Pam..since Hagley blooms on new wood...you can go ahead and prune to one inch above the first leaf axil...I did mine in Feb...and you are a colder zone than me..My Hagley is only about one foot tall now and just saw another vine pop outta the ground...Mine started later than normal for me?...Go figure....Jeanne

Hi. I am new to growing clematis and bought and planted my first ones prior to doing any real research. *hanging head in shame* I bought a jackmanii and did not prune it this year. It has about 2 feet of dead looking wood and then about 3 feet of new vine growing from that. Should I still prune this back now or just wait until next year. If I prune it now, will it come back and bloom this year?
Thanks!~Heidi

Well, this looks like a good place to pop my question in. I have a 3 or 4 year old "Huldine", which I had assumed was growing from multiple stems (it's planted in some astilbe to disguise the stems shooting straight up into the branches of a small crabapple). This spring I took a closer look at it and it's really only l stem coming from the ground, but the buds on that old stem have become stems themselves (not sure of the terminology here), which is why I thought I had multiple stems. I have been afraid to cut it way back because of something I read in a clematis book that said that if you cut into an old woody stem, it might just "give up the ghost". I'm not sure whether that means that one particular stem, or the whole plant, but I don't want to lose this clematis. I fearlessly cut my old woody Sweet Autumn clematis down to 6" every year with good results, so maybe the book was wrong? Or is there a difference between cutting it down every year from the start, and waiting 3 or 4 years to do it for the first time? I'm not a total beginner with clematis - I must have at least 20 type 2s and 3s, but I paid a lot for this one particular one and don't want to lose it.
Any help would be appreciated.

Ophelia...Clematis "Huldine" is a pruning group 3 which means it should be hard pruned every late winter/Early Spring to One inch above the first Leaf Axil..the vines you are seeing are growing outta each side of the Leaf Axil all the way up...You really should prune it...you'll have much better blooms and a more vigorous vine..remember to prune each year as I said and give it some Rose Fertilizer after pruning and water well...Clematis love for their roots to stay moist..About your Pruning group 2s...those you don't prune except to remove the dead vines/those that don't start budding at the leaf axil..you can prune these to shape as well....
Heide...Clematis "Jackmanii" is a pruning group 3 as well..so prune just like I told Ophelia..ok?..and fertilize it...Hope this has helped...Jeanne

Jeanne - thanks so much, you've given me the courage to do what I thought I should. Pruning it low will also give me the chance to send the shoots in different directions all over the tree for a more even coverage, which I've been wanting to do. I'm looking forward to a great year for it, thanks again.

You are so welcome..please give a follow up later in the season so we can share in your results...Jeanne

A question about pruning. I have a Candide, which I forgot
to prune last year. It is growing up an iron trellis. It
leafed out at the top of the trellis and is covered in huge
blooms now. it looks kinda funny, because it appears to be growing in mid air. How should I prune it after blooming?
I also have just gotten a real intense Bluish Purple
one, that I don't know the variety, so I need help with
that one. Thanks