How to Prune Clematis Montana

  Clematis Montana is a flowering vine that produces white or pink flowers in the spring and early summer. It is a very low maintenance plant that doesn’t really require major pruning unless the plant is growing too large for the space it is in, or the flowers are blooming too far up on the vine to be appreciated.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

things you’ll need:

• Pruning shears

1. Prune spent blooms immediately after flowering. Cut the blooms just below the stem, above the first group of leaves.
2. Prune shoots back if they are overgrowing their support. However, be careful to not prune shoots with buds. Clematis blooms on growth from the previous year, so if you prune too heavily you will not have flowers next season.
3. Prune older, woody plants down to a couple of feet of growth. This should be done after the final blooms fade at the end of the season. A plant pruned this way can take up to one year to regrow. Older plants may not recover from this dramatic pruning.
4. Feed the plants after pruning. Rose food works very well for clematis. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
5. Train new shoots horizontally over the plant’s support. This will reduce sap flow, which will encourage new blooms to grow without pruning.