Spring pruning of clematis

1. Spring Flower Micro-pruning

It is not suitable to prune clematis that blooms in spring. Since the flower is about to enter the flowering period, pruning the branches will cause the nutrients to be concentrated not on the flowers but on the growth of the branches. Of course, some dead branches and weak branches should be cut off in time to avoid wasting nutrients.

2. Light pruning of summer flowers

Summer-flowering varieties require light pruning in the spring. Keep the overall plant shape unchanged, branches should not be pruned too short, and more than 7 nodes should be retained. Only cut off the branches without strong buds, and thin out the overly dense branches to avoid affecting the internal ventilation and light transmission. You don't have to prune it, but you need to do a major pruning every 3-4 years, leaving about 15-30 cm at the base.

3. Autumn flower pruning

For fall-flowering varieties, spring pruning can be more intense. Only keep 3-7 branches and cut off the rest. The new branches that emerge from the base of the plant every year are very fragile and need to be pruned properly. There is also no need to keep buds that show no signs of development. Autumn flowers need to be heavily pruned every year, otherwise their growth will gradually decline and their flowering ability will also weaken.