Hello - I'm sitting our newly bought home in Steveston and admiring the patio view, when it dawns on me that 70% of the Clamatis Armandiis vine facing me is looking glaringly dead, dead, dead. Brown leaves everywhere and a pitiful sight. I'm new to gardening, but love it so far and was wondering if there is any hope for this new vine in our lives. The past owners may have neglected it, I wouldn't put it past the wind having a hand in it's demise?? Is it beyond saving or is this normal?? Should I prune it down and hope for the best or leave it and see what happens. Sure appreciate any votes of confidence, I here this vine is lovely in the spring and smells to die for... erp! I mean, divine.
I'd prune it back fairly harshly, and see what happens. If it truly is dead, pruning will at least get the vines off of your patio for next year - so that you can start again. If it comes back, it won't have to deal with all that gack in its living space. Either way, you win.
See what happens BEFORE cutting back. The plant will tell you where to prune by sprouting behind the dead parts. Apart from occasional winter injury these always keep quantities of old dead leaves which must be snipped off every year when the plants are situated where the buildup is bothersome. Much better growing freely through a tree, where the dead leaves are not important than confined to a frame.
Thanks for the advice - I was hoping there was a silver lining! I will wait a bit to see where the new growth comes and then prune. I'm a bit hazy on what pruning a vine would look like, but I'll give it a go. Any advice on that note would also be interesting. Cheers!
Quite vigorous and often too much of a plant for sites chosen - you will probably soon have plenty of material to work with again.
Pruning a vine means cutting off whatever is above the new growth, and then disentagling your cut portion from its support. If an entire vine dies (ie does not put out new growth above ground level) then you cut near the base of the plant and disentangle the whole schmoo. Then, of course, since it's a Clematis, it will come back two or three times as vigorously - don't worry if it looks a bit iffy right after pruning, it will fill back in fairly rapidly.
This time of year, we usually experience the fragrant creamy white blossoms, not so after this winter past... let the Clematis enjoy another month before you determine where to cut... as vigorous as it may be, there may be a few blossoms coming your way! Patience I say...
Patience it is :) Thanks for the advice - I will eat my porridge this month in anticipation of next months chopping.
I've been watching for armandii plants around the area, and indeed most of them look like your Steveston specimen, if not worse :-( Only plantings in the most favored areas have much green leaves left on them right now. I guess we'll see if these can come back...they are not the hardiest of species (often cited as zone 7 but 8 is more like it) so this winter was dreadful for them. Looks like very few blossoms at least for this spring, but they are a vigorous plant so if they have survived, may grow like gangbusters thru the summer and be good as new NEXT spring. Glen
