Notgreenfingered

Help - how can I rescue my Clematis

Thanks for the detailed advice obelixx, it covers everything I wanted to know.  I will follow your advice and make a note of the correct pruning.  Hopefully I can bring them back to good condition.

Help - how can I rescue my Clematis

I have two clematis in pots which I am sorry to say I have sadly neglected.  They have been in large pots for about 2 years and produced few flowers.  I think I pruned them wrong; they have a lot of dead looking stem at the bottom but lots of spindly new growth on top.  How and when do  prune these?  Will I always have to have the lower bare stems.  If I plant them out in the garden when should I do it?  All advice humbly received. (The are Ville de Lyon and The President).

Help - how can I rescue my Clematis