How should I best treat clematis wilt, which is now affecting 3 of my clematis? Do plants with 'wilt' recover typically, or only rarely? Will it spread to others in my garden?
Posted: Tuesday 28th of June 2016 06:06 AM Last reply: Saturday 1st of March 2025 11:51 AM
Kathy C is quite correct, and I would like to also add that you could heap soil further up the stem, and this will encourage the plant to produce more roots.
Unlike other plants, where we have to ensure that the planting soil line is not any higher up the stem than the original soil line in the pot, with clematis it is quite the reverse!
You can plonk a clematis in a deeper hole, and it will love it! This gives it a good chance to develop an even stronger root system, and therefore a better opportunity to withstand the onslaught of any disease nasties.
Hi, Keith, If left untreated, it can be fatal. On older plants, the fungus causing the wilt usually starts attacking the base of the plant, cutting off its water transport system. If that is the case, not much can be done to save the plant. On younger plants, you might notice the fungus spreading on the leaves first. In that case, remove all infected shoots to the base immediately and destroy them (don't compost them). Then, cut the plant back in autumn and remove any leaf debris since the fungus can overwinter on leaves on the ground. Kathy C