Should I dead-head my clematis?

[PrettyCandles]

It's an early-flowering evergreen one that we planted this year, so it hasn't yet grown much. It's more-or-less finished flowering. I'm pretty sure it doesn't have a second flowering. If I dead-head it, will that encourage the plant to grow? Or should I leave well alone, and just tie in any shoots?

No, leave it alone, as early flowering ones don't usually need any pruning. If it is clematis Armannii (everrgreen with white flowers) it definitely does not need pruning, although this variety often looks quite tatty after flowering which is why some gardeners don't like it. I have one, and love it because it flowers in February and smells fantastic. Give it a big mulch of compost ( making sure that none of it actually touches the stems, and keep well watered. It should put on quite a lot of growth this spring and will flower well nest year, Make sure that it has its feed in moisture rich shade and its head in the sun and it will be fine! Mine took about 3 years to get gowing but is now unstoppable....

Thanks! I don't thik its Armanii because it has no fragrance (I thik it might be Early Sensation, IIRC) but it is evergreen with whit flowers and begin to look tatty. If it needs its feet in the shade, I'd better plant something around it because ti is in full sunshine almost all day.

Clematis are woodland plants like honeysuckle so do best in deep moist soil, but able to get their heads in sun. If you don't want to underplant it (and that would compete for nutrients) a good thick mulch would be good, especially if it is in its first season with you.