Jody,

I am really not qualified to respond to this but I'll tell you my experince with this issue. I am a fairly new gardener and Clematis are giving me fits.
I have had similar problems with several Clems. Mostly type 2 clems.
I've had some LIMITED sucess with Bayer's broad spectrum systemic fungicide with rose food already in it. I have been getting it at Home Depot. I have also been using Messenger from Eden Bioscience(purchased via the web) and pruning back the stuff that I know is dead. I continue to have problems but at least this year I am seeing some flowers.
I know sleep , creep and leap and all that but if next year is not better I'm giving up on clems.

Good Luck to you and please remember I'm really new to this so you need to take what I say with a grain of salt.

Best Regards,
Tom

Remove any portion of the plant that is wilted. You definately should see more growth this year in our climate.

Tom, I'd hate to have you give up on clematis totally. I also have been through SEVERAL wilting episodes with various clematis and it can be really frustrating, I know. However, when they're good, they're GOOD!. I was just out fertilizing my roses with Mills Magic Mix, a tip I picked up on the rose forums, and this spring I used alfalfa pellets, also a tip from the rose forums. They always say that you fertilize clems like roses, so I've been doing that for the last year and this one, and both my roses and clematis have just taken off like they're on steroids. My Ville de Lyon, which I have had for probably 10 years and which I have loved even though it didn't bloom much, is a blooming machine this year. Not only has it been in bloom continuously for weeks now, but when I fertilized it, I noticed that it has tons of new buds already on it. Plus, it's blooming about 6 feet up in a mockorange, and I just noticed another huge branch of blossoms up at around 10 feet, and it's reaching into the juniper next to the mockorange. I know you're not supposed to fertilize when a clematis is in bloom, but I'm in zone 5 and this is my last fertilizing for the year.
Sorry, got a little carried away there. If you're having trouble with wilting, I would suggest trying some of the type 3 pruning group clemmies, like the viticellas. They're easy and extremely vigorous, even without lots of care.

What are alfalfa pellets used for??? Golden

Golden - They're used like fertilizer. Apparently, when they get wet, they release some kind of hormone(?) that acts like a shot in the arm. I had been reading about using them on the rose forum, and someone said they were actually good for other plants, too, so I've used them on my roses and clematis. Next year, I'm going to add them to my lilies. They're cheap to buy, but I've had to get them at a horse supply place. You have to be sure they don't contain any salt. Some people soak them for several days and use the alfalfa tea, which really stinks, I guess. I just put them around my roses and clems and water them in. I do sometimes smell them later, but I think it must be better than the tea. If you want more information, I bet you could search for "alfalfa pellets" on Garden Web and get more expert input. I had been reading about them, but still couldn't believe the difference they made, especially with my roses!

Ophelia..you are correct..Alfalfa contains a growth hormone called "Triacontanol", all plants love it ..I use it on everything ...but I make a tea with it and add Epsom Salts so my plants get instant usage of this..you can buy Alfalfa Meal and just use..Jeanne

opheliathornvt,

Thank you for your kind reply. I will make good use of your advice. It is much appreciated.

Best Regards,
Tom