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Explore DiscussionsFeatured Home DiscussionsFeatured Garden Discussions
Garden ClinicClematisGarden
danifourn75

Think I killed it

7 years ago

Hi I bought a very small (2 vines) clematis plant a month ago & I planted it next to my porch/in front of my gate with a foot or so spaced on each side. I planted it with a little bit of biotone and watered it thoroughly before going on vacation. While I was away on vacation it rained, so I thought it would be fine, but it's not. The vine is brown and looks dead. Is there any way to save the clematis?

Featured Answer
  • 7 years ago

    No promises but sometimes new clematis can surprise you.......I wouldn't give up on it yet. If it were mine, I'd cut it back to a couple of inches and continue to water well. If you have any alfalfa meal or alfalfa tea, you might give it some of that, as that can encourage new stem development. You may see some sign of regrowth this season or it might not show signs of life until next spring. Or it may never.........no promises :-)

    I tend to coddle new small clems in a container for a full season before planting. I want their roots to completely fill a 1G nursery pot, as IME that seems to give them the degree of development necessary for them to take off once planted.

    Comments (7)

    • 7 years ago

      how about a pic .... where are you ....


      i presume you have no idea about what it went thru.. from grower to your house ... there could be any number of stresses.. that could have caused this ...


      if you planted it properly..and watered it in properly.. and it rained while you were gone for ONE WEEK ... frankly.. i dont see what you could have done to harm it ... unless you dumped a whole bag of fert into the hole ... btw.. dont fert at planting ... let it settle in for a months or so.. before you fert ...



      that said... if you water it properly.. and the roots settle in ... then most plants can releaf ... so just be patient ...


      but do get us a pic ...


      ken


      BTW: if this thing was crushed down by a hail storm... there is little difference ... and the answer would still be.. give it time to see what happens ... just keep it properly watered ...


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    • 7 years ago
      last modified: 7 years ago

      I'm zone 6

    • 7 years ago

      I keep trying to post a photo but it won't let me

    • 7 years ago

      Photos really aren't necessary. It is what it is and dry and dead looking is dry and dead looking :-)

      Clems like a consistently moist root run, which is where the instructions to plant the roots in shade come from, as a shady location tends to have a more consistently moist soil. So if the roots dry out the topgrowth will dry as well. One way to avoid this is the standard recommendation to dig a deep and well amended plantng hole (one of the few instances where these instructions are valid) and plant the vine deeply, 4-6 inches deeper than in the nursery container. This increases the chances the roots will remain in moist soil and begin to establish quickly. It also increases the chances that additional stems will be generated from the root crown.

      Really all you can do now is wait and see what happens. It is quite possible for a clematis vine to reappear after seemingly appearing to be dead. Just give it the same care and attention you would as if it were an actively growing vine.

    • 7 years ago

      Will do. I'll also look for some alfalfa meal. Thank you for your help ☺

    • 7 years ago

      My clematis was great for 3 years and then it looked dead for 2 years. This is the 3rd year and it is flowering beautifully. I agree to leave it, water it and see what happens.

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