How to Prune Huldine Clematis

Huldine clematis is a cultivar of the popular garden and landscaping clematis shrub. Pruning is one of the most important tasks of caring for a Huldine clematis. Pruning helps to stimulate new growth, remove problematic, sick or weak portions of the clematis, and keep the shrub healthy and strong. Clematis cultivars range in size from a few feet high to as tall as 20 feet or more, and proper and full growth is maintained only with regular pruning and care.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

things you’ll need:

• Pruning shears
• Garden gloves

1. Prune the Huldine clematis in early spring. The Huldine cultivar is a late-blooming, large clematis that produces new growth on a base of older growth. Pruning helps provide a place for new growth to bloom.
2. Cut back small branches, using pruning shears. Remove weak, straggling or damaged branches. Huldine clematis can grow to be tall and wide, and proper pruning of the plant requires that only strong, vigorous branches remain.
3. Examine the Huldine clematis plant for two or more strong and healthy central branches. Remove all of the branches around these primary clematis branches to make room for new growth.
4. Cut back the main branches so that they are 1 to 2 feet tall. The new season’s growth will emerge from these branches. Huldine clematis begins blooming in June and will retain its flowers until late in the growing season.
5. Dispose of all cut branches or mulch them to provide nutrients for the clematis and keep the soil healthy.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear gardening gloves to protect your hands from injury during the pruning process.