It really just depends on you and your likes. If you want the flowers closer to the base of the plant, then whacking it back further now will cause the blooms to be lower down on the plant since it flowers on new wood. If you don't cut it back further now, the flowers will be higher on the new wood produced on this year's shoots.

I would go ahead and hard prune it...I've done that before ..remember it blooms on the new vines..so you won't have blooms on the old vines...Jeanne

I just pruned mine. I usually wait til mid-Feb, but all the Clems in my yard have green buds and some are starting to leaf out so I started early this year.
Go for it.

wanda

Thanks for all your help! I decided to leave them both unpruned this year and see what happens.

Vicki

why would you leave them unpruned?..They won't bloom except a little at the top...Jeanne

OK Jeanne. You convinced me! Last year was my best bloom ever, and the plants had been inadvertantly cut down to the ground. I went out this weekend and pruned them all back.

Vicki

"Last year was my best bloom ever, and the plants had been inadvertantly cut down to the ground. I went out this weekend and pruned them all back."
Vicki...I am proud of you!!..Seeing how well they did from last years unexpected cut down should have proven to you that your "Jackmanii" gets off on being pruned..all pruning group 3's DO!!..Good Girl!!...Jeanne

I left my pruned vines in a pile to be picked up later and my dh couldn't stand it. Two days later he's out with the rootone and a flat, clipping and planting every green bud. We'll see what happens. I told him if we got one to root we would probably be very lucky.

Vicki

Goodluck and let us know...Jeanne