clematis - Ernest Markham

I am new to this and my first attempt didn't seem to work, so will try again.

I planted this Clematis in the spring in a suitable position against an archway expecting large red flowers.  It has grown quickly reaching the top of the arch but not a bud in sight!!  Can anybody please give me some advice as to why this might be.

It's a group 2 which means it flowers in May and June on old wood, sespecially stems made the previous year.  If dead headed after the initial flwoering and given a feed it will usually produce a smaller, second flush of flowers in late summer.

You will have to exercise patience till next spring but you may provoke it into flowering by gving it a generous dose of liquid tomato food and some special clematis food.  

Next spring, cut out any dead wood and give it a good general purpose feed such as blood, fish and bone or pelleted chicken manure in Feb or March and then regular doses of clematis food to encoourage flower formation.  All these fertilisers are available at good garden centres.

it will flower in late summer/ autumn, mine is budding now . it flowers on new wood .

its group 3 prunning.

Just to clear up any confusion, it can be grown as either group 2 or 3.  Most folk grow it as a group 3, cutting it back hard in early spring, as it is a very vigorous variety.  Grown that way, it flowers in late summer.

Thanks everyone for your help

No wonder poor gardners get confused with clematis, bith replies are crrect though saying opposite things!  They are remarkaby forgiving, so try what you feel you want, and if you are not happy with the resuts, try the other option the following year.   They are wonderful plants,  veryworth trying the smaller flowering varieties too, such as alpinas and macropelatas, and the glorious viticellas.   Some excellent websites to look at and learn from.  Enjoy.