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group 3 clematis

Morning all from sunny muns in Norfolk,cold dull but gardening goes on especially in the warm G/house, Right question... New Clematis purchased this year about 12/14 inches tall and healthy, now in big pots outside ready to climb ,and they have taken off in a big way some new stems now 12 inches tall ,some thick some not so thick , now can I trim or pinch back to a pair of leaves to get a bushier plant or is this not possible with Clems no 3 or not needed as I don't want all growth and no flowers, our first no 3 clems ,Mr President, mandelay, Villa de Lyon, any advise please folks,

Ava goodenimageimage

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,064

    Group 3 clematis flower on this season's new growth so do not prune now.  Feed and water them well, train the stems to their supports as they grow and enjoy the show.

    Next spring around late Feb or early to mid March depending on how cold the winter, cut them back to the lowest pair of buds on each stem and pull out all the top growth.  Feed them well with clematis food and occasional tonics of liquid rose or tomato food and they'll do it all over again, producing more stems each year as they mature.

    Here's a bit of my Etoile Violette grown under this pruning and feeding regime.

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    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Alan I have the same thing. Bought a Warsaw Nike type 3 clem 7 weeks ago and it has grown to about 3ft and has flower buds on it! I didn't expect those yet.

  • OldtykeOldtyke Posts: 155

    I got Warsaw Nike too! No buds (it was a £1.79 from Morrisons) , but my Gillian Blades has 5 buds. It's only about a foot high! 

    This also happened with a small Clematis Niobe , also from Morrisons, in a previous garden. It flowered profusely every year image

  • Yes Morrison's are good value plants. I bought a Hellebore there for £2 and its first winter it has 12 flowers on it! Most unexpected.

  • Alan4711Alan4711 Posts: 1,657

    cheers Obe for that so no pinching back  many thanks Mi Duck.image

  • How lovely to hear mi duck Alan! Takes me back to my childhood. Are you a yellow belly?

  • Alan4711Alan4711 Posts: 1,657

    Hi not sure you use Yellow Belly same as Nottingham, Mi Duck mainly Nottm ,N, Leicester zit Summat ta do wi Footy, took me years to get rid of my Nottm accent ,nobody could understand a word i said,everybody talked posh or so I thought,glad to say I almost talk proppa na image Till I came to Norfolk that is and ere we go again.image

  • I'm Lincolnshire born and my Grantham family all used it.like you I've moved south and now I've got the essex girl sayings, though not the white stilettos!

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