Clematis problems
Hacks
Posts: 6
I have a clematis macropetala which is about six years old which looks as though it is suddenly dying in as much as all the leavego have gone brown. I can see no sign of disease and all the plants around it are flourishing. It is planted against an east facing fencI with shaded roots which are also covered in a layer of gravel
Does anyone have any ideas or advice ?
0
Posts
It may just be reacting to the recent spell of hot weather. Cut out and remove all the brown stems and give it a tonic of liquid tomato food to encourage recovery. Scatter a few wildlife friendly slug pellets to protect any new shoots.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Thanks I will giv it a try
Hi Hacks, I have had a similar problem with a clematis in my garden. In June it had some lovely wine red flowers and then suddenly the top growth has turned black and the plant looks like its about to collapse. I have read that it could be clematis wilt, and the best thing to do as obelixx says is to cut it down to ground level and wait until the spring to see if it recovers. It is due to a fungal disease which can stike without any warning.
If you are growing it against a wall or fence my gardening book advises to wash the area with a mild disinfectant.
It also suggests that a way to prevent clematis wilt is to plant clematis deeper than usual. Good luck! When the rain stops, I'm off to chop it down.
Fingers crossed for the spring!