You should be happy it grows so well. It's a group 2 clem and shouldn't be cut down. Maybe that's part of the problem. You really should only cut out the dead wood each spring and leave the old wood alone. Here's a link to check out...

Here is a link that might be useful: Prune

Hi Lbu68, thank you for the reply. I did go to the link and read about the pruning. So I guess my clematis is blooming only on new wood, which is not the best for this type of clematis.

More questions about pruning. The advice I read said a well established Nelly Moser should be pruned to between 100 and 150 cm, which is about 4-5 feet. So in the spring I should cut all the vines to that height? It always looks such a mess to me in the spring which is why I cut it down. How do you know which vines are deadwood, and should be cut right down to the ground, and which are living old wood? Do you just wait until growth begins again in the spring?

Also, as the plant is growing do you usually PLACE the vines where you want them as they are growing up the trellis? Mine are just in a big mass and I don't even know where to begin with pruning.

Here is a photo, it has just a few blooms but plenty of buds so in a few days it will be covered with flowers.

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If you can give me further advice about managing I would appreciate it.

I have a little advice. I train mine to grow up, by tying them up to some chicken wire as they get long enough. They grow large enough to cover the chicken wire, and it isn't seen. You can put a trellis behind it too.
Leslie

Hi Leslie, Mine actually got blown down by severe wind earlier in the season. It has soft cord wrapped around it about 1/3 of the way down. And they did start growing up again. But see how thick the vines are at the bottom? How do you attach that to chicken wire? The ones in the back are easy to tie or train up but the ones in the front are far from the trellis. I'm not sure if i'm making myself clear. Please tell me if I'm not.

Very nice clematis! Very healthy looking! Right... the way you are pruning yours, it is flowering on new wood. By doing that you are missing out on the early larger flowers. I don't prune my group 2's down to any particular height. I just prune out the dead wood for the most part. I will at times (not every year though) trim the very top down (in the spring) just a little when I do it... maybe a foot. It all depends on how it is looking. Right... in the spring group 2's do look like a mess with the dead leaves and tangled vines. You can spend considerable time and a back ache grooming them to perfection. :) It's a tangled maze! I've accidently cut off live portions at times. :) I trim off or rub the dead leaves in between my fingers to get rid of them. Finding dead wood from live wood... Yes, you wait until you see the buds swell up and you know which parts are dead and which are live. Some of the dead ones may be dead altogether or just dead down to a certain point... so depending on the situation... prune out the dead ones completely or prune out the dead section down to a swelling live bud.

Some vines will find their way up the support all by themselves, but I do as you stated for some... as the plant is growing I PLACE the vines where I want them as they are growing up the support. You guide them and they will take hold fast. If you start treating yours like a group 2, the majority of vines will already be in place next year.

Thank you both for your advice. I will follow a new plan for my Nelly and see how she grows next year. I say this alot (lately!!) but I'm AMAZED at how much I don't know about so many things. thanks again~

Anita

My Nelly gets cut back to 24" each spring like you cut the one you have. I can't take the tangled mess it becomes. Then in spring I just guide it with green garden ties to the trellis. I start low on all my clematis & guide them up. Once they reach to the top I guide them back down the trellis the same way.
I get the spring bloom & the fall bloom so I am happy.

Hi Mamoo, I've been cutting mine down to the ground every year. Next year I will leave it taller and prune as directed. It's a stunning plant and I want to see it at its best!

I moved into a place two years ago that already had a clematis growing. I have no idea how old it is but they have trunks at the ground. There are two growing side by side on our garage in a breeze way. They appear to be healthy but have a lot of old ugly growth underneath them. I tried to cut one back and it didn't bloom much the following year. When it did grow it grew really thick and bloomed on the end but it really bunched up so it is twice at thick as the one I didn't do anything to. I would really like some advice as to cutting them back for new growth. I can see where someone at one time tied them up with stockings. Please don't forget I said they have trunks about 5 inches in diameter! Thank You so very much!