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West Midlands, United Kingdom Gb

Clematis montana 'Marjorie'...

I am a little confused by conflicting advice given to me about this montana. I thought I didn't have to prune it at all as an early Spring flowering variety. However, some one has just pointed out that , although it's got a lot of leaf, there are no flower buds. She also said it should have been pruned back to 30cms last year...it's first...and back to 1 m in early Spring this year. I've done neither.....BUT, on searching for the original label, this is indeed what is says!

!) Should I cut it back NOW?
2) Should I have cut it back each year?
3) Do I leave it alone for this year...and do it next year?

HELP! Any advice would be gratefully received, folks!

TIA.

The internet gives me conflicting advice as well!




Answers

 

I prefer to let them get going, is it a young plant? could that be the reason for no flower buds, personally i have found letting them grow quite vigourous will produce masses of flowers, once flowering is over i tidy them up a little, i have been pruning one of these for aprox ten years now, its a mass of flowers every year, then i actually cut back and actually shape it over a large trellis, it looks like topiary, i do this in june and the following year it flowers its head off, also i have been ruthless with montanas and cut back really hard to rejuvenate them, and they respond really well, i will post a picture of this excercise for you in june, before and after pictures, julien.

23 Apr, 2011

 

Thank you, Julien.It's two years old this month....never been cut back. It looks healthy enough....but no buds! Perhaps that is still quite 'young' for a montana!

I think I will leave it alone...and await your photos in June!My instincts tell me not to prune NOW! My neighbour has just urged me to cut it back to one metre NOW!LOL.

Thanks again......

23 Apr, 2011

 

Montanas are only pruned after flowering if they need to be kept in their place. If you prune it back to a metre in Spring as suggested you would definitely get no flowers this season. Give it a good feed with Tomorite to help it develop flower buds and leave it alone.

23 Apr, 2011

 

Thank you, Owdboggy....I was just thinking that I would give it some feed as I realised I had not done so!

Much appreciated...:-))))

23 Apr, 2011

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