At the beginning of June this year, I planted two more clematis climbers, Dr. Ruppel and Elsa Spath, on the fence of my south-facing border. They weren't in flower at the time and so I had to rely upon the picture on the label stuck to the pot. I'm never quite sure how reliable those pictures are going to be but I haven't been disappointed. As it has turned out, the flowers are pretty and creating quite an impact on the fence, already sporting buds and flowers and I know, (clematis virus and what-have-you permitting), that these are going to look stunning as they twine among the jasmine.
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| Clematis 'Elsa Spath' Pruning Group 2 |
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| Clematis 'Elsa Spath' Pruning Group 2 |
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| Clematis 'Dr Ruppel' Pruning Group 2 |
Pruning Group 2 Clematis, according to the Royal Horticultural Society:
With clematis group 2, which tend to flower twice in one year, the goal is to keep a framework of older wood yet promote the growth of new shoots in order to have the most flowers throughout the season.
If young plants are left unpruned they can end up with one long stem with flowers on top. This is similar to the problem with unpruned climbing roses.
"Unless the plant already has three or four healthy stems growing from the base, all newly planted clematis should be pruned back hard the first spring after planting".
Cut back new plants about 1ft (30cm) above ground level, just above a couple of strong buds. This will encourage the growth of side shoots and more stems which should be tied in eventually.
With older, established plants, they can be pruned in late winter or early spring, say February, by removing any weak or dead growth before buds begin to emerge. Begin at the top, cutting off above the first pair of healthy buds. Avoid pruning hard (too far back) or you'll have less flowers.
When the first flush of flowers has ended, cut back stems to a strong side shoot of above large buds immediately below the flowers. If the clematis is becoming overgrown or top-heavy, some stems can be cut down harder after the first flush of flowers, and the same treatment given to other stems on following years. You are, however, unlikely to get flowers from stems cut back hard until the following year.
There is another choice for overgrown clematis in group 2: Every three or four years you can prune the clematis right down to 1 to 3 ft above ground (30-90cm) at the end of winter, however they will only flower once the next season. Some mid- to late summer flowering clematis can be treated as either pruning group two or pruning group three, as desired. See RHS website.
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| Clematis 'Dr Ruppel' Pruning Group 2 and hoverfly |
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| Clematis 'Dr Ruppel' Pruning Group 2 and hoverfly - Macro |