Dwarf types reach only 24 inches in height, while others may grow to twenty feet or more. However, as with many other shrubs, many clematis do not 'have' to be pruned. Hi Antigone, the best time to prune your winter flowering clematis would have been immediately after flowering. White filaments and cream anthers adorn the center of the blossoms. Clematis vines grow quickly and need pruning. Clematis are normally grouped into three distinct sections for pruning. You could tidy it up a bit now but would probably lose some of the blooms which will be forming. The objectives in pruning clematis are to maximize flowering and to manage the size of the vine. 14 Aug, 2009 . The gorgeous rosettes are occasionally tinged with green. Group 1. Regardless of the cultivar, prune all dead stems after a hard winter. Burgundy . Whenever you prune a clematis add a couple of handfuls of pelletised animal manure to encourage the wonderful new growth on which they flower. Avoid heavy pruning at this stage as you may get less early flowers. Adding a touch of elegance to the garden, Clematis 'Duchess of Edinburgh' is a deciduous climber with luminous, fully double, pure white flowers, 4-6 in. Your type 1 clematis may surprise you with late summer blooms, in that case do not prune the clematis after the late season blooms. That is partly true, I mean a vine of this type does not need pruning to live, but the truth is that the gardener often needs to prune them especially to control their development. Prune your large flowering clematis during the spring, when the plant is still dormant. This guide explains the proper time to and how to prune your clematis. Clematis cultivars vary in size, flower form, color, and time of bloom. across (10-15 cm), composed of several layers of narrow white tepals which tend to recurve at their tips. But in normal garden conditions, pruning of Clematis is a 'must'. Remove any damaged, dead or weak stems, cutting back to a pair of healthy buds. I think I would leave it and enjoy the mass of flowers this coming Winter, it sounds to be very healthy, then give it a good trim early Spring. If you are going to prune clematis, then it needs to be carried out correctly. To get optimal performance from your clematis it is important to prune properly. There are three categories of clematis – group 1, 2 or 3 – which require pruning at different times. Pruning Type 2 Clematis Flowers . If you have been looking for information on how to prune clematis montana surely you have read several times that these plants do not require almost pruning. Examples of type 1 clematis are atragene, montana, and evergreen clematis. Wait until the following spring after the main bloom period subsides. To manage the size of the vine may get less early flowers evergreen clematis and manage! 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