Nelly Moser is particularly susceptible to clematis wilt, which, btw, does
not have to follow any specific pattern as far as foliage or stem coloration
is concerned. Cutting off the damaged stem, regardless of the cause, will
typically result in new growth from the base, although it may not be apparent
immediately.

FWIW, clematis wilt is rarely fatal and most large flowering hybrids will
outgrow it after their fifth year. Planting the clematis deeply to begin with
will help to develop vigorous growth from the root crown and multiple stems
which aid the plant in being more wilt resistant. Hard pruning the first year
after planting will also help. Browning of the lower foliage in midsummer is
also fairly common with a number of clematis cultivars and generally
indicates a need to step up the watering program.

pam - gardengal



Luca wrote:

Great newsgroup... thanks for all the replies.

I do not think this was caused by clematis wilt because the foliage is
turning brown, and I can see no trace of purple veins. I probably
just damaged that stem somehow...

I think that the locations is pretty good. A Violet Elizabeth, just
next to the Nelly Moser, is rewarding me with an incredible flower.
:-) However I did put in some mulch, just in case.

On Thu, 10 Jul 2003 14:07:45 -0400, Suja
wrote:

Luca wrote:

I have planted a Nelly Moser about a month ago. It seemes to be
doing great until 2-3 days ago, when all the leaves on one of the two
stems started wilting.

Since this is a baby plant, it needs to be nursed along. If it has been
hot and dry where you are, you might need to water more frequently.
Nelly Moser is unfortunately susceptible to Clematis Wilt, and there is
unfortunately not much you can do if that's the case. You might want to
check into this disease to see if the description of the disease matches
what you're seeing.

Also the leaves are browning from the ground
up.

That is normal. Clematis do tend to lose some leaves towards its base
during the hot summer. Mulch heavily and do your best to keep its roots
cool.

The other stem still looks healthy. I am guessing one of the
stem got damaged, even though I cannot see anything wrong...?

It is possible that maybe the stem got damaged, as they can be a little
brittle. Once the plant is well established, it will do just fine.
Look up its culture requirements, and pamper it for a little bit. BTW,
don't be surprised if the clematis doesn't appear to be doing much of
anything for the first couple of years. They have a very extensive root
system, and normally concentrate their efforts towards that end.

Suja