Pruning .......HELP!!!

I'm getting myself into a right lather about this pruning malarky :eek:
Is now the right time to
1. prune a battered passionflower?
2. cut down my Miscanthus?
3. trim an oddly shaped(!) Tamarisk?
And as for Clematis :eek: ..... I'm beginning to wish I hadn't planted the stoopid things

Please can someone help me????
Ooh, also, my Hedychium is looking all shrivelled(cough :D )Should I cut it down and when??????
I have sooooo many questions......

 

Windy first 2 you can do now. :D

 

I'd leave the tamarisk until just before spring, and as for the clematis - what type are they? If you know when they flower, that'll do. If it's in spring, don't touch them now, wait until they've finished flowering, and trim them then. If they flower on the current year's growth, later on in the year, yes you can cut them down to about 1ft-2ft, to just above a pair of buds.

Hope that helps a bit...

 

Thanks BM ..erm... while we're on the subject - when would be the best time to divide the Miscanthus??
Thanks to you too Dendy! The only Clematis I've got that's big enough to prune is Warsaw Nike :rolleyes: They are supposed to look dead at this time of year aren't they?? :D :D

 

While we're on about pruning when is the best time to prune my roses growing in large pots??

 

Oooops just seen roses thread doooh

 

Is it to early to prune a fuschia...it has got a few shoots on it ,but all at the top and nothing at the bottom..it looks very leggy

 

Hi littleorme - for me the best time for pruning fuchsias is when the last of the hard frosts are gone. The twigs protect the crown from damage - I usually cut them back hard (to 2")about late March,

 

Many thanks Fran....it really does need a good prune...but I was a little worried...but now I will in late March....Cheers Suzy

 

Your welcome

 

Hi little orme, Fran is quite right, best left until all frosts have gone, But if you're near the coast, you may well be safe enough. I have recently reduced some hardy fuschias for customers that live near the coast. 1/2 mile inland.

 

To Windy - we have a Tamarisk which like yours is quite misshapen however since it looks so nice when in flower I would leave the pruning until after flowering in Spring. We did it last year and the result was even more peculiar shape but plenty of evidence of good flowering to come.