Oops. I forgot to prune my clematis. What should I do?

[Koulibiak]

I have two group 3 clematis that are quite tangled and vigorous. Somehow I forgot to prune them hard in February, and they are now covered in buds. It feels cruel to prune them now. Should I just remove the worst tangles, and leave the hard pruning to next year?

I’m also training one of them to grow over a pergola, so I don’t really need flowers at eye level, what I’m aiming for is lots of growth so it covers the structure (it’s 7m long). Thank you 🙏

Monty only did his last week and his had buds so I don't think you'll be too late.

Yes but I’m way down south, our last frost date was the first week of January so I reckon I’m two months ahead of him 🙂

With a group 3 if you don’t prune it it’ll only grow and flower from the top shoots. (Learned the hard way last year…) I’ve cut it back a few weeks ago and it has loads of shoots at the bottom already. I’m in the midlands.

Thank you, I did a sort of half assed job yesterday, hacked away but kept some of the top growth. Lesson learned for next year I guess

I’m in the softie south and routinely chop back new growth - it does feel a bit cruel, like putting seedlings in the compost bin, but honestly your clematis really will be happy with its new haircut.

Beginner gardener here, I have a clematis growing up a trellis. It’s about 5 years old and last year had some beautiful flowers but they were all bunched together at the top. I have just read this thread and now realised that I should have pruned it. Can someone give me a dummy guide on how to do this? In wales, weather has been awful so hoping I still have time.

It’ll grow back much faster in warmer weather.

Can you remember when it was flowering? That will determine the best way and time to prune.

www.rhs.org.uk/plants/clematis/pruning-guide

I don’t but that guide is great thank you! Think I will leave it for this year as it already has quite a bit of new growth and monitor the time it flowers etc so I can do better next year! Thank you.