Cutting clematis

Question

I am having my house painted and I have three large clematis that run up the side of the house. They are going to have to come down. Will it hurt to cut them this early in the season? Any other suggestions?

Answer 1

Hold off pruning until early spring for most types or following bloom in others. While it should not hurt the vine, depending on the type you have, blooming may be delayed or skipped entirely the following season if cut back too early. It may just be in need of some fertilizing too, which should help give the plant a jump start with growing.