"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Zizz wrote:


That makes little difference. At this time of year, 4' of growth is
only a week or two. I don't know whether the various 'wilt' diseases
can remain dormant on a plant for a long time before showing up, so
can't guess if the nursery could be the cause.

However, the MAIN factor is that it is the large-flowered hybrids
that are the most susceptible and the species that are least so.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

The OP said one of the plants was Etoile Violette, since that is just about
the most wilt resistant variety known, I suspect that the cause is too small
a root system for the size of the plant, plants react by ditching one or
more stems and try again later. It always pays to place a watering tube in
the planting hole and ensure regular watering during the first summer, this
applies whether or not the season seems a wet one. On dry sites or ones with
poor soil it pays to grow plants on for a year in a 7.5lt pot and plant out
a much bigger root system the following year.
--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)