I planted a clematis in spring last year, it took slightly, but this season it hasn't grown at all. It's been standing there as a dried-out bush for two months now. Should I cut it back shorter, or is this normal for the second year?
Two months of a dry bush isn't normal - most likely the root system didn't establish properly after planting or the soil dried out. Try carefully digging it up to check if the roots are alive (they should be white and firm, not black and mushy), and if that's really the problem, you might need to replant it somewhere more moist with better drainage?
The roots might still be alive, but clematis just takes forever to "wake up" after transplanting - I saw my neighbor wait a whole year for her plant to start growing, she thought she'd killed it, and then suddenly it just took off. Before you do anything drastic, check how wet the soil is deep down - if it's soggy and sticky in there, that's exactly your problem, clematis absolutely hates waterlogging in the root zone. If the soil looks okay, leave the plant alone until spring, but mulch around the base - winter protection won't hurt. In a situation like this, I'd hold off on pruning until you see signs of life, otherwise you risk killing the plant for good.
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