Clematis buds

pansyface

Hello. Could anyone say what is wrong with my clematis plants? The flower buds, especially on the alpina type, haven't developed and have gone on to turn brown, wilt and die. The buds along a whole branch do it while other branches are flowering away quite happily. The leaf buds on the affected branches are healthy. On the other type of clematis (with the one big flower) flowers are sometimes affected and others on the same plant are not. All the plants are well established and are growing well.

Thanks in advance.

Jengil

I have a similar problem with my alpine clematis, which was planted last year. It grew very well last year, covering the trellis, and I noticed lots of buds in early spring this year. Now though it only has leaves and flowers at the very top and one branch lower down. I was really looking forward to lots of flowers and am now not sure what to do once it has finished flowering. Any clematis experts out there?!

flowering rose

it maybe due to  too much rain,although clematis love water they don't like being drenched and then frosts not good for them. Febuary next year is when to prune them depending on which group they are in.Early ones that have flowered  are pruned in feb they need to be pruned not harshly but they need to be as otherwise they will just flower on top.

Dovefromabove

Check the stems - snails climb up them at night and strip the bark off them, killing individual branches - go out there at night with a torch and nab them 

pansyface

Hello. Thanks for the suggestions.

I was wondering about frost and waterlogging myself. The plants are full of enrrgy and look great until you pay close attention to each individual blossom. On the alpina, for instance, out of 500 or 600 flowers maybe 80 or so are duds. I've never seen it before. But then I've never seen rain like this winter's either. And we had our first proper frost of the winter this week, shortly after the flowers began to open but while a lot were still small buds.

No slimey trails to suggest our little gastropod friends, thank goodness.

Good luck Jengil. Hope you work out your mystery.

Jengil

Thanks for the suggestions, I think it might be frost or cold winds. I have so far never had any problems with snails on anything, so I'm hoping its not that. I will prune back and hope for better luck next year.