Clematis 'Ernest Markham'

Aftercare Advice

Clematis require a good watering regime for a couple of years whilst they establish. Water well and regularly through spring and summer, increasing in hot or dry weather. If planting in autumn, you may only need to water a little. It is advisable to keep the area free of competing weeds and grass during this period.

Group 1 clematis are early flowering varieties, producing their blooms in winter to spring. Clematis in this group are low maintenance and don’t require regular pruning. However, you can lightly prune them after they’ve flowered (and once the threat of frost has passed) to keep them neat and tidy. Simply remove any dead, weak, or crowded stems. Faded flowers can also be removed.

Group 2 clematis produce their flowers in spring and early summer on the previous year’s growth. We recommend a light prune in February – simply remove any damaged or weak stems, and cut the rest back to just above the strongest, highest buds. You can remove a fair amount of the top growth (so the plant doesn’t grow back top heavy) but avoid hard pruning as this will affect flower production in the following growing seasons.

Group 3 clematis are late flowering varieties (typically around mid to late summer) which produce their blooms on the current season’s growth. These clematis tend to be vigorous and should be hard pruned in February or March, before any new growth begins, to the lowest set of buds, about 30cm from the surface of the soil. If left unpruned these clematis can become messy and outgrown.

For more detailed advice and video guides, please visit our Help & Advice section.