My late wife planted two clematis years ago. They are two different plants. I have always pruned them by trial and error. I know there are different types that require pruning at different times. Can you name these and give advice on pruning. Thank you.
The dark purple one looks like "Xerxes" or "Star of India"...it is most difficult to make a determination without seeing it in person. If I look at foto's online I see a wide variety of foto's showing the colours ranging to faded to very dark...to blue. I have had both these Clematis plants in my garden, but they have suffered from too hard a winters. The pinkish one is difficult to identify for the same reason. The reddish-pink one looks like 'Niobe' to me. I have this one too but it isn't doing terribly well this year. I do not know if it is because of its age, or because of the bizarre weather this spring. However, after they have stopped blooming, then that is the time to prune them back. I would prune them back to 10 cm or less. Good luck with these, mate.
Wow. I never prune mine. Or I only prune out the dead parts. My understanding is part some clems bloom on old wood, some only on new, and some on both. Is that right? Are these varieties kinds that only bloom on new wood?
Clematis of the twining type are split into three groups. 1 Only need dmaged or dead material removing. The ones in this group flower early in the year. 2.This group comprises the large-flowered cultivars that flower in May to June on short shoots developing from the previous year's growth. Some flower again in late summer on new growth. They require only to have the flowers cut off, back to a large growth bud immediately below the flower as soon as flowering is over. They can, if preferred, be left unpruned other than for the removal of dead shoot ends in spring. 3.This group comprises clematis that flower from mid- to late summer on the terminal 60cm (2ft) or so of the current year’s growth. If this type is left unpruned growth will continue from where it ended the previous season, resulting in a tangled mass of growth, flowering often well above eye level and stems bare at the base. These late-flowering clematis are best pruned back hard in February each year to the lowest pair of buds. Simple rule. Flowers before June don't prune.
I lost both my clematis to last winters bad weather, I had a white one and pink and they was interwoven with one another and made a lovely show across the fencing
