How to Prune Clematis

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Know which clematis need to be pruned after blooming.

   Spring blooming clematis blooms on the old wood, meaning that they form their buds the previous year.
   
   The time to prune them is straight after they have finished flowering so that they have time to grow vigorously during summer, and will have lots of "new" old wood to blossom from next spring.
   
   Varieties that should be pruned after they bloom include Alpina, Montana and Armandii .
   
   Recurrent bloomers (like those that bloom in spring, summer and early autumn) should also be pruned after they bloom.
   
   Again, these flower from the old wood.
   
   These trims should be light.
2. 2

   Step 2: Prune your clematis.

   For this sort of early blooming clematis, you only really need to give them a light trim.
   
   Use pruning shears or garden scissors to cut back and damaged or stray stems that you can find., The hard trim, which means that you cut back more of the plant, should only occur when you need to control their growth, with the understanding that you'll be curtailing the blossoming.
3. 3

   Step 3: Give your clematis a hard trim every so often.

Detailed Guide

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