Pruning Clematis Vines

Question

I have moved into a house with mature Clematis plantings. I need to know when to prune these specific plants. They bloom all the way from spring, and this year the last blooms have just died off (we got our first hard freeze in the Midwest). So when and how much do I prune?

Answer 1

As these articles explain, Clematis plants fall into different pruning groups which should be treated differently. Since yours bloom in spring, they most likely fall into Pruning Groups 1 or 2, depending on what month the blooms start, and should only be pruned lightly soon after flowering:

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=109
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/vines/clematis/pruning-clematis-vines.htm