Clematis Pinching

Hi all

Do you pinch out your group 3 clematis or just let them get on with it.

Thanks

 

The slugs do it for me...
Do you mean pinching out to get more sideways, bushier growth, as opposed to the general cutting back?

 

Hi Fairygirl

Yes pinching out to get bushier growth . I've pruned it weeks ago to about a foot high . It's now doing what it did last year and throwing up two main stems then it quickly threw up four spindly stems just before it flowered .

 

I don't pinch them but I broke 2 stems by accident. I will wait and see what happens. Luckily there are several other new stems.

 

Thanks Lizzie

 

Sometimes I cut the stems back because they get too long. I then get bushier plants but they still get very long eventually.
I try to train them sideways along the trellises but it's a job keeping up with them !

 

In May last year the wooden arch that my Clematis Etoile Violette was growing on fell apart. To remove the plant from the arch I had to chop it down to about 18 inches in height and then attach it to a newly installed arch. I got the best show of flowers ever, not just at the top as in previous years. It may be worth considering a Chelsea chop for yours too @Dropmore, if you’re brave.

 

Yes - some are much easier to manipulate than others. E. Violette is a very forgiving plant.
I have a white one - C. Maria Cornelia, which is also very adaptable, and I train stems across and through other planting.
You certainly won't do any harm by taking out some stems, or nipping out growth tips.

I always have trouble at this time of year simply because of slugs. They do a lot of unwanted pruning and pinching out for me...

 

Thanks everyone

I surpose its early days yet so I'll wait a few weeks and see what it does then if its still leggy I'll pinch some stems out.

Good advice as always

 

I pinched out all mine today, I have 7 or 8 of these types, including herbaceous. I may pinch out again later on. You can also pinch out the side shoots that develop but I don't always do that. You will get a bushier, more floriferous plant.

 

Thank you Mrs Hillard . I might pinch mine out tomorrow then .

 

Hi all ,

Just an update , so I never pinched them out and have waited a few weeks and this has happened . Two stems have reached the top of the fence and have nowhere to go and one stem is growing up the cane on the right and that's it.
What can I do to make it more bushy and stand out a bit from the fence.Should I just pinch out the Two main stems at the top of the fence.

Also it's growing on plastic netting attached to the fence do you think this is an issue and are there better options.
Thanks.

 

I'd give it an early Chelsea chop @Dropmore. This improved my Etoile Violette remarkably last year, as seen below.

 

Thanks plantminded , not sure if I'm brave enough to do that as it might just do the same again.
Yours looks fantastic by the way.
Sort of full and bushy how I hoped mine would be.

 

Be brave and cut it back! If you don't, you'll end up with all the flowers at the top. It's only a young plant and has plenty of low growth, so will really benefit from a chop now.