How to Prune Henryi Clematis

Clematis Henryi plants are a flowering, visually attractive garden plant that can be grown in many areas of the country. The plants produce a climbing vine that can be trained to grow along vertical objects like a fence or trellis. Annual pruning is an important feature of keeping a clematis Henryi plant growing properly, as it helps to control problem areas of the plant and ensure that the clematis is strong enough to keep climbing.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

things you’ll need:

• Gardening gloves
• Pruning shears

1. • Start at the top of the clematis Henryi plant. Remove dead flower buds first, by pinching them off of the stem. Wear gardening gloves to avoid injury when pruning. Dead-heading the clematis will create places for new growth to emerge in the spring.
   • Check each section of the clematis Henryi plant for signs of weather and insect damage, including discolored vines, dead areas of the plant or damaged branches.
   • Cut off damages sections of the clematis Henryi with pruning shears. Cut the dead or damaged vines back to the nearest adjacent branch, or back to the base of the clematis.
   • Make angled cuts when using the pruning shears. Cuts made at an angle heal faster and promote new, healthy growth that will emerge in the spring.
   • Shape the clematis Henryi plant. Remove straggling branches and vines that unbalance the growth or appearance of the plant and make it look uneven. Cut the ends of vines to help promote further growth in the spring. Remove several inches from the ends of vines.
   • Cut back the clematis Henryi if it has grown too large for its section of the garden. Remove about a third of the branches, cutting them back to the base of the plant. This will promote new growth in the spring and keep the clematis Henryi at a manageable size.
   • Cut out some old growth vines to make more room for new vines to grow on the clematis Henryi and allow more light to penetrate to the whole plant. Use pruning shears to cut old growth vines back to the base of the plant.