Pruning shrubs and
climbers
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Many people are confused about
how to prune these popular climbers since every variety seems to carry its own
set of rules. The most important point to remember is that you are unlikely to
damage your clematis, whether you prune or not.
The object of pruning is to
maximise results, rather than being a matter of life or death for your
clematis. Severe pruning of a clematis will encourage prolific flowering later
in the year.
The same rules apply as with
other shrubs: clematis that bloom in spring or early summer need not be pruned
but, if they have become untidy and need a trim, do this immediately after
flowering. Clematis that bloom after mid June should be pruned for best
results.
Spring flowering clematis, which
need no regular pruning, include all forms of Clematis montana, C. alpina, C.
macropetala, the evergreen C. armandii and such large-flowered hybrids as
'Nellie Moser, ' (pink) 'Marie Boisselot,' (white) and 'H.F. Young' (pale
blue.)
Late summer flowering clematis
can be treated almost like herbaceous perennials - i.e., cut hard back in
winter and encouraged to grow from the ground, or from shortened stumps. But
like other clematis, if they are not pruned, no harm will come of them. Indeed,
one good way to grow them is to allow them to scramble into a tree, where
pruning would become almost impossible but where untidy old growth is nearly
invisible.
Late flowering clematis that
should be regularly pruned include small and medium flowered Clematis viticella
varieties - includes such cultivars as 'Alba Luxurians,' Perle d'Azur' and the
midnight blue 'Etoile Violette' -also, Clematis x jackmanii and hybrids, the
orange peel clematis species such as C. tangutica and C. 'Bill
McKenzie'.
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