This question will most probably be more appropriately and helpfully answered by someone in your immediate area (which is where, btw?? - your sign-on and member page do not indicate location or zone). Are you sure these are type 3's? In my area, it is the type 2's that are just now finishing up the initial bloom season, with type 3's only beginning their bloom cycle. Here, most type 3's begin blooming now and will continue pretty much non-stop until early fall. Now is the time I would lightly cut back the type 2's that experience a later season rebloom.

IIRC, clematis growers in hotter summer zones, like Miguel's NC or Jeanne's Texas, do experience an earlier bloom period for some type 3's and that may also be your situation. And again, I seem to recall both of these forum regulars indicating they do cut back their type 3's midseason for a later rebloom.

Thanks, Gardengal, I am in Louisville, Ky. Zone6,I believe. The clematis I was wondering about are PearledAzur, Rouge Cardinal. Maybe these are not 3`s! Like I said, I am not the best with the clems!! Thank you again for your prompt reply. Lesley

Yep, have cut clematis back, both type IIs and IIIs,and gotten blooms on most of them later in the season. Jeanne being in a hotter zone has gotten three blooms cycles out of some clematis since her growing season is even longer than mine. The only way to know for sure is to try it and see. Keep the plants well watered and fertilized and see what happens after cutting them back by half. Others in zones as low as 5 have in the past indicated that they can get reblooms on some of their clematis so why not give it a whirl?

I`m off to cut them back by half. Thanks to both of you for your help. Lesley