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10:38 am
Supreme Being
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Sun 30-Jan-11
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Ok so it's not edible, but we don't seem to have a section for non-edible plants 
There's a huge clematis tangutica climbing over the fence in our front garden, it was in glorious full flower when we first moved here on 1 September and is now covered in those lovely fluffy seed heads. Well, after the howling gale we had yesterday it's now a broken messy heap on the lawn.
We had one in a previous garden years ago, I seem to recall it required hard pruning in early spring. My question is will it harm the plant if we prune it hard back now? We have to do something with it anyway, can't leave it to die an undignified death on the lawn.
Any ideas, please?
learning to love veg…..except celery :-O
11:06 am
Supreme Being
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Mon 21-Sep-09
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Hi Sue,
I think I would only cut back as little as I could get away with as February is the earliest one should prune for that species. I understand your problem though as they tend to be huge untidy bundles of interwoven twigs & stems. If you have to cut it right back it might not make it...still that species are very tough. I would however give it a really thick layer of good compost now, for winter protection. You might find that next year it does not flower so well but it will be OK the following year.
Here's some advice from the RHS on pruning Group 3 clematis
Good luck 
"The beautiful is as useful as the useful...perhaps more so."
from Les Miserables
9:15 pm
Supreme Being
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Sun 30-Jan-11
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Thanks for that, Nadine. I was having a proper look at the clematis today, seeing as it was sunny(!!) - part of it we are going to have to hack right back as it's all damaged by yesterday's gale, but the rest I think we may be able to just trim lightly and put it back over the fence. Didn't have time to do it today so it will have to wait until Sunday, when it's supposed to be nice(ish) again.
learning to love veg…..except celery :-O
9:40 pm
Supreme Being
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Tue 22-Sep-09
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the problem is if you cut it back hard now, it could put on new growth that then is killed by winter frosts, maybe just tidy up for now?
10:13 pm
Supreme Being
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Sun 30-Jan-11
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Good point Jan
learning to love veg…..except celery :-O
9:31 pm
Supreme Being
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Tue 22-Sep-09
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been cutting back my clematis a bit today and have noticed it's covered in new shoots, tried not to do too much, so it has plenty of cover still, however just seen the forecast for the weekend and it looks like we're in for a colder spell...bloody typical.
9:35 pm
Supreme Being
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Sun 30-Jan-11
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We just sort of pushed our tangled messy heap into a slightly less messy one back nearer the fence. Will hold off on tackling it for another couple of weeks I think.
learning to love veg…..except celery :-O
9:35 pm
Moderators
Tue 22-Sep-09
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Cover it with bubble wrap?
I'll try that again!
9:38 pm
Supreme Being
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Sun 30-Jan-11
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Oh, also meant to say ours also has a lot of new shoots....
learning to love veg…..except celery :-O
7:04 am
Supreme Being
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Sun 2-Oct-11
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I have one at the back of the house I have always pruned hard November/December time after the seed heads have gone and it grows back beautifully every year.
One of my flowering cherries is flowering and my camellias have big fat buds!
Trying to enjoy life as it is
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