We planted a 'President' Clematis in late June. It is in full sun and has
gotten plenty of water. It seems to be dying from the top down. The top
has brown leaves and the next lower ones are turning brown. What am I doing
wrong or what should I be doing to save this plant. Thanks for any help.

Gail

Gerry Leath wrote:
We planted a 'President' Clematis in late June. It is in full sun and has
gotten plenty of water. It seems to be dying from the top down. The top
has brown leaves and the next lower ones are turning brown. What am I doing
wrong or what should I be doing to save this plant. Thanks for any help.

Gail


You may be over watering your Clematis. I would back off on
the watering and see if that fixes the problem.
--
Bill R. (Ohio Valley, U.S.A)

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"Gerry Leath" wrote in message
...
We planted a 'President' Clematis in late June. It is in full sun and has
gotten plenty of water. It seems to be dying from the top down. The top
has brown leaves and the next lower ones are turning brown. What am I
doing
wrong or what should I be doing to save this plant. Thanks for any help.

Gail


Newly planted large flowering hybrid clematis are often subject to clematis
wilt, a vascular problem which prevents moisture and nutrients from being
drawn up through the plant tissues. The plant wilts and dries up, typically
from the top down. Cut back below the lowest signs of damage and keep the
plant well watered. It should come back fine next season - clematis wilt is
seldom fatal.

For future reference, species clematis are much more resistant to wilt than
the hybrids and you can often outsmart the wilt by careful planting. This
is a case of preparing a $50 planting hole for a $10 plant. Dig a hole 18"
deep and as wide and incorporate some compost into the back fill. Plant the
clematis 4-6" deeper than it was in the nursery container and water in well.
This will encourage the vine to produce additional shoots from the root
crown - the more top growth in terms of stems or vines, the less likely the
plant is to suffer from wilt. Clematis are also heavy feeders. Apply a
complete rose fertilizer to the root zone every 6 weeks during the growing
season.

pam - gardengal

On Sat, 7 Aug 2004 08:21:23 -0400, "Gerry Leath"
wrote:

We planted a 'President' Clematis in late June. It is in full sun and has
gotten plenty of water. It seems to be dying from the top down. The top
has brown leaves and the next lower ones are turning brown. What am I doing
wrong or what should I be doing to save this plant. Thanks for any help.

Gail



Probably nothing. Mine look a bit ragged (brown leaves and vines)
too, but that's normal for them. It takes a year or two to become
established. Mulching with compost now will pay off next year. Be
careful when you prune, if not sure don't touch it.