Clematis Wilt

    Well, apparently there is no support group for gardeners who are down in the dumps over clematis wilt, so I will use this venue for my therapy.  Pictured above is a plant stricken with clematis wilt.  It is not MY plant, but I have witnessed this in my Pittsburgh garden where I saw it take three clematis in one season, and hoped never to see it again.  There is no turning around for the plant in the picture.  It will continue to droop, then wilt on the vine, and its owner can say good-bye before it ever blossoms. Though research is not conclusive, it appears that it is a soil-borne fungus.  It is difficult to eradicate.  

     Pictured below is the trellis that was hosting my small "Blue Angel Clematis" until a few days ago.  I was disheartened to see the top blossoms face downward, staring at their feet instead of the heavens above, refusing to climb another inch.  Each day it wilted more and finally I admitted defeat.  Snip Snip!  Back to two inches high.  No blossoms this year, but the good news is, it has a good chance of flourishing next year.  

     The next picture shows my newest clematis, the "Niobe," for which I spent a year on a wait list.   I knew this would be the perfect one to kiss the soft pink and white climbing rose that is busy winding its way up the other side of the trelllis.  A few days ago I noticed the top blossom turning downward.  Clutching my heart, I snipped that one little drooper and crossed my fingers.  While I wouldn't say it is out of danger, I have not seen further droop and it's been five days since I snipped.

But I am still worried about the future of clematis in my gardens.  I stubbornly admit that this is not fitting in with my concept of a low-maintenance perennial garden.  (I still have one that is in excellent health.)  I spoke with a gardener at Kulak's nursery, who advised me on how to best re-hab sick clematis and protect healthy ones. Spray affected plants and surrounding soil with a fungicide. Clematis like their roots to be shaded and their blossoms to be in the sun. Mulch is not recommended to shade the roots.  Foliage from other plants or rocks work better.
     My self-imposed therapy for Clematis Wilt Sufferers is to turn one's back on the ailing plant and look at something that is working.  I like the salmon poppy with the purple Baptisia.  Feeling better already.