Just keep them going until this winter, and then cut them down to the ground. They need time to develop their roots. I let my first clematis grow for two years before cutting it back, and when I finally did, I got more growth and blossoms in two months than I did in those first two years.

I wouldn't suggest cutting them to the ground but pruning just above the 3rd leaf axil..they will grow from the leaf axil where you see the first leaves emerge in Spring...agreed that hardpruning as I suggested helps the plant get established..Jeanne

I cut some of mine to the ground after ten years of scraggly growth and few blooms and they grew more and bloomed more the next year than the previous ten!

I think the key word here is old and scraggly..ie..a tangled mess...rejuvenation is key with those that are old and worn out whereas two year old clematis shouldn't be pruned to the soil as the next year is that glorious LEAP year...Jeanne

casi...

Have you fertilized at all? Did you have a late frost in May? Describe what you mean by "poor".

Thanks for the tips on pruning. My soil janetp where a couple of them are is clay with some rocks, or fill area. I have not fertilized at all. I have horses so I was thinking of incorporating some of the older manure I have around, into the area around the plants. I like the idea of cutting them back at the end of the season because I didn't get them trained good and they have kind of gotten entangled with their ownselves.

All Clematis should be hard pruned their first couple of years in early spring to get them off to a good start as far as the roots go.

My scraggly old ones were never tangled. They didn't grow enough to tangle. They were all two or three long vines with few flowers. Cutting them back caused them to sprout many new vines up from the ground.

Unfortunately, many of mine also haven't read the sleep, creep and leap ditty because some of them have taken more than three years to leap and that was after I started properly pruning them.

I think I've got the basics of pruning, but I too would like to know about fertilizing. Could one of you fabulous experienced clematis growers contribute a few words on that subject? Besides learning how much and how often, I'd like to know whether it's best to apply fertilizer on a watering day or separately, if that matters.

You must always water well after fertilizing..so the fertilizer doesn't just lie there and burn the plant..the best time to fertilize is in late Winter/early Spring when you hard prune your clematis at the same time you fertilize your roses..then after their bloom period is over you fertilize again..I use rose or tomato fertilizer...Jeanne

Thanks, Jeanne. With the early large-flowered types, does that imply fertilizing after cutting them back following the spring bloom to get the second flush? How about fertilizing young ones that aren't going to bloom this year? Or the really tiny emerging shoots? How much fertilizer for a good-sized plant? And for a small one? (I'm planning on using tomato fertilizer, mixing one T of the stuff per gallon of water, per the directions.)