Clematis are one of the most beautiful flowering climbing plants in the home garden. I have already planted various species in my little green oasis and then enjoy a splendor of flowers in the summer. I chose late-flowering varieties that score points with slightly larger flowers and that belong to cutting group 3. For these and other summer-flowering species, pruning in March is an absolute must. In today's article I have therefore tried to explain the necessary cutting measures for this third group and to share my experience. Cutting clematis, made easy!
Why I cut my clematis in spring
I like to experiment with different planting combinations and have planted clematis both in planters and in the garden. I don't just limit myself to climbing plants, I also had shrub clematis like “Arabella”. But admittedly - at the beginning I made an important pruning mistake, which resulted in a bare plant.
I forgot to prune my clematis in spring – and this happened
When I bought it, I found out that the clematis, which bloom in summer, belong to cutting group 3. These should then be cut either in November or early spring. Back then, winter started earlier than usual and, as a complete beginner, I was worried that the clematis would die after such a strong winterPruning in wintercould freeze to death. So the cutting date was postponed until spring. I cut back the hedge in February and planted flowers in March. Somehow in the rush I forgot the clematis. The old flowers remained on the branches.
The plant had weak shoots, grew very slowly and – you guessed it – didn’t flower. The branches became bare from below and then the severe pruning in November no longer helped. That's why I decided to get the next summer flowering oneClematis annualto cut back and I have marked the cutting date in my garden calendar so that I don't forget it again.
That's why heavy pruning in March is so important for the Clematis 3rd cutting group
The summer-flowering varieties simply need severe pruning because they only bloom on new shoots. Pruning also fulfills another important function - many clematis species in the third cutting group then remain compact and are perfect as balcony plants. Especially because this third group includes more than just climbing plants. There are also some shrubs and low-growing perennials. In principle, these are also very easy to care for. I have had some experience with the following plants:
- The clematis “Arabella” has a bushy habit and reached a height of 1.7 meters in my garden in three years. The bush grew around 1 meter wide. But it can still grow in the next two years and is said to be up to 2.5 meters high. However, I doubt it will get that high for me. It needs full sun and in my case it stands next to the terrace in the shade. Nevertheless, its beautiful, purple-colored flowers appear around mid-June every year. I always cut back my Arabella heavily in March.
- I plan to plant the “Mrs Robert Brydon” clematis next. I fell in love with the lavender flowers! I will also plant this variety near the terrace - but this time I would like to try growing it in a container. This variety is also cut back heavily once a year.
You can also find a wide variety of varieties in garden centers. Some are very popular – such as “Jackmanii” or “Comtesse de Bouchaud”, others are now gaining more popularity – such as “Pink Fantasy” or “Duchess of Albany”. However, all of them are marked as cutting group 3 or - even if no information is available - bloom in summer. As I said, the flowering time is crucial for the cutting date.
Also read:These four trees receive a pruning in February
With the climbing plantsThere is only one disadvantage in group 3: If I cut my “Ville de Lyon” back almost to the ground in March, then I have to pull it up again in the spring. For me, however, it's worth the effort because I think the pink flowers look simply adorable.
Cutting clematis: How I prune
I always choose a frost-free, sunny day for pruning. I usually also look at the weather forecast for the next few days - it shouldn't rain for the week after cutting so that the clematis can recover. To be on the safe side, I always wear gardening gloves and use sharp scissors, which I disinfect first. If I cut several plants one at a time, I always disinfect the scissors before each cut. I then cut all shoots back to 30 cm. The edge should be as smooth as possible, because cracks in the shoots are entry points for fungi and bacteria.
