ALL of my clematis plants, 'The President', Dr. Ruppel', 'Duchess of Edinburgh', and another couple, have seemingly just died on me.
They were all well watered, and fertilized with special clematis fertilizer. None were allowed to dry-out.
'The President', which normally blooms and climbs until late July, blossomed for a few days with strange bent little flowers, and that was it... Dr Ruppel, gave me 6 flowers, then packed in even trying to blossom again.
a) what could I have done wrong?
b) why have they just given up the ghost, ALL together, and in three different places.
Please help!!
Wintermoor
Why are they not performing??
One of mine did that when the heat really got to it. In the spring it came back. I had mine watered too....hopefully that is all that is wrong with it. They like shade on their feet.....and like to climb into the sun. Try that if you havent already.
That's the way they are growing Kelly, they are in pots, BIG POTS, and the pots are in the shade, I have also covered the earth with bark, so I am really at my wit's end over this.
I've never grown clematis in pots. Have you had good luck with them in the past? I was just wondering if the pots got to hot for them. Clematis can survive low temps. We have been down to 30 below zero F. and mine have come back. In fact, they are for the most part over ten years old. Have some new ones purchased this year.
I would try the clematis in the ground, instead of pots. One of mine is doing famously. It has powis castle artemsia growing around it for shade....then it grows up an arbor. It looks quite happy. I just bought it this year. Try that and let me know. Use good soil, maybe a little compost, mulch. Then plant something around it. That might do the trick for you.
They have been growing in these pots for the last 3 years. I don't think they're crowding each other out either, because the pots are very big. It just seems strange that they should all decide simultaneously not to grow.