What to Do With Clematis in October – 5 Fast Tasks to Prep This Hard-Working Vine for Winter

Giving a clematis the right care in fall makes a real difference to how well the vine will perform next year, so gift this hard-working plant an hour of your time now for big rewards. We gardeners love the vast range of clematis varieties, some with huge blossoms and others with a froth of tiny flowers, with glossy green foliage providing the perfect foil for the generous blossoms. And as October rolls in, it’s time to tend to this favorite plant and get clematis ready for winter to ensure a great repeat show.

Clematis care in October is neither difficult nor time consuming, but it’s well worth your time. Give your vine a tidy-up, tie in new growth, water and mulch the soil and look out for powdery mildew which saps a plant's strength, and your clematis will be prepped to sail through whatever the winter weather throws at it.

There are clematis varieties to suit every spot, and plenty of vines that grow quickly without scrambling our of control to cloak bare fences and cover awkward structures in the landscape. And giving these useful garden plants the right care now will mean a healthier vine that'll survive winter well and produce plenty of flowers next year.

1. Lightly Prune for Health

While no clematis should be heavily pruned in fall, it’s never a bad idea to do the 3-Ds trim, cutting back dead, diseased or damaged stems. If this fast-growing vine is swamping another plant or reaching into places it shouldn't, don't be afraid to remove unwanted stems now either.

Don't just jump in with the pruners though, as how much you snip off depends on which clematis group the plant belongs to. While pruning a clematis in October should always be limited, whatever type you're growing, it’s really useful to know which group it belongs to so you don't risk cutting off too many of next year’s flowers.

How to Identify Your Clematis Type

There are three types of clematis: some bloom on old wood in spring, others flower on both old and new wood, and a third group blooms on new wood in autumn. Don’t let this confuse you. Clematis are a little like hydrangea: you simply need to know which group yours belongs to, so you can prune it at the right time, confident that you’re not snipping off next year’s flowers.

• If your clematis was termed ‘early flowering’ or blooms March to May, it falls into Group 1. These vines bloom on the previous year’s growth (old wood) so should not be heavily pruned in fall, since every branch you snip reduces the number of flowers you’ll see in spring. Common Group 1 clematis include montana and armandii, and any major tidy-up pruning should be done when they finish blooming in late spring or early summer.
• If your vine flowers May to June, with perhaps a second flush of flowers later in the summer, it’s a Group 2 clematis, and popular varieties include ‘Nelly Moser’ and ‘Josephine’. These flower on both old wood and new wood (the current season’s growth) so any pruning now will reduce the first flush of flowers. The important times to prune a Group 2 clematis are a light tidy in late winter, then again after the first flush of flowers to encourage a bigger second flush.
• If your clematis blooms mid-summer through fall – and it’s likely still flowering now in October – it belongs to Group 3. Favorite late-flowering clematis that bring abundant blooms in fall include jackmanii and tangutica. These bloom on new wood so are safe to lightly prune in fall. However, save the main structural prune till February or March, when you cut all the stems down to 8-12 inches from the ground.

Now you know which group your clematis belongs to, you can decide just how limited this health-giving tidy-up prune should be.

If you have sweet autumn clematis, once its lush froth of tiny white flowers is finished, consider deadheading the plant if you are worried about self-seeding. Beautiful as its seedheads are, this vine self-seeds aggressively.

2. Tie Loose Stems to Their Support

Tying new growth to its support is an esssential task to get clematis ready for winter. Clematis may be the optimal flowering vine, but these plants gets heavier every year so it's vital to give plants the right support. It's also important to check the ties already attaching older stems to the trellis are in good order before fall and winter storms arrive, and secure loose vines so they’re not snapped by high winds. This is about much more than aesthetics because a snapped stem invites fungal spores to settle in for the winter.

Velcro Garden Ties, available from Amazon, work well for clematis vine as the cut-to-length hook and loop tape holds firm but is quick and easy to adjust, and is endlessly reusable.

3. Deal Quickly with Powdery Mildew

Powdery Mildew is a common issue for clematis in fall and while a late-season outbreak is rarely fatal, it can significantly sap the strength of the plant. It’s easy to deal with powdery mildew if you spot a dusty white coating on leaves by removing and disposing of the affected foliage. Make sure you disinfect your pruners with isopropyl alcohol, available from Amazon, so you don’t inadvertently spread this disease.

A garden waste bag with a top closure such as this Collapsible Garden Waste Bag from Walmart makes it easy to safely transport infected leaves to the trash can or tip – because you don’t want to add these fungal spores to your compost heap. A small rake like Fiskar’s Xact Hand Rake, available from Lowe’s, helps you get rid of infected plant material that’s fallen to the ground.

4. Water Before the Ground Freezes

Plants need water even in winter but once the ground freezes, there really is no way to get water to the plant roots. So, add ‘water deeply’ to your list of gardening jobs to do in October and if fall rainfall is very sparse, deep-soak the roots once a week until the first freeze.

5. Mulch the Root Zone

Clematis plants are tough vines but their roots are surprisingly fragile, growing out in a shallow network rather than diving deep into the ground. Protect them from winter’s worst by layering a 2-3-inch-thick layer of mulch such as Back to the Roots Premium Mulch, available from The Home Depot, over the soil at the base of the plant. Clematis roots extend to around 2-3 feet wide, so be generous with the mulched area, but be careful not to pile material against the stems which will cause them to rot.

What Zone Do You Garden in?

Depending on your USDA zone, there are a couple of extra tasks to put on your October to-do list.

If You Garden in a Warmer Zone

All clematis species are vulnerable to clematis wilt, a fungal disease that can kill the vine. While it’s more of a problem in late spring and early summer, if you live in a zone with warm, humid days and cooler nights, clematis wilt can flare up in fall. Look for dry and withered leaves – some may even blacken – that doesn’t look like seasonal dieback. All this foliage should be trimmed out with pruners that are disinfected with isopropyl alcohol, available from Amazon, and thrown out. Get all of the diseased material, and your vine should be okay in spring.

If You Garden in a Cooler Zone

In colder regions (USDA zones 3-5), prepare your clematis well for harsh winter freezes. Wait until after your first hard frost before mulching, as without this cozy fall duvet, the plant will naturally prepare better for winter cold. Then apply a deeper 3-4-inch-thick mulch to protect roots. Mulching will also reduce the soil’s freeze-thaw cycle which can heave a clematis’ shallow root system out of the ground in cooler zones.

Pay extra attention to ensuring this season’s growth is tied in to a trellis or support, as heavy snow and ice loads are likely to collect on the dense tangle of stems.

Do these fall clematis care tasks and your plant will go into the winter strong and healthy, full of sensational seedheads and ready for another great season next year. One task you should definitely leave off your fall to-do list, however, is fertilizing your clematis. This vine is fast-growing and tough so doesn’t routinely need fertilizing to begin with, and certainly doesn’t need feeding in October with winter fast approaching. Instead, the plant needs to slow down its growth and harden off naturally before harsh weather arrives.