How can I save my clematis from wilt?
Q My clematis plants were hit by clematis wilt last summer. I mulched them all in the autumn, and at the end of winter I am pruning and feeding them to give them the best chance of fighting the virus. I have also cut back lots of my other trees and shrubs to open up the garden and maximise air flow. Is there anything else I can do?
Belinda Lindsay (via email)
A I am sorry to learn that last year your clematis were decimated by wilt disease. Regrettably, there are no chemical controls. All you can do to thwart this problem is to shorten diseased stems to ground level to encourage new and healthy growth from the base, disinfect secateurs in Jeyes Fluid when pruning plants and mulch thickly with well-rotted garden compost or composted manure to encourage a robust root run.
Additionally, avoid growing the following varieties that are susceptible to infection: ‘Henryi’, ‘Vyvyan Pennell’, ‘Mrs. N. Thomson’, ‘Marie Boisselot’, ‘Duchess of Edinburgh’, ‘William Kennett’, ‘Ernest Markham’, ‘Comtesse de Bouchaud’, ‘Jackmanii’ and ‘Nelly Moser’.
Fairly resistant varieties include ‘Avant-Garde’, ‘Bonanza’, ‘Confetti’, montana, orientalis, integrifolia, macropetala and tangutica.
