Pruning Clematis

Tips for pruning clematis vines. When and how to prune clematis types. How to trim evergreen, hardy and bush clematis plants.

These 2 white Clematis vines were pruned in the spring.

One is growing much more quickly than the other. It is blooming now; the other will take over a bit later in the season and prolong the color show.

Pruning Tips for Clematis

To encourage horizontal growth, snip off the vertical stem just above a node at the desired height.

When to prune clematis depends on which clematis plant you have and when it flowers. But the first year training is the same for all hardy clematis varieties:

Cut back the vertical stems to 2 or 3 pairs of buds when the vines are first planted.

Evergreen Clematis Pruning

Begin pruning the second year according to the plant's vigor and bloom time.

Clematis armandii

During the growing season, thin and pinch the vine to keep it from growing out of bounds and tangling. You may cut new shoots back to 3 nodes to prevent them from shading out the rest of the vine.

Bush Clematis

Clematis heracleifolia and Clematis integrifolia are the 2 most commonly grown bush clematis plants. Although both plants are summer bloomers, they are pruned at different times.

Clematis heracleifolia

Clematis integrifolia

How to Prune Clematis Vines

Spring Flowering Clematis

How much trimming you do depends on the plant's vigor. You are trying to encourage strong new growth that will flower next year but you don't want to let the vine overgrow itself of you'll wind up with a tangled mess.

Try pruning clematis which grows rankly like Clematis montana according to the instructions given above for C. armandii.

Prune less vigorous varieties by cutting stems back by half. Thin out weak growth and remove any stem that is growing toward the vine rather than away from it and creating a tangling problem.

Prune Clematis that Bloom in Summer

Summer Hanging Basket on Tree; Clematis "Sunset" & Clematis "Silver Moon" Bransford Nursery

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Bedding, Alan
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Trim back the previous season's growth to 12 inches. These vines will get bigger and bushier each season.

Pruning Clematis that Repeat Bloom

Prune clematis vines of this type in early spring before the buds swell and again after the first bloom.

Keep the early spring pruning light. Just thin and untangle the plant. After it blooms you can prune it more heavily (according to the summer blooming instructions above) to encourage lots of new stems to grow to support a big flower show later in the season.

Growing Clematis
Growing clematis vines, plants and flowers. Planting clematis vine. How to grow clematis. Purchase clematis plants. Clematis pictures.

Clematis Wilt
Clematis wilt and other clematis disease information. Leaf wilt, being the most common of the clematis diseases, is the one you are most likely to encounter when gardening with clematis flowers.

Clematis Care
Clematis care information. Clematis plant care. Fertilizing and care of clematis vines of all types. Caring for clematis bush.

Go from Pruning Clematis to Clematis Armandii
Clematis armandii bears a lightly fragrant, white clematis flower. An unusual four petal clematis, it looks like 2 propeller blades connected in the center by a tiny brush.

Clematis fence planting. How to grow Clematis armandii Little White Charm. Pruning Clematis armandii.

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