My Clematis and Hydrangea are black with frost. Should I cut them right down are just trim them to shape?

You can if you like; you don't have to.





I live in an area that has serious winter. Both those plants will look "dead" in the winter - leafless - but in fact they are just dormant. I don't trim my hydrangea. In the spring, when it comes back to life, occasionally there will be bits here and there that seem to be dead, and I'll trim them off. But mostly, it comes back to life on its own very well.





Same with the Clematis - though I do hack the whole thing down to about a foot off the ground about every 2-3 years. It seem to help it stay bushy.





If the frost nipped back your plants, they should bounce back and put out new growth when it warms up. Maybe wait until then before trimming, so you know what's dead, and what merely lost its leaves (but has living branches).

My Clematis and Hydrangea are black with frost. Should I cut them right down are just trim them to shape?
You can cut down your clematis to almost ground level - indeed it will benefit from this. Leave the hydrangea as it is. There is protection for it in the foliage that is on it.
Reply:I never cut Hydrangeas back until all frosts have gone; I know they can look a bit crap, but the old growth protects the new buds.


Clematis; there are several "pruning groups" and without knowing your variety I could not advise.
Reply:It's too early to cut back Clematis. Some varieties should be cut back to a out a metre in February, others after flowering. Leave your Hydrangeas until they start coming into leaf.
Reply:I'd cut them down so they will have a new start in the spring.
Reply:cut em down
Reply:Don't cut either back.Clematis have different pruning requirements according to variety.


Jackmanni %26amp; viticella should be cut back anytime now to within a few buds from the bottom.


Alpina %26amp; montana clematis should build up a framework of branches,cut the sideshoots from the main stems right back in late summer.


Concerning hydrangeas,the dead flowers serve to protect this seasons' buds.in the spring cut back to the first prominent pair of leaves,just below thwe dead flower.Pruning more severely will cut away the flowers this season.