Hard prune them like Type IIIs, especially the first few years but I pretty much do all of mine every year

I have some type 2 clematis that do well, but others that struggle in my garden.

I have a HF Young (the blue one I added to the 'Sick of Winter' thread) which has thrived. It dies back to the snow line most years and I trim off dead stuff when it starts sprouting, so in effect it gets type 3 pruning. I have a Guernsey Cream (white) that does well in half shade and blooms beautifully every year even though due to its location growing through the middle of a lilac it never gets pruned at all. So I guess I'd recommend either one of them.

I have had two Niobe, one of which died, and the other of which has always struggled with only a few stems each year and sometimes wilt. It has gotten cut back like a 3 for several years, but doesn't seem any happier cut hard or not. I'm planning to dig it up and put it somewhere less obvious this year and I don't know if it will die, continue to struggle or decide that it just didn't like its current location and begin to thrive . So I guess that I'd suggest that you choose your varieties carefully based on recommendations of plants that seem to do well for many folks.

This post was edited by nhbabs on Fri, Aug 23, 13 at 19:54

I have had some type 2's that do very well and I have had some type 2's that just seem to either succomb to wilt are just fade away. There are some very beautiful type 2's and you really have nothing, other than the plant to lose, by trying.

I too pruned all of my type 2's like type 3's for the first couple of years. I now prune them after flowering. Often I will get a second flush, but that second flush is never as full and nice as the first flush.

Thanks nhbabs- I'll give HF Young a try. Unfortunately Niobe was my first try. Even bought it a second time since I thought it was my fault it died. Didn't do much better the second time

Thank you buyorsell and Carolyn. Yes, what 2s I had or have I just cut back like my 3s. The only type two that I have currently is Silmakivi and of course it has neither thrived nor died. At least I can grow type 3s for now. I'll keep an eye open for strong growing 2s.
I did read a nice discussion on another forum regarding lack of vigor in many new cultivars being released.

In addition to the hard pruning for the first couple of seasons, deep planting (root crown 3-6 inches below the soil surface) will encourage a stronger root system and increased stemming, both of which tend to reduce the incidence of wilt.

And it is always good to remember that wilt is seldom fatal. Should it occur, simply cut back the vine and treat as usual (water and fertilizer) during the growing season. You may very well get regrowth that season but the vine should return the following spring regardless. Eventually it will outgrow this tendency.

In my old garden nearly all my type 2 clems - and I had a bunch - were customer returns I dragged home from the nursery where I worked. They were returned because they had wilt but after cutting back, planting and a little TLC in my garden they all turned into great vines.

Thank you Gardengal, I appreciate the advice.

I like type 2 cuz they bloom early and treat them like buyorsell. Miss Bateman, Hania, Betty Risdon & Carnaby bloom first in my garden. Lincoln Star, the Vagabond, Pink Champagne, Red Pearl & Girenas bloom shortly thereafter. Utopia, a florida hybrid, blooms fairly early.

With over ninty clematis in my gardens many are type twos. Some winters they die back so much they are pruned as type threes. Some winters they do not die back so far and are pruned like a type two. Ones that bloom double on old growth are pruned as little as possible to save that double bloom, though I have had double bloom on first bloom on new wood as well.

I've had little wilt problems until the past week when we had a lack of rain and high temps. They were kept well watered but there it is. These are five year old plants with no previous wilt problems.