when to prune this clematis?

[NotAnEMERGENCY]

We've got a clematis in our new garden. It's beginning to get new buds. I don't know what variety it is or when it flowers (we moved in Nov) so I don't know what pruning group it is.

How do I know whether to prune it now already (as with group 3) or wait until after it's flowered (groups 1 and 2)?

It doesn’t look like a spring flowering Montana or Alpina, so I’d prune it now.

Clematis are essentially weeds and will only ever benefit from a pruning. If you do get the timing wrong, it'll make up for it next year.

prune it back to just under a metre. Fan out the branches and you will get a god display and an easy to manage plant . Clematis are good at surviving most gardeners.

Any clematis that has finished flowering before May should be pruned back hard in June. All others should be pruned in February to March. You can either take them right down or just enough to tidy them. It is personal choice. After pruning feed with Fish Blood and bone or any other fertiliser. They only need feeding once a year.

Has it got buds on it? Spring flowering clematis will have buds on starting to get green and fat by now. If so, then leave it.

No buds? prune it now!

It's taken me a while to respond as I've been away but thanks for all the replies!

Before I went away, there were a few shoots starting to grow on the top half of the plant (as could be seen on the original photo) but now I'm back, there are a quite a lot of buds (new photo)! Good thing I didn't prune it already. Looking forward to seeing the flowers!