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Clematis dried leaves
Bonsai-Marc
Posts: 444
in Plants
2nd year, best its done
Odd dry leaves. Presume again due to my wind garden, this is in the least windy section. But still bad.
I notice lots of dry deaf brown leaves at bottom today but can see new shoots at top.
Just leave it or cut back? It flowered brief last spring and again 1 flower end of summer
Think I'm stuck with a fighting battle
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Posts
Sounds like a Group 2. Cut off any old flowers now then leave it until spring. In late Feb to mid March, follow each shoot back from the tip and cut to just above a pair of strong healthy-looking buds. If it is outgrowing it's space you can cut further back but always to a pair of buds. The further you cut back the fewer flowers you'll get in spring but will probably get more during the later flowering.
If it's a one or two year old clematis then the best thing to do is cut it right back hard to about a foot tall in spring, again to just above a pair of healthy buds. This will produce a much, much better and stronger plant in the future. You will get few flowers the first year after doing this but it is totally worth it.
It sounds hungry and thirsty. Give it a good bucket of water and then mulch with well rotted manure or garden compost.
Next spring, feed it generously with proper clematis food which will release nutrients slowly. Give it a weekly or fortnightly good drink of liquid tomato feed from the moment leaves first appear to mid summer.
When new leaves start to open, prune it back to the highest pair of new buds and remove all the dead growth above. Train all new shoots as horizontally as possible when new shoots start to grow out.
After flowering, dead head and feed and you will get another flush of flowers if it is a group 2. If it's a group 1 it won't flower again till next spring but should put on fresh new growth that will flower the following year. Either way, it just needs a light prune to keep tidy once the spring flush of flowers is over. feed every year and don't let it get thirsty.
Can't be thirsty hasn't stopped raining for ages
Leave dead brown for now then?
It depends where you have it planted. Too close to a wall and it'll be thirsty from the rain shadow.
However, it is normal for clematis to start dropping their leaves now - except the evergreen ones - so leave it be and treat as indicated above next spring so it flowers well and doesn't get bare legged..
Is it an Armandii evergreen clematis? I have 2 of these and both have dried brown leaves at the bottom. Shoots and green growth fine at the top. I think is normal for them. Just a bit unsightly at the lower end!!
Anything evergreen will drop leaves now and again. I'd follow obelixx's advice re good feeding and nurturing in spring, combined with the pruning advice also given. It helps promote more new growth from beneath, which in turn means a sturdier plant.
Other planting around it can keep it sheltered from adequate rain, so it might be worthwhile taking a close look at the soil round your plant. If it's very dry lower down, don't be afraid to water it. Hard to make a judgement without seeing it in the flesh though
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
It's in a pot up the fence, better then 1st year as cooled the roots better.
I'll wait for any flowers in spring then cut back slightly to help bush out better
Most clematis are deciduous and it is a natural occurrence that the foliage turns brown and the leaves drop off,
Give us a few more clues as to the cultivar / species name, please ?
Big flower, medium sized flower, colour etc.
Clematis in pots need to be watered regularly by the gardener. Rain is not enough eve if it's bucketing down. Plus, in a pot the clematis will soon run short of nutrients as most planting composts only have enough to feed plants for 90 days so, the answer is to plant it in the ground, nice and deep to encourage new shoots and, whether it's in a pot or in the ground, make sure it never gets thirsty or hungry.
As Richard says, knowing the name would help with further advice.
afraid i wouldn't know the name and will probably wont be able to work out until flowers.
in the ground is no option for me and it has done better this year in new location and top of pot slightly covered to help stop drying out so quick
I will check the watering better, it is near my bonsai area so i have to check them often also but i never have with the clematis.