I have a 10 year old clematis that is never been pruned because it never needed it it is in a raised bed and goes up a lamppost. I live in Ohio 6a and last winter we had a terrible cold snap after a January warming that killed many perennial plants and trees. I now have a very Twiggy base to my plant. I have read several conflicting advice comments about pruning. The most common is to prudent 12 to 18 inches from the ground this will leave no flowers this year and we hope to put the house on the market this summer obviously the gardens are a big plus so I'm just considering not pruning and then planting a medium annual or perennial around the base. Any thoughts? Thanks ahead of time

I prune all of my Jackmanii clematises (about 4 or 5 of them) anytime between late November and March. I've never had a year when they didn't flower. You can (and should) be cutting them back to 12" every year in February to March.
March:


June 11:

I agree with Pirl... we just cut ours back to two feet off the ground a week ago. it runs up a trellis/fence (pic below), and rises above a few large Hydrangeas, which is why we don't cut them lower to the ground. new buds were beginning to swell so we had a very good visual as to where to cut. go out and take a look at the stems about a foot off the ground. or maybe wait a few weeks to do so. look for a good concentration of swollen buds on the lower stems. the more the better. cut just above them.

not sure what you mean by, "this will leave no flowers this year". it shouldn't be flowering right now anyway and Jackmanni clematis only bloom on this coming years new growth. if you were to cut it back now, or in a few weeks, you can expect it to be in full flower by late June or early July.

In another gardening forum I found the information that if you prune them back to 12 inches that they will not flower that year but will in the following years. I assume that they are referring to pruning below any buds. That is why I was confused and posted here. I honestly have not pruned it in the 10 years we have been living here and it had been planted before we moved in by someone else and always had blossoms from the base to the top of the plant. It is just the hard cold snap we had last year that occurred after buds had come out that killed off many plants and left the bottom of my clematis Bare

It's totally untrue. I will take photos of the Jackmanii I pruned right down to the earth and I'll continue to take photos so you can see the speed at which it grows here in May. Often I have had to prune it back by 8 to 12' during August.

We've owned ours and grown them here for more than 20 years so do not be afraid to prune yours. They gain strength from being pruned.

Do you know what type of clematis it is? I agree pruning is good! Maybe would slower if it is a type II

OOPS..just read the title of your post...I heartily agree with a severe prune. You can fertilize with good quality compost to make it even happier.

Anna - Jackmanii is in the title so I assumed that was the clematis in question.

Yes! Compost, manure and Epsom Salt will just make it happier.

I should not admit this.... Snakes hide in that vine and I am terrified of the trellis and its surrounding area. There is a gutter there and the snakes go up and down it to harvest the birds nesting in the gutters. SO...I try to get in and out -- quick. Mid winter..when the leaves are gone and I can see what I am doing, I get in there and clip and rip...right to the ground. Every year it comes back faithfully. Even if yours died off and looks a little sparse at the bottom, I bet it will fill in. I treat ours poorly and if it returns -- can't be all that finicky.

Snakes would keep me far away!

UGGS..UGGS give me sense of security from knee down. Nothing could bite thru.. I spray and no ticks go near. Won"t soak..warm in winter and ( suprisingly ) cool in summer. Good solid footing too. Brush dirt off. Easy on and off.

From the knee up...vulnerable..that is why
I get in...do my damage ..and get out. Those snakes like hanging near the fountainhead and stream...( in front of the trellis ) .frog snacking.

I had to move mine one year due to them putting in a new water line. But I never got it planted again that fall. It stayed out all winter , with a good size dirt ball, and when I planted it int the spring it came up nice and bloomed.

Snakes Are they poisonous? I am trying to decrease my anxiety when I see a harmless rat snake.

In that trellis I have seen only rat and black.
There is also a beautiful deep lima green colored snake in the area.
We have plenty of copperheads ( poisonous ) but have not seen in that area.