Thin and wiry clematis?

I have a clematis which I've had for about a year now, and it produces good flowers and is healthy, it's actaully starting to grow new leaves now. But it is a very thin plant, the stems are like wires and are tangled, with the lower half of the vine having no leaves at all. It looks quite unsightly, and weak even though it is actually healthy. Does anyone know how I can get it to grow a bit more bushy, or produce thicker stems? I will try and get a picture, but it's in a container and has a thick bamboo stick for support.

 

I just know from reading up on Clematis, that not all are created equal. Some require a certain type of pruning while others require other types of handling/pruning. You really have to know the exact clematis you have, and where that lies in the care of it. As some bloom early, some mid season, some in the fall, just an example of the variety. Find the name of it, and look it up in a good Clematis link. But being that it is so young, I would guess that the thinness is what it is at this stage of its life and leave it alone, it does take time for the branches to thicken up, and for more to shoot up from the bottom. But again, look it up.
I have about seven of them around this property, be honest, I don't fuss with them. they do their thing, and each year, more and more flowers .

 

At this stage of its life, the stems will be thin ... they are tangled because that is how clematis grow: they search for the nearest thing to wrap around and, it would seem, their own stems are providing that, hence the "tangled" look.
The solo bamboo cane is not enough for it to be bushy because it will only attach to that or itself. You could correct that by a number of methods.
The cheapest and easiest way would be to get two more bamboo canes the same height as the one in the pot (I'm assuming it is reasonably tall?) Then make a tripod out of them and tie them together with string at the top. Then, you can use the string to wrap around the three canes (connecting them together) from the bottom and every few inches upwards until you reach the top. Effectively making your own obelisk. Then, encourage the clematis to twine around the strings and the canes.
Over time it will produce thicker stems, but, like wrinkles on our own faces, that does take time and age.
I possibly should have cut my two pot clematis down to a foot in height last month, but, I didn't (and I'm not that bothered that I didn't, to be honest) and now it is definitely too late because they are growing well and even forming early buds - despite the fact they are later flowering clems

Post a picture when you can and I'm sure you will be given more advice

 

Thanks to both of you for the helpful advice, I will try and post a picture soon, but I would like it to bloom first so I can determine which type it is(I lost the label a long long time ago) Also that is a good idea, I have a trellis which I could try using, I should've realised a solo bamboo cane wasn't enough.

 

What time of year did it flower ?

There are 3 groups of clematis
Group 1 Early Flowering
Group 2 Large flowered Hybrids
Group 3 Late Flowering.

Has a rule if a clematis flowerers before June do not prune

 

I've got one that was the same (very wiry and thin) a couple of years ago, but I've pretty much left it alone, apart from a very light pruning and I'm pleased to say it is growing a bit thicker this year.

 

I've got one in a container that had just 2 very thin stems, one snapped and the other got munched by slugs and now 3/4 new stems are coming from the base.