Question

Help.  Had to give my beautiful clematis a hard cut back as thought I needed fence panel replaced bit has been saved.Help. Had to give my beautiful clematis a hard cut back as thought I needed fence panel replaced bit has been saved. Plant looks dead, can I get it back?  

Answer 1

Wait and see. x

Answer 2

A good many varieties need to be pruned close to the ground in February so dont do anything yet. It may start shooting soon.  

Answer 3

It should be fine Vic, lots of clematis like a hard prune  xx

Answer 4

Leave the root in and it probaly will . take a time though ,  

Answer 5

Its grand, . still sleeping , but alivec

Answer 6

Itll be fine Clematis love a hard prune in my experience

Answer 7

Oh no! Is it a montana? I trimmed mine not knowing it grows from new growth, so if you trim it back to old growth it dies! Mine was over 10 meters long . It really depends on the type of clematis it is

Comments

@vuillard5 it doesn’t necessarily die, it just takes a couple of years to recover and blossom. I’ve got one I’ve cut back twice, and it’s still going strong.  

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@pagano im just repeating what my horticulture tutor told me, when i asked about mine. As i said previously it does also depends on the type.  

Answer 8

My Montana was a bit like that now it's got a few shoots coming back

Answer 9

Wait and see you might be surprised once the weather warms up. you will see emprovement.  

Answer 10

I would cut it down at the bottom and it will grow very qiuckly

Answer 11

I nearly threw mine away. Looked as dead as a dodo. But on closer observation I spotted new growth. So it has a reprieve. Lol

Answer 12

If unsure scrape a little bark off, if it's green under the bark still alive

Answer 13

Cut it down to about 6" tall, should sprout in spring

Answer 14

I would personally wait for a couple of weeks to see if there is any sign of new growth, then give it a good chop if not. Fingers crossed for you  

Answer 15

It’ll defo come back! I would take it down to that black knuckle looking thing where the leave are on the other plant! My Clematis had two spectacular shows last year. This was the second show in Sept after cutting it down in August.  

Answer 16

This is from the RHS so you know its good advice I will put up group 2 & group 3 pruning ways next. so find out what group its in before you buy it so you know the right way to prune it or you could end up killing it if you are pruning it the wrong way every time you do it you prune the Groups different ways when to prune clematis in group one For this group no regular pruning is required, but if necessary, prune immediately after flowering in mid- to late spring when the danger of frost has passed. How to prune clematis in group one Initial pruning and training If young clematis plants are left unpruned they often produce very long single stems with the flowers produced only at the very top. Unless the plant already has three or four healthy stems growing from the base, all newly planted clematis should be pruned back hard the first spring after planting. Cut back to just above a strong pair of leaf buds about 30cm (12in) above soil level. This will encourage multiple stems which can be trained to supports to give good coverage. During the spring and summer, tie in new growth, spacing stems evenly on the support. Pruning established plants Trim overlong branches and prune back dead or winter-damaged shoots to a pair of healthy buds Vigorous clematis, such as C. montana, can be simply sheared over after flowering to keep them tidy Old congested plants can be thinned but it is usually easier to renovate To renovate, cut all stems back almost to the base, just after flowering. Apply a general fertiliser, mulch and water in dry spells. Response is generally good. Leave at least three years before pruning hard again C. armandii does not usually respond well to renovation and pruning of established plants should be limited to restricting them to the space available and removing, in spring, any leaves damaged by wind scorch

Answer 17

When to prune clematis in group two Prune in late winter or early spring (February) and after the first flush of flowers in early summer. How to prune clematis in group two The aim with pruning group two clematis is to retain a framework of old wood and also to stimulate new shoots in order to maximise flowering throughout the season. Initial pruning and training If young clematis are left unpruned they often produce very long single stems with the flowers produced only at the very top. Unless the plant already has three or four healthy stems growing from the base, all newly planted clematis should be pruned back hard the first spring after planting. Cut back to just above a strong pair of leaf buds about 30cm (1ft) above soil level. This will encourage multiple stems which can be trained in to supports to give a good coverage. During the spring and summer, tie in new growth, spacing stems evenly on the support. Pruning established plants Prune in late winter or early spring (February) as follows: Remove dead or weak stems before growth begins. Check individual stems from the top down until you reach a pair of healthy buds, and prune just above them, removing the spindly or damaged growth above Avoid heavy pruning or flowers will be lost Then prune again after the first flush of flowers: To encourage a second flush of flowers later in the season prune back some stems by cutting to large buds or a strong side shoot immediately below the blooms Top-heavy or overgrown plants can be gradually reduced over two to three seasons by pruning back harder after the first flush of flowers. They are unlikely to produce a second flush of flowers, but should flower again the following year, in late spring or early summer Alternatively, leave clematis in this group unpruned, and then hard prune them to 30-90cm (1–3ft) from the base every three or four years in late winter (as for pruning group three). In the first year after renovation, they will only flower once.  

Answer 18

When to prune clematis in group three Prune in late winter or early spring when buds show signs of growth – typically in February. How to prune clematis in group three Initial pruning and training If young clematis plants are left unpruned they often produce very long single stems with the flowers produced only at the very top. Unless the plant already has three or four healthy stems growing from the base, all newly planted clematis should be pruned back hard the first spring after planting. Cut back to just above a strong pair of leaf buds about 30cm (1ft) above soil level. This will encourage multiple stems which can be trained in to supports to give a good coverage. During the spring and summer, tie in new growth, spacing stems evenly on the support. Pruning established plants In February or March, cut back all the old stems to the lowest pair of healthy buds 15-30cm (6in-1ft) above soil level Small-flowered clematis with attractive seed heads (such as C. 'Bill MacKenzie', C. 'Helios', C. orientalis, C. tangutica and C. tibetana subsp. vernayi) can just be thinned out and trimmed back to the main framework of branches, leaving the seedheads to be enjoyed If left unpruned, this group will continue growing from where the growth ended the previous season, becoming top heavy, flowering well above eye level, and with a bare base. If desired, they can be left unpruned to scramble over pergolas where space is not limited.  

Answer 19

Thought I'd killed my Montana - looked worse than yours - but it came back!  

Answer 20

Put stake either sideleave it 4 now will perk up

Answer 21

If it is suffering clematis wilt it will die completely back, but it will come back later just remember where it is till it shows itself once more. never lost one yet. cut it right back to ground level.