Growing Clematis horizontally

[fiveaday]

We've planted a couple of clematis to grow up the garage. One of them is Montana and naturally the growth is rapid (it's only been in a year).

So as its already reached the maximum height of the garage could we train it instead to grow horizontally along the width of the garage at various heights?

Where it is currently growing I'd already drilled, screw eyed and pulled 2mm wire rope, so plan to continue this all the way down the full length and over the door.

[Jungle Jane]

Yes my sisters doing that along her fence & its great because you can plant underneath. I notice you have just one long stem,check it out on gooogle but if you cut it back they produce more stems for larger coverage of the wall.

[fiveaday]

Yes my sisters doing that along her fence & its great because you can plant underneath. I notice you have just one long stem,check it out on gooogle but if you cut it back they produce more stems for larger coverage of the wall.

Thanks Jane. With regards to stems there are about half a dozen small stems (about 3mm a piece) which we separated off in various directions. Are these what you mean? Should I still chop or leave alone? I'll get a photo later.

It grew that quick I could probably chop and still have it most of the way up the garage again by the end if next year.

As for your sisters fence is it low lying or quite high? I ask as on one boundary we have a low 3-4 ft fence with just 2 horizontal slats. We don't mind seeibg through to next doors garden but had considered growing something along it, and whilst the sweet peas we grew this year where perfect they're not year round.

[Jungle Jane]

Theres advice on here about initial pruning
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=344
Check with others to be 100% sure,the garden centre would know,can it be pruned down with the age it's at & how far,also when would be the best time to do this,maybe after flowering? I think if you cut it back those 3mm stems will take off but I don't know,if it's aged & turned too woody & then cut would that be a problem? My sisters fence is about 5 or 6ft tall.

[Jungle Jane]

I don't know why the link doesn't work it says this on clematis pruning group 1,RHS website-
"If young clematis plants are left unpruned they often produce very long single stems with the flowers produced only at the very top. Unless the plant already has three or four healthy stems growing from the base, all newly planted clematis should be pruned back hard the first spring after planting."

[fiveaday]

Thanks Jane the link works fine. It also states Montana can be cut back hard every 3 years.

Ours isn't looking too leggy so will leave and make the call after this year's flowering.

It was only a cheap £2 plant from B&M stores and I've already got several cuttings from it so we won't have lost anything if it is leggy and have to start again.

[KevinM67]

I love the line - I fought the lawn .... and the lawn won.

Up there with - 'Granny on the Game'.

[fiveaday]

I love the line - I fought the lawn .... and the lawn won.

Up there with - 'Granny on the Game'.

And this year it definitely did. We new a large garden was going to be hard work, what we didn't bank on was that in a single week of being ill the whole plot can get away with you. I've then spent the remainder of the year trying to catch back up