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Is this clematis wilt?
Andy Leeds
Posts: 518
I've read the guidance and comments from Richard Hodson regarding clematis wilt and am aware this is restricted to the large early flowerers. My Nelly Moserstarted flowering a couple of days ago and now i've seen this - is it wilt?
Last edited: 12 June 2016 11:20:38
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I think stems being damaged further down is far more common. Snails in particular like to graze on the surface of stems and this causes growth above to die off. Having said that, those leaves do look like they have a fungal infection of some sort so I would cut any affected ones back to just above a leaf joint a few inches below the damage. If the remaining leaves continue to die, I take the whole stem out to just below ground level. I'm not an expert and the above is just what I do myself.
That looks systemic Andy. See how the veins are discoloured? Any clematis wilt I've seen tends to be more splodgy. (technical term)! Follow Bob's advice for the moment and see how you go and if you spray maybe a dose of rose clear wouldn't do any harm.
It looks very much like clematis wilt but the foliage above the blackened area still does not look wilted so it could be something else. The fungus can either attack through the stems - in which case they look all blackened inside; or through the leaves where the fungus causes them to wilt and their stems to go black. Nelly Moser is one of the clematis susceptible to clematis wilt. There is no chemical treatment for clematis wilt so if you follow pp's advice and it clears up then it may be an environmental factor causing the trouble.
Fingers and toes crossed.
Given it a fungus clear spray. Shame as I only planted it this year. The Hagley hybrid adjacent to it is fine, so maybe not environmental, unless it hasn't succumbed yet.
Thanks for the responses as ever.
pp, I just tried to cross my toes - I seem to remember many years ago I could hook the little toe over the next one. No longer, I must be getting old ?
Doesn't look like clematis wilt from here, Andy. the flowers still look erect. The blackened foliage looks as though the plant has overdosed on Nitrogen, you haven't been shovelling cow manure on there, have you ?
Been giving it a tomato feed every couple of weeks. Is that a bad idea?
I did throw some well rotted manure in when it was planted...
Last edited: 12 June 2016 14:13:27
You say you only planted it this year, Andy, I think the cow manure is the problem.
I don't think it will kill the plant, just make the foliage look a bit grotty.
Best to lay off the feeding and give old Nelly a good soak with rainwater regularly.
Thanks Richard. Next time I won't listen to the 'advice' online that told me to add manure into the planting hole and ask here first!
Lets hope the others I planted don't suffer a similar fate ?
She's still 50% beautiful and 50% miserable: