Q.Pruning question about clematis REBLOOMER.
I have a Dr. Ruppell clematis which bloomed beautifully in late spring/early summer. I pruned it back right after blooming, and now it is budding up getting ready for its second bloom period. My question is, after it’s done with its SECOND blooming period, should I prune it back AGAIN like I did after its first bloom? Or should I leave it alone and expect next spring’s blooms on the CURRENT new growth as well as blooms on any more new growth I get this summer and next spring?
Trim Dr. Ruppel every other year or every few years. You will have reduced flowering if you prune it in this manner, but you will also save yourself a whole lot of work. Since Dr. Ruppel is a repeat bloomer (known as "pruning-type 2"), in the long run, the vine will grow plenty of flowers.
Handle the vine gently when you do train it because its branches break easily. The least damage is done when the breakage occurs at a node. In such a case, the effect of the break is similar to when you pinch a plant to make it bushier and increase blooming. A couple of weeks after a break, you are likely to see that new flower buds have formed where the breakage took place. But the look of the plant will be marred if the damage is not done at a node.
