Planted clematis this year along my fence. Can anyone tell me the best way to encourage it to grow?

I tried it a couple of years ago without much success. This year, much to my surprise, it hung in through a very dry summer. Should I cut it back for the winter or leave it as is so the new shoots can climb the old vine? Any tips on how to keep it growing and spreading would be great!

Planted clematis this year along my fence. Can anyone tell me the best way to encourage it to grow?
Clematis are lumped into 3 categories for pruning. Group 1 or A, Group 2 or B and Group 3 or C. You need to know which type you have or you could prune it incorrectly. With a little research, you can probably find the one you have if you know the name or look on websites to match the flower.





Here is a link for information: http://www.donnan.com/Clematis_care.htm





Best of luck.
Reply:Even through times of drought, you must water. This was a hard year for everything. Next year, it will go crazy.
Reply:Find out how to cut back your particular strain, I had planted one that never bloomed and grew very little after the third year I cut it back in the late fall to about 1' above the soil, the next two years it has grown and bloomed like crazy!!!!!! So much so that now I need to take hedge shears to it to keep it from going everywhere.
Reply:Keep it's head hot and it's feet cold.

rain roots