FARIBAULT, Minn. — Donahue's Greenhouse in Faribault is known far and wide for its clematis. They supply greenhouses all across America and Canada with more varieties than you can count.
They have a garden center as well.
And it's all run by a close-knit family that still enjoys Thanksgiving together, too!
This week, owner Kathy Nass gave us her tips for how and when to prune a clematis.
There are three types of clematis and each has different pruning requirements.
Pruning type I only blooms on old wood, so it does not need to be pruned other than removing dead stems. Most of this type are not hardy in Minnesota so we don't see many of these.
Pruning type II clematis bloom on both old and new wood. This makes up the largest group of clematis and most are large flowering varieties that bloom in June. Prune out dead stems but you should see new growth throughout the vine in the spring as well as new shoots coming up from the ground.
If you accidentally cut your type II clematis to the ground, no big deal because it blooms on old wood as well as new.
Pruning type III only bloom on new wood, so these varieties should be cut to about 6-8" above the ground in early winter. If you forget, they can be chopped up until early spring too. You'll see the new shoots coming up from the ground in spring.
If you don't know which variety you have look in spring to see where the new growth is coming from. If you don't see any along the stems, give it a chop to the ground. IF you do see green developing along the stems, just prune out the dead parts.
Thanks Kathy for the tips!
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