Clematis too high

Good guy · Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 11:29 am Post subject: Clematis too high

I've a clematis which is now, after a good few years, growing strongly. The only problem is, all the growth is at the top of the trellis. I know this easily happens with clematis and that correct pruning will sort it out, but I want to make sure I don't get it wrong!

It is an early, white flowered, well-scented plant with small leaves and flowers; I presume it's a viticella but the label is long lost. It is growing on a a trellis on a west-facing wall and the growth at the base is all on a single stem and doesn't branch until about 4 feet from the ground. It looks as though it could grow to about 10 or 12 feet.

Pruning suggestions please! I would like to have it spread out much more over the 6x4 trellis from as low down as possible and eventually fill the trellis to the top.

tagwex · Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 1:33 pm Post subject:

I doubt if you are going to get any flowers below the 4' point. Plant another one and look after it properly to fill the void!!!

Sue Deacon · Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 7:45 pm Post subject:

Mmm, just thinking out loud (rambling)... You say it is early flowering. I'm really no expert but I thought viticella was a later flowering?

If it is early flowering it should be pruned as soon as it is finished flowering. The early ones flower on the growth they produced the previous year.

If you are feeling brave, you could prune it back as far as you can to viable buds, (leaving a couple of stems as insurance!) You might just shock it into growth from lower down.

Or you could plant something else to cover the bare stems.

Margo · Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 7:55 pm Post subject:

Can you get a closer photo of the actual flower as it looks like Clematis vitalba to me.

Good guy · Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 9:33 pm Post subject:

Hi Margo. They are seed heads now, but I'll get a close-up of foliage and seed head in th morning. Vitalba does ring a bell; I'm afraid I'm one of those people, full of good intentions, as far as record keeping/labelling goes!

Ado 2 · Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 9:46 pm Post subject:

There's green growth near the bottom so could be pruned to there also it's easy to take cuttings from clematis now

Ado 2 · Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2015 3:25 pm Post subject:

It may well be clematis Armandii It's a evergreen Check out RHS. Org / UK pruning Group 1 Clematis

Margo · Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2015 6:53 pm Post subject:

Personally I'm not a lover of Clematis vitalba or old mans beard. I used to have one but got rid of it as it just took over

Good guy

Back to my clematis: I realise the close-up photo is a bit late, Margo, as you are cruising now. Hopefully you will see it on your return.
What I want to know is, if I cut off the stem at about 18 inches from the ground (more or less the bottom of the trellis) will I get a multi- stemmed re growth which I can train over the whole trellis?

Ado 2 · Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2015 7:43 pm Post subject:

Feb is the best time to prune Clematis. Check out RHS pruning Group 1 clematis

Maireadw · Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2015 9:19 pm Post subject:

I am new to growing clematis, but last year one of my plants got a bit leggy (brown stem was about 2 feet above the ground). I detached it in spring from the wire mesh that it clings to and wound the wooden part on the ground and buried it so that only the new growth was above the ground. I also layered some of the new shoots across the ground and this year it had spread nicely for me.

For an early flowering clematis,(flowering before June) some say it is best to prune directly after flowering as it blooms on previous years growth.