PRUNING GROUP 1

Pruning will help keep your clematis vines healthy.  Pruning the dense tangle of stems opens the remaining shoots to air and light which encourages healthy growth and reduces the incidence of rot and disease.

Group 1 Clematis flower in spring on growth from the previous year. Prune your Group 1 clematis when they have finished blooming. This will allow the new stems more time to grow and set buds for next years display.

Group 1 clematis typically need very little pruning and how much you remove is dependant upon the varieties vigour.  The highly vigorous varieties  such as C. armandii can be cut back heavily whereas the slower growing varieties such as C. alpina and C.macropetala will need very little pruning.  C.montana can be reluctant to res-route after being cut-back so avoid cutting these back to the old wood.