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Clematis buds blackened and hard

FlinsterFlinster Posts: 883
in Plants
Morning All, hope you are In fine fettle!
I noticed this morning some of my clematis buds (unknown variety bought at Chelsea, thought was dead after vole attack etc....) have turned hard and blackened- frost damage from a week ago do you think? The plant itself seems ok.
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  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    edited May 2020
    May have been, although usually they just get a bit browned with frost, drop off and you get new ones growing.
    Happens regularly here although all the recent frosts we had didn't do too much damage to buds - mainly flowers / foliage on early plants got a bit nipped. 
    Are there other buds forming? 


    Just looking at you pic again - one or two look like they've been eaten. Slugs often nibble holes. Have you a pic of the whole plant?
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • FlinsterFlinster Posts: 883
    Thanks Fairygirl. Here are pics also showing one of the darkened buds. I think the plant is ok. It’s has put on stacks of growth since I planted it a few weeks ago. There are some nice green buds forming. I can’t see any other damage to it and it had a feed a couple of days ago.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I think it just isn't established very well yet. It looks a very immature plant, and may just be struggling a bit. It doesn't seem to have access to a lot of soil, which is fine if it's the type which enjoys sharper drainage. 
    I can't tell what variety it is though. Perhaps if @Richard Hodson is looking in - he might be able to help with that.  :)
    You also have a lot of sweet peas there too - as long as it's a clem which doesn't mind loads of food and water [which the s. peas need] it should be ok, but it's all competition for the clematis, especially for water.
    The bud in your first pic looks plump just now, so once that opens, that might help with an ID.
    It's possible with it having a lot of food, that it's just shot up and the soft growth has then been affected. You can take off those dead/damaged buds, and even just trim those shoots back to healthy joint. I'd do that if it was mine. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • FlinsterFlinster Posts: 883
    edited May 2020
    Thanks Fairygirl. It isn’t as bad as it looks for soil. The surround is only 3 sided and was just put in to deepen it so I could add in lots of organic matter and contain a mulch separate to the bark clippings on the path. The drainage is fairly sharp but improved with the compost. It has doubled in size since going in a few weeks ago- it was a saved small section of the vine after the vole had finished and it rooted. If I remember correctly the flower is a very dark purple/pink . I will see how it does over the summer, as I have another spot for it if it can’t cope - on the opposite side of the arch will be some squash so it will have a little more shade in the height of summer once they romp away. Yes the sweet peas have gone a bit mad- they were the sickest looking specimens when they went in (about 5 or 6 plants) and I genuinely expected them to die off, they have languished for ages and have suddenly perked up with the extra sun we have had.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I think it'll be ok then - fingers crossed  :)
    Once you get a flower or two, it'll be easier to get an ID, and then you can see what pruning it requires etc. 

    Sweet peas can be like that. I rarely sow in autumn, because spring sown ones usually catch up. Our weather in April is usually very cold and wet, so small plants really don't do anything but sit there attracting slugs. I did some last autumn though, and just left them in the greenhouse. We've had the hottest April on record, so I got them potted up - so I now have sweet peas which are almost ready to flower. They'll be the earliest I've ever had!   :D
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • FlinsterFlinster Posts: 883
    I love sweet peas! These were sown in Spring but got leggy and neglected and sat in their rotting toilet roll tubes far longer than they should- I couldn’t get them in the ground as I was still building the veg garden beds so it was all a bit do or die really! Glad you are getting some early ones!
    I know the clematis is either a group 2 or 3 as I remember it had to be pruned in February lol! 😳
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Not to worry re the clematis. Once there's a flower or two, that'll help.
    Group 2s are generally not pruned like the 3s, but you can certainly do that with them, and they just flower a bit later. I don't do bother, because its easier, and everything flowers a bit later here anyway.
    I love sweet peas too. It's one of the few annuals I grow. Nice for picking. My daughter often treats me to a coffee from Maccy Ds, and I keep the cups to use for my s. peas. They're excellent for that. Three seeds in each  one, then plant out the entire pot   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • FlinsterFlinster Posts: 883
    @Fairygirl it’s flowered! Any ideas on cultivar? It’s gorgeous! 😃
  • FlinsterFlinster Posts: 883
    Niobe?
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    No - not Niobe - but it's very nice!

    Niobe has yellow anthers, and a bit redder than your pic, although the flowers change depending on the aspect and age etc. 


    This is from last year - I don't think I have a new one yet.

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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