 or 8 inches.
Thanks again!
Jeanne, that is really a beautiful picture!
I have a Will Goodwin clematis which is doing the same thing. After years of trying to get the pruning thing "right", I just decided to leave them alone and not prune them at all. This seems to suit them fine in my climate, so from now on I'm just going to let them do their thing.
I know this sounds crazy to hard core Clematis enthusiasts, but it works here.
Jasper..NOT PRUNING is essential for 2 year old Pruning group 2's as they bloom on vines grown from prior seasons..Hard Pruning after the first year is essential for the health of the Rootsystem ..and will only cause the clematis to bloom later on that year BUT after that..don't prune and they will give you such pleasure...If unsure about a pruning group for any clematis you can always check with COTW...Jeanne