Need Your Help on Damaged Stems

19 years ago

Good Morning Folks,

I have only 2 clematis, so experienced in their growth I am not!

All three stems of my Sweet Autumn have been seriously damaged about 2 1/2'above the ground - not sure how it happened. One of the stems has a leaf at a low node, but I'm not sure that I am feeling any buds on the low nodes on either of the other two stems.

Question: This clematis is about 5'+ tall and had a good amount of new growth so will I by doing the plant serious damage if I cut all three stems back to where I see that one leaf on the lower stem - about 1'above the ground?

Thanks for any information you share.

Mary

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Comments (6)

eden_in_me
19 years ago
Probably not. Most likely new shoots will come from the base if it is planted deep enough and you feed it after cutting.
May not be quite as enormous at blooming time, but that may be a possitive.

Marie in ME
gmatx zone 6
Original Author
19 years ago
Marie, thanks for your reply.
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buyorsell888
19 years ago
You won't do it any damage at all and in fact will be doing a good thing by cutting it back as you suggest.
gmatx zone 6
Original Author
19 years ago
Marie, thanks for your reply.
gmatx zone 6
Original Author
19 years ago
Sorry for the double post.

Thanks buyorsell888 for your reply - I was thinking that would be what I really needed to do, so appreciate your confirmation on that.
mamoo_z5
19 years ago
Watch for rabbits. I have grown clematis for 10 years now & last spring for the first time rabbits started eating the stems low like you described. I had to wire cage each of my clematis to keep them safe. The wire cages look bad around the clems but it is the only way for me to get flowers. All the clematis came back after they had been eaten once the cages had been put up for protection. I could not believe rabbits would eat hard thick stems but I was wrong. I was able to see a couple rabbits at work before I caged the clematis.