Can anyone tell me the best way to prune an out of control clematis. I have one that seems to have suddenly doubled in size. I wanted it to cover an ugly fence but it is also growing out into the garden. I want to prune it back and get it under control but I don't know if I need to be aware of anything. I am sorry but I don't know the type of clematis. It has finished blooming now and the flowers have mostly died off. Any help would be appreciated.
Hello trish-m, It is really helpful to know the type of clematis you have, because there are three basic pruning schedules for clematis depending on type. You may want to try to get the vine ID'd here on the forums before you proceed. If you can't determine what type it is, this is probably a good time to prune. When in doubt it is best to prune after flowering. Here are a couple links with simple instructions. http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0201/clematis_pruning.asp http://extension.missouri.edu/extensioninfonet/article.asp?id=1452 Good luck,
