Skip to content
The Clematis Notebook

(01) The Clematis NotebookBotanical · Seasonal · Curious

The

Grow better clematis, season by season

Notebook

Grow better clematis, season by season. The Clematis Notebook is an independent guide to choosing, planting, pruning and caring for clematis in British gardens. Every article is checked against trusted horticultural sources, so you can garden with confidence.

Read the guide →Try the tool
BotanicalSeasonalCuriousBritishClimbers

Categories

7 guides
01 · 2 guidesChoosing clematisWhich clematis to grow where: compact varieties for pots, clematis for shade and north-facing walls, and how to match a plant to your garden.
02 · 2 guidesPlanting & carePlanting depth, position, watering, feeding and dealing with problems such as clematis wilt, explained step by step.
03 · 1 guidesPruningClear, group-by-group pruning advice so you know when to cut, how hard, and when to leave well alone.
04 · 2 guidesClimbers & garden designUsing clematis in the garden: partnerships with roses, evergreen screens, winter flowers and climbers that work together.
Featured · Pruning

Clematis pruning groups 1, 2 and 3 explained

Clematis pruning groups 1, 2 and 3 explained simply: which plants belong where, when to cut, how hard, and what to do if you have lost the label.

Before Juneflowers? Don't prune
Feb–Marmain pruning window
15–30cmgroup 3 hard cut
Read the guide →

Which pruning group is my clematis?

Tool · Answer three quick questions about when and how your clematis flowers to find its pruning group, what to do and when.

When does your clematis flower?

Following RHS and British Clematis Society advice: flowering before June on the previous year's growth means group 1 (no routine pruning, trim straight after flowering if needed); large flowers in late May to June on short shoots from last year's stems, often repeating in late summer, means group 2 (light trim to the first strong buds in February or early March, and again after the first flush); flowering from late June on the current year's growth means group 3 (cut hard to the lowest healthy buds, 15–30cm up, in February or March) – a rule of thumb, since some cultivars such as 'Jackmanii' or 'Perle d'Azur' can be treated as group 2 or 3. — Our sources : Clematis: pruning (RHS)

</> Embed on your site

Copy this code into your page. It’s free – just keep the link to the source.

All guides

Plain-English guides, properly sourced