Clematis Wilt Question

2 years ago

My Clematis is about 4 years old, and does great until it gets wilt. i have cut it back when this happens and it comes back nice then gets wiltit’ll. i have tried cinnamon and also a fungiside, nothing has worked to stop the wilt.

i just bought 2 new Clematis that i am planting nearby, will the one with wilt infect these 2 new ones?

should i dig the one with wilt out and trying a different location? or should i dig it out and trash it?

many thanks

Comments (4)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
2 years ago
Most of the many varieties of clematis that populated my old garden were wilt survivors. In fact, that is how I acquired them......I worked at a nursery at the time and these were customer returns ("help....my clematis died!"). Once cut back and planted, they all came back strong the next season.

Couple of thoughts :-) It may not be fungal wilt (IME, it rarely is). Clematis grow so fast that their root systems, especially with younger plants, cannot keep up with all that topgrowth in terms of water and nutrient support so they wilt. One of the reasons one is recommended to plant them deep and cut them back hard their first coupe of seasons in the ground......so the root system has time to develop fully.

Second, also IME, they seldom get repeat episodes - once and done! It is also rarely ever fatal and younger plants DO grow out of it. Rare for it to happen after year 5. And it is not contagious. If you have concerns, plant wilt resistant varieties. Pruning group 1 clems and the type 3's with lots of viticella parentage almost never get wilt.

Outside of planting resistant varieties, your best defense against wilt is to make sure you dig an adequately sized and enriched planting hole, plant at least 4" deeper than in the nursery pot and cut back hard the first two seasons in the ground regardless of pruning group. And make sure the planting area stays consistently moist....do not let it dry put completely.
dakota01
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you very much! i only recently found out about planting them deeper from you tube videos. This one is not planted deep, and my 2 new ones i probably only have them about 2 inches or so deeper than the nursery pot. i just planted them a few days ago, should i dig them up and plant a bit deeper?

should i dig up the one that wilts and plant it deeper now or wait till fall or early next spring? you are probably right about it not being actual wilt, since it does grow very tall, very quickly in the spring, unfortunately thats what i love about her and she gets many flowers. Tho, as she grows the vines do get thinner I do try to keep her consistently wet, but there are times the soil does get quite dry.

I will try to find the tag to see what variety she is. Is there a list that shows wilt resistant varietys?

I’m in zone 5 (Pennsylvania)
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Thanks Miguel, I was hoping that my troubles might help answer some questions for others. I know there are some wonderfully descriptive posts on wilt but sometimes pictures help a bit too. I believe it is Princess Diana. I can't be 100% positive as the marker was lost this spring during a leaf blowing incident. I have many clematis planted nearby and no others are displaying signs of weakness. Josephine is her immediate neighbor and is beginning to bloom nicely. Multi-Blue is on the other side a little further away and is very happy as well, no buds yet but lots of strong vines and foliage. Others along the same stretch are Arctic Queen, Alpina Pamela Jackman, Sir Trevor Lawrence and one other that is missing it's name tag.
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A number of issues get mistaken for clematis wilt that are not :-) Several weather related stressors can produce symptoms that are similar to wilt, including both too much or too little water. As well as damage to the basal stems of the vine from critters or mechanical injury. Wilt starts at the top of the vine and rapidly works its way down to the base - other similar looking issues will start at the base and work their way upwards. And then there is also a temporary 'wilt' situation that is not a fungal issue at all but lack of a sufficiently well developed root system to support a lot of vigorous top growth. That is probably encountered more often than true, fungal-based cases of clematis wilt. I worked for a period of time for a very large wholesale grower of clematis and have grown a fair number of these vines over the years, including many species types. It is perfectly true that the large flowered hybrids tend to be more prone to wilt (either the fungal wilt or the 'grow too fast for the root system" wilt) than do the species vines or those very close to the true species. But neither wilt is fatal or permanent. A good number of the clematis I grew in my old garden (close to 50 or so) were supposed "wilted" plants returned to the nursery. I took them home, cut them back, planted them properly (a bit of a trick with clematis) and they never looked back! I can honestly say I have never had a case of wilt originate in my garden so I am a firm believer that proper planting technique and focusing on either the early blooming species or the small flowered late bloomers can avoid this unpleasant ordeal entirely. As to planting techniques to avoid instances of clematis wilt or wilt-looking problems, plant deeply (4-6 inches deeper than in the nursery container) in a well-amended, freely draining planting hole and to cut back the vines hard regardless of type or pruning group for at least their first two season in the ground. Both the deep planting and the hard pruning encourages a strong and well developed root system and the production of multiple stems from the root crown, which serves to prevent against damage to a single stem from whatever mishaps and to better support the vigorous top growth with respect to both water and nutrient transport. This is pretty standard advice given out to those who frequent the Clematis forum. Try it - you may find it makes a world of difference in how well your clems survive without disease or weather issues.
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The photos do help. I would suggest that during the planting the dark-leafed stems were damaged some how since the other leaves and stems look fine. Just cut the wilting stems off. Your plant will send out new stems. Be careful to check moisture levels before watering by sticking your finger deeply into the soil so you don't over water or under water.
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Here's the deal........I've been growing a lot of clematis for a very long time. Even worked for a time for a very large wholesale clematis grower. I am not convinced that clematis wilt - the fungal ailment - is as common as everyone thinks. In fact, there has been ongoing debate in the clematis world for decades as to the cause of 'clematis wilt'. I don't doubt that a fungal organism can be a source of wilt but I am highly doubtful it is the only source of wilt. One very popular theory is that the young vines simply grow faster than their root system can support. This is why you will see recommendations to plant clematis vines deeply and cut them back hard their first couple of growing seasons - it focuses the plant's energy into root development. If you follow these practices, it is highly unlikely that your vine, regardless of type, will develop wilt. If a fungal organism was in fact solely responsible for wilt, this practice of deep planting and hard pruning would have little effect. Also very few fungal organisms are outgrown by plants - if they contract it once, chances are good it will be a recurring issue, however wilt is usually only present with young, not well-established vines. Regardless if it is the fungal wilt or not, cutting back affected plants and treating them as normal (proper watering and fertilizing, etc.) typically will result in rapid regrowth. Many of my collection of clematis in my old garden were nursery returns, supposedly for wilt. Taken home and planted as described above, none of these plants ever died and none ever experienced wilt again. It is not a fatal affliction and the plants should recover, if not rapidly in the same season, then the following spring.
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
2 years ago
No need to dig them up....just mound soil or compost around the base of the vine to the proper depth. A good thick layer of mulch will help to keep soil moisture more consistent as well.
dakota01
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you, i will addmore soil/compost to the new ones and also the one that wilts. i will also cut back hard, like to the soil the wilting one. They all do have a thick layer of mulch and have a bit of shade in front of them.

Thank you!

Clematis Wilt Question

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