"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
I had 4 clematis - 2 in full sun and 2 which got sun for about 6 hours a
day. They performed equally well, although the ones in partial sun had
more
foliage at the top because the sun hit that area first as it crested over
the house. All 4 plants were gorgeous and healthy. The ones in partial sun
had pretty lousy soil because my ex-wife kept removing the mulch for some
unknown reason.

So, I would not move your plants unless they're in deep shade. Improve the
soil with organic matter (composted cow manure, mulch, etc). Since we're
headed for the hottest part of the year, I wouldn't hack away at the plant
much, if at all. Get them back on their trellis and tolerate the temporary
ugliness. Maybe snip off some bad leaves here & there as nicer ones grow.

By the way, I had a book about pruning from the Royal Horticultural
Society.
It said that clematis can be cut down to a foot or two above the ground in
very early spring, or not. We tried it, and the plants were still 8 feet
tall by May. Other years, we didn't touch them. Couldn't see a difference
after 18 years of observation.

Pretty good advice here. Clematis are difficult to transplant and often
resent it, so I'd leave them in place if the current conditions are
suitable. FWIW, most varieties can tolerate considerable pruning during the
growing season. Clematis at my nursery often get very leggy in their pots
and get cut back frequently. They respond by producing copious amounts of
new growth. Just keep them fed and well watered this summer and cut back
gently as you see fit. I'd wait to do serious pruning until early next
spring.

And I wouldn't stress too much about "proper' pruning techniques for
different clematis. I grow a large number personally and they all get
treated very similarly. The early blooming ones (Spring) I don't prune until
they get too large, then I prune immediately after they bloom. All the rest
get a hard pruning in early March, followed by their first official
fertilizing of the season. And I mulch well with a good compost in spring
and again in fall.

pam - gardengal