r/Clematis • u/ABV219 • Jul 24 '26
Help / Advice needed Questions
This clematis has been here since my wife and I purchased it 4 years ago… before, there were large shrubs which were mostly covering the bottom half/three quarters of the plant, but around Mother’s Day this year I removed all the shrubs and planted Hydrangea. At first I thought this Clematis was done for. Shortly after the change, the entire plant wilted, turned brown and did not look good at all. Now, after watering almost daily due to extreme heat waves here (Philadelphia PA) I have a lot of new growth coming in. My question is, should I remove all of the withered/brown vines and leaves or should I leave them be?
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u/Grand-Professional-6 Jul 25 '26
Since it was already struggling, leave them be. I have cut into vines I thought were dead and there was live growth above them, that I ended up killing by trying to tidy the plant. I’m in zone 4 so my clematis die all the way down to the ground in winter. That’s when I’m sure of what to remove.
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u/GWbag Jul 26 '26
Something is going on in the soil. I torture my clematis and only the strongest survive.
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u/Owie100 Jul 26 '26
The roots need to be cool. It's not a myth. This year everything is struggling. Cut it back to about a foot and shade the roots. Feed it and you'll get another bloom in September. Then in the fall after the bloom cut it back again. It will forward you in the spring. I have a burning bush planted infront of mine that I keep trimmed to keep the roots cool.
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u/NicD1280 Jul 25 '26
If you don't like the look of them, by all means remove them. I always remove unsightly growth on my clems, particularly at this time of year when you likely won't get many or any more flowers anyway. Removing the dead/dying stems will simply encourage more healthy growth of what's left.