My clematis is one year old
by
Barb Verbos
+1
and it's just a dead vine on the trellis right now. Do I chop it down or will it come back somehow after winter? It sure didn't do much last summer.
Related Discussions
Suggested Project Book
Leave it alone, it is slow to put out leaves. I have a thirty year old one and am patient in my expectations of spring growth.
Never cut clematis down.The season is just beginning for most. You did not state your location,however wait until new growth starts to appear at that point you will be able to determine what needs to be removed.
I agree! I have two and I leave them alone until I see new growth. Then I know what I can prune. I also like to leave some long branches for the new growth to climb on.
Clematis come in 2 primary varieties. Variety 1)You cut them all down in the fall and get blooms on new growth in the spring (whenever that is in your climate zone. ) But it takes mine over 3 months of growing/climbing up before they produce flowers. This type is great for places where you want 'screens' in the summer (deck or sun in your windows) and no blocking of the sun in winter. Variety 2)The other variety produces blooms on 'old growth' so leave those vines where you want them to produce flowers or as sturdy vines for others to latch onto. Fall is a good time to tie them up where you want them to go if they haven't already climbed there. I prune out the weakest looking strands and keep the sturdiest ones. I prune these after they flower (in spring). If you have vines where you don't want them, you can prune them off any time...that makes the others stronger. Both bloom better with rose food.