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nibbled to death

17 years ago

My Henryii is being nipped off at the base by something unseen.This happened last year too and I did not get to see any blooms.I cannot see any traces of anything which could be doing this,but I am getting really desperate to find out what is going on.This Clematis is about 9 years old and gets really huge when it gets the chance to grow,. It starts off really well but every day I go out there are more stems nipped off.

I did have a barrier round the base in case it was a "critter" of some kind,but it is in the back of a mixed perennial bed and is well protected. Any Ideas as to what is going on?

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Comments (3)

kitova
17 years ago
re: the nipped off stems, are they soft and tender new growth or hardened woody stems? i ask because i've had some clemmies nipped off at the base by rabbits, but usually it is the young tender growth.. once they harden off and get the woody bark around them they are safe..
plus you said you had a protective barrier against little critters..

also if you have deer in your area, they will eat clematis too, in which case you should look at the ends to see if they look "ripped off" or chewed neatly off. deer tend to rip.
thistle
Original Author
17 years ago
No deer here that's for sure.I have a very secluded fenced in garden. The stems in question look really healthy but look as though they have been cut although the edges look slightly ragged.I am at a loss as to what this might be,Anyway I have sprinkled bug powder around the base and protected it with hard plastic so I'll just have to wait and see if that helps.
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