how to prune a clematis
2. Prune your clematis in the early spring. To prune this sort of clematis, you will have to locate the healthy buds. They should be about a third of the way down from the top of the plant. Once you have located the buds, use pruning or garden shears to cut the vine just above the buds, removing the top part of the plant and keeping the buds intact. 1  6 Edit step.