Help with Clematis Wilt

[Tim Baigent]

Can someone please tell me teh correct way to treat Clematis that have the Clematis Wilt disease? I had the disease on one of my clematis plants in the summer, I cut the plant right back but I am wondering if that was sufficient? Will I see my Clematis blooming next summer?

[Christine Boulby]

In article <47qeit$p...@kannews.ca.newbridge.com>

If you chopped the plant to the ground and burned all the bits, yes every
leaf you can find, *and* you planted it properly in the first place you
can expect it to send up new shoots in the spring.

When I say planted properly I mean buried at least one leaf axil below
ground when you put it in, ie that you planted the soil level of the plant
about six to nine inches lower than the soil level. This means there is
an axil for the plant to use to regenerate itself.

If you didn't do this, it could be a problem. Best plan is to leave things
as is, give it a gallon of water per week in early spring, the first gallon
containing any good fertilizer and wait and see....

Meantime, get a book about clematis from your local library. I use one
by a man called Jim Fisk - Clematis `Queen of Climbers' but most books
about clematis will give you similar information. They are worth your
time and trouble, but you just need to get the fundamentals right, so
many people fail at the first hurdle and then say clematis are `difficult'
and turn off them.

Good luck,
--
Chris Boulby
Ch...@coniston.demon.co.uk...living in a gardener's world.