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Dead Montana 😩

SquirrelnutterSquirrelnutter Posts: 4
in Problem solving
 After three years of nurturing, it was spectacular last year, but in the autumn strong winds caused both the supporting branches and then the clematis stems to break and the whole thing collapsed down. 
It did produce a few bits of new growth last month (including near the base) but then everything wilted and now it’s a tangled mass of nothing!
I plan to cut it right back and see if it recovers, but should I feed it straight away or wait a while? I was going to use tomato feed. Any suggestions?












Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited May 2023
    My guess is that it suffered from the drought and heat last year … this year the soil down below the surface is still very dry. 

    In an attempt to save it I would cut it hard back to a couple of feet from the ground, then clear everything away from the root area, drench the area with water … several buckets full every other day for a week, mulch deeply with good organic stuff, garden compost or soil improver or similar, and cross your fingers. 

    If it shows signs of growth give it two buckets of water every other day, poured gently on the root area so that it soaks in. Do that right through the summer. 

    Don’t feed it this year. It’s not good to feed a struggling plant (just as you wouldn’t give an ill person  a four course meal). 

    If it survives, then a sprinkling of fish, blood and bone pellets next spring will be fine. 

    In that spot it’s always going to need additional watering in dry spells. 

    🤞 



    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Don't feed it whatever you do.
    Yes - you can cut it back - the new growth you had will probably have been hit by the following cold spell, but if the plant is still viable, it'll grow back.

    If the tree it's on is dead [I can't tell from the photo] it would be worth putting some wires or similar round it to give the montana something more reliable to climb onto.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • SquirrelnutterSquirrelnutter Posts: 4
    Thank you Dovefromabove and Fairygirl for your advice 👍🏼 - your comments are much appreciated. I will start to cut it down in the next few days and give it plenty of water.
    Yes, sadly the oak tree is dead, but I have already bought some sturdy mesh for the new shoots to cling to (fingers crossed)!

  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    There have been several threads on here from people with the same problem. My 2 montanas are the same, look dead but there are some signs of life. I'm going to cut them down and hope for the best. They are hardy so it was probably the heat and drought last summer.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • SquirrelnutterSquirrelnutter Posts: 4
    Hi Busy-Lizzie - good luck! Let’s hope that they spring back next year 😊🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼
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