Does your clematis have brown leaves, dried flowers and limp shoots? All sure signs of a fungal disease that is common in clematis: clematis wilt. If the symptoms are recognized early and care measures are taken, the plant can be cured. Below we explain how you can recognize clematis wilt, what you can do about it, which home remedies help and how you can prevent a new infestation.
Does your clematis have brown leaves? That's the cause!
Every hobby gardener who has clematis in the garden knows the consequences of clematis wilt. In fact, if the disease is detected too late, the entire plant can die. There are two varieties of clematis wilt and both are very dangerous.
The symptoms are very similar. The clematis begins to dry out suddenly and quickly, even though it actually receives regular watering and is regularly fertilized.
This usually happens during changeable weather with rapid succession of heat waves and summer rain. Sometimes the disease is promoted by incorrect watering, for example if you water the clematis from above and the leaves are always wet. High humidity combined with temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius promote the spread of the pathogen.
The clematis has dried up? Fusarium clematis wilt
The Fusarium Clematis wiltsis caused by the fungus Coniothyrium Clematidis. The fungus enters the plant tissue through cracks and interfaces and blocks the pathways in the shoots. What is typical of the disease is that the shoots first wilt and fall limp. The plant then dries up at the point of entry. The leaves turn completely brown and begin to fall off quickly. In some cases, when the fungus spreads very quickly, the leaves remain green and fall right off.
Fusarium clematis wilt is caused by a typical fair-weather fungus that only spreads in the garden from mid-June. Since the pathogen penetrates deep into the plant tissue, conventional home remedies such as milk and fungicides from the garden center cannot help.
What can be done? At the first signs of the disease, radical pruning can save the plant. Annual plants are particularly at risk - they have not yet developed their roots properly and have difficulty recovering from cutting. Additional fertilizer can strengthen them and make them more resistant to diseases. The plant is watered less than usual after pruning. Too much water can cause rot to form. After the plant sprouts again, you can gradually increase the watering.
The cut, diseased plant parts must be disposed of with household waste. This prevents the fungus from spreading further in the garden.
Clematis has brown leaves: Recognizing the Phoma clematis wilt
Phoma clematis wilt is caused by the pathogen Ascochyta clematidina. This fungus also attacks the clematis at high humidity and temperatures above 23 degrees Celsius. At first small brown spots can be seen on the leaves, which quickly become larger. In the next few days all the leaves will turn yellow-brown. Then the shoots, flowers and all above-ground parts of the plant are attacked. After less than 20 days, the entire plant can die.
Hybrid flowers that have been bred for their large, delicate flowers are particularly at risk. There are also fungus-resistant varieties in which the disease only manifests itself as a few small brown spots on the leaves.
What you can do: Remove the diseased leaves immediately and treat the plant with fungicide. Normally we would suggest a home remedy as an alternative, but in this case the use of approved fungicides is really recommended. But you can prevent a new infestation.
Prevent clematis wilt: These home remedies help
You can prevent an infestation by caring for clematis properly. Here are some tips that can make your clematis more resistant to clematis wilt:
- Clematis in the sunBe sure to underplant, so that the root area is shaded and the ground does not heat up.
- Attach the trellis at a distance of approx. 15 cm from the house wall, fence or wall so that the air can circulate freely.
- Water the clematis from below and work a layer of sand into the soil to prevent waterlogging.
- Add compost at the start of the gardening season, then fertilize additionally with comfrey, groundweed, dandelion or onion manure in the summer.
Does your clematis have brown leaves? Other possible causes
If the clematisbrown leaves overfor a longer period of time, then it could not be due to clematis wilt. In this case, check:
- whether the drainage holes in potted plants are blocked and the excess water can drain away.
- whether the plant is in full sun - the clematis cannot tolerate the strong midday sun well and dry out quickly
- whether you are using the right fertilizer. Nitrogen fertilizers can cause leaf discoloration.
- whether the plant is affected by pests. Spider mites can also cause leaf deformation and discoloration.
Read more aboutthe most common clematis diseases here.
