When to clip and propagate that clematis
Some clematis respond well to hard pruning and are difficult to damage; others are a bit more temperamental.
That rampant clematis, montana, may well be past its wonderful best, but there are many more bigger and better clematis preparing to flower.
But when they, too, have done their blooming, what happens? Do you prune or do you hope Nature will see that everything’s all right next year?
Because when to prune a clematis has always proved to be a dilemma.
Montana is a relatively safe bet – it’s so tough and so energetic that it doesn’t seem to mind a short back and sides once it’s finished flowering. In fact, it needs tough treatment to stop it from taking over.
But don’t try the same treatment with the early and late flowering varieties.
As a rule of thumb, if a clematis blooms before the end of June, prune it as soon as it has flowered by cutting back the side shoots to 2-3 buds off the main framework. If it blooms after June, prune it back hard in February.
The late-summer bloomers, such as “Ville de Lyon” and that gloriously seductive “Comtesse de Bouchard” flower on new wood, so that early-spring cutback is essential for a good show later the same year. So, just cut all the stems right down to the bottom pair of buds; in fact, almost to the ground.
The only time you serve up the same sort of treatment to the spring and earlysummer bloomers is when they are newlyplanted; by pruning them to shape, you encourage stronger growth and a sturdier framework for future years. But if in doubt, leave well alone.
And while you’re doing the job, try a bit of propagation from the clippings. Cut between leaf joints, leaving a longish stem with just one pair of leaves at the top. Put them into pots and cover with polythene. Then leave them for a couple of months in a shady spot.