Congrats on getting your Bare roots that far..generally you want to keep them pruned or pinched back...they need to focus on getting a bigger and stronger root system before putting out all those long vines..it's very frustrating I know..as I have a Clematis that I planted last year!!.."Claire de Lune" that only had one vine..then wilted...I cut it back level to the soil and it sprang up just one vine and that is all I have had this season..remember that clematis are the "Sleep","Creep" and then "Leap" vines so it can easily take 3 years to see a mature beautiful vine you see everyone posting..if it was ME...After the blooms are gone..I would prune them half way back and fertilize with some Rose Fertilizer or Tomato Fertilizer and a couple handfuls of bonemeal....you've done great...on yeah..keep watering the one that wilted..it will most probably come back...Jeanne

Thanks for your response, Jeanne. You seem to be the clematis expert around here.

I treated both types as a Type 3 last Spring and cut them all down to the first set of buds. Then this is what I got. Do you think I should cut all three to one-half after bloom? I had thought I needed to wait until late Winter, early Spring.

But I am willing to take your suggestion!

I wouldn't consider myself the clematis expert by no means..but I did the same thing you did last late winter/early Spring and pruned both my pruning type 2s like my threes...so you did well..but mine weren't started from bare root like yours...In my New home..My gardens for the clematis were put in last year...I am sure you know that "Jackmanii Superba" is a pruning type 3 and "Claire" is a pruning type 2...here in my Texas zone I can get another bloom period from my "Jackmanii Superba" by doing that...Like I said..I would prune them halfway back and fertilize..it will only serve them well and give you a better flush and possibly more vines from the soil next year...You could even check out my post on rooting clematis and try that method on the cuttings to add to your others....Let me know how it goes...Jeanne

I would definately prune them back after they finish blooming and fertilize them. You do not have to wait until late winter.

I'd do it again then, too.

The straggly vines that I babied along and did not prune continued to straggle for years until I did prune and the ones I've pruned from day one have always done better.

Don't expect much this soon especially since they were bareroot just last year. Have some patience. :)

Jeanne and Buyorsell-- I will definitely do as you say after bloom-- cut them back by half and feed them. I bought Rosetone-- I have read here that organic is the way to go as it is slow-release. Would you agree?

Lbu: I do have patience, no problem. Last year I had only a few flowers in all, so I see a huge improvement this year. I am very new at gardening, having been a city-dweller until a couple of years ago. I ordered these plants from a catalogue because it said they would work in the shade-- I have a northeast facing wall here, mostly shade. So I think I am doing okay.

I lost one Jackmanii Superba early on last year to wilt-- it was the one that had been doing the best until that point! I have continued to pretend that something is there-- but nothing happening at all, and it has been over a year now!

How deeply were they planted? One of the reasons it is recommended to plant clems deeply is to encourage additional shooting from the root crown. Cutting back during the growing season can encourage denser growth and the splitting of the vine into more branching structure, but IME it will do nothing to encourage additional shoots from the base. Deep planting is also a good way to avoid wilt problems as well.

Thanks, gardengal. I did plant a bit more deeply than was recommended. Maybe this is just how they start out from bareroot?

I read somewhere on this forum (but I can't find where)that you can bury a vine underground, and you may get more shoots.
Does that mean I take a branch of my existing vine and sort of lay it down and put dirt on top? Have you heard of this means to get more growth from below the ground?

Yes, Rosetone is good. :)

"Does that mean I take a branch of my existing vine and sort of lay it down and put dirt on top? Have you heard of this means to get more growth from below the ground?"
That is how you can get cuttings..by laying the vine in the ground at one of the leaf axils..!!..That will give you another plant not more vines from the original plant..some clematis are relentless about shooting up new vines each year whereas some are harder to get established..My Clematis "Claire de Lune" is typical...as everyone I have talked to says she is slow about sending up new vines....Jeanne