Clematis are very forgiven plants.. Newly planted clematis do require regular watering during hot dry weather but as for the pruning that too is something all clematis love and whats above ground isn't that important, its whats under ground, the roots with regular watering will continue to mature and the future of the plant depends on the roots. feel free to prun them as you please, the more the better. I have at times planted some and pinched out every green spout right up until they first spring after they were planted. I have 25 plus and some of them are 10 years old this year. I usually get three bloom flushes from mine and after each flush I cuttem down to the ground.. My Warsaw Nike is now 5 feet tall and has 20 plus new buds on it and 5 weeks ago it was cut down to the ground, feterlized and now it's getting ready to bloom big time again.

Sandy, are you saying you cut even group 2 clematis down? I thought those just needed light pruning to bloom well. However, I read somewhere that during the first year or so of planting a new clematis, it was best to prune it to 12-18" to get it to send up more shoots. I have just planted several young clematis that I'd had in pots and they have one healthy stem - should I prune this back now?

Yep I Cut-em.. I can get 2 bloom flushes off of mine here in TN. Once I cutem down and get the 2nd flush I then leave the growth until spring and then I just trim them up. If the winter is rough and I can't save the 2nd growth that I get in the fall, I then will cut them down even in the spring, It only set's them back a little later on their first flush,