Keep clematis looking their best

THe time has come to prune clematis, but only the right ones. Varieties which flower after mid-June produce their flowers on stems which will have developed since spring. Those should be pruned now.

With vigorous types, you can cut away as much of the old material as you like. Varieties of small-flowered Clematis viticella, pictured, can be cut almost to ground level. They’ll respond by growing vigorous shoots and stems which will flower from midsummer.

In contrast, spring and early summer-flowering types such as C. montana, and varieties such as blue Lasurstern or pink Bee’s Jubilee, should not be pruned now.

If you prune them, you won’t damage the plants, but you will lose this year’s main flowers.

I cut late clematis back as hard as I dare. That ensures new growth which does not have to compete with older stems. However, vigorous clematis trained up into trees will be fine if left untouched.

The best time for pruning spring and early summerflowering clematis will be late spring, straight after flowering. That gives them a full summer in which to develop next spring flowers.

Truly herbaceous types such as C. integrifolia, C. texensis and the purple-pink hybrid Alyonushka can be cut to ground level each year.