Another approach is to cut the whole plant back drastically every few years just before growth begins, with little or no pruning in the intervening time; in this case, you give up only the earliest blossoms in the season you prune. If you’re not sure which group your clematis belongs to, let it flower, take note of when it blooms and what kind of flower it produces, and prune accordingly. All the Clematis varieties below fall into Prune Group 2. Once you know your Clematis's pruning number and get that first-year trim out of the way, keeping this woody climber looking its best and blooming like crazy is simple! Click here for detailed advice on pruning this group of clematis. Prune Group 2 clematis vines lightly in late winter … Some bloom on new growth and others on growth from the previous year. Group 3 Clematis have the following characteristics: Clematis pruning groups. Generally, these cultivars are only pruned to shape. Group 1, spring bloomers: Clematis that bloom in early to mid-spring (April-May) flower on last year's wood. If your Clematis is in Group 3, skip the second-year pruning. Group 3. The first act unfolds in spring; the late-season show headlines in late summer or fall. This extends the flowering season. These buds were produced the previous season and should be … Some mid- to late summer flowering clematis may be pruned by combining method 2 and 3, to retain a basic framework while cutting other stems to the base. Clematis Pruning Groups. The following lists of cultivars/varieties and species will help you get your pruning right. This group (also Group/Type 2 or B, but sometimes classified as Group B2) includes ‘The President’, ‘Henryi’ and newer doubles such as ‘Josephine.’ Again, you would prune as for Group B1, above: an optional light pruning in February/March to shape or cut out weak stems, with a tidying, if … A simpler option when pruning Group 2 clematis vines is to severely prune the plant back by half in alternate years. Combining Pruning Groups 2 or 3. Pruning Group 2 – Clematis ‘Franziska Marie’ Pruning for group 2 should be done in early spring to trim stems just above strong buds (and to remove any dead or damaged stems). Clematis in this group produce early season blooms on the previous season’s growth, and late season flowers on new growth. These clematis vines flower on both old and new stems and, as a result, stage two flower shows each year if vines are healthy. They enjoy being cut back halfway after their first flush, and then being pruned lightly early march each year. If you see buds developing when pruning clematis vines, you may be pruning at the wrong time. Plants in this clematis pruning group should be pruned before the end of July to allow blooms for next year. Clematis in Group 2 should be pruned lightly in late winter or early spring. Flowers that bloom in spring grow on old wood. For pruning, clematis are divided into three groups depending on when they flower, which affects how and when they are pruned. Pruning consists of removing weak and crossing shoots then thinning down the plant to … Clematis that fall into this group generally have the largest sized flowers, and flower either all summer or even flower twice in the season. Blooms of this clematis developed during last year’s growing season. Do not cut all the way back or you will reduce the number of flowers that you will get later. Your variety blooms on new wood, so this pruning is completely unnecessary. Clematis fit into three pruning categories: early flowering, late flowering and large flowering.