Hello I have a 5 year old Clematis Armandii "Apple Blossom" we transplanted it last spring (2020) from it's original 5 gallon pot to a 30 gallon pot. I used a soilless mix of peat moss with added lime and lots of perlite for aeration. Since I transplanted it has looked very unhealthy, leaves are light green with brown spots stems are dark and woody and break easley, the buds are brown/black and some die. Looking for any ideas and help on fixing my plant.
Peat moss, lime, and perlite provide no nutrients (except calcium) for plant growth. Did you fertilize it with anything?
——— I have a shared (w neighbor) Armandii blooming now at coast It is extremely vigorous and climbs fences and house soffits and takes over trees etc (this one has ) — easily 40 foot run fr roots So I cannot imagine it doing well in a container and esp not in that planter mix where it is totally dependent on you for nutrition and water etc GOAL - I am wondering your design goal and this might help not necessarily with your specific plant which looks sad - but find a solution for your goal — is it a plant you like especially? /or it was gifted to you (sentimental - yes we have those!) / or you’re trying to solve a view issue (ie cover side of shed or add privacy around hot tub etc) Look fwd to updates
Further to @Bryce — I used to live in a neighborhood south of Portland nr I-5 and close to Willamette River — so your area does get those sudden bitter wind /ice storms We don’t get the ice storm tho we DO get the arctic outflow (See Laurel and not so Hardy recent post)
Good afternoon @Bryce, just saw this and I'm afraid it does look terminal IMO, I had a Clematis Flamula for about 10 years, it was amazing and a lovely scent, then in 2019 we had an extremely cold snap in February and March and that was it for our lovely Clematis. It looked exactly how yours does sadly. I did cut it down to 18 inches to see if it would re grow, but sadly it didn't. Not what you wanted to hear I know, but sometimes gardening is like that. No magic cures other than start again with a healthy new plant and watch it grow.
So does the clematis not like cold temperature's? I live in NW Oregon at about 1500ft elevation and we always get snow and cold weather January and February! When we bought this plant the nursery said it would do fine. I agree with you that it's a plant that likes to spread and has to have a root system to support it but I'm using a 30gallon pot for a young plant until we decide where we want to plant it for good. I was wondering if it could be some kind of fungus? Do you think I should trim it the ground? Thanks everyone.
hello - my best suggestions are to look at the Sunset Garden book It is old school and has a proprietary plant Zone map which is very detailed for Pac NW It is very helpful - esp from the days when the Lane Publishing Family ran it The New Sunset Western Garden Book 1500 feet above sea level in coastal range of Pac NW mtn range is a struggle and esp in a container - I think I’d be fine w safely recycling that plant in the photos above that you posted.
Further - remember and please other contributors correct and update me - the long-standing « rule » for clematis is « feet in drained no disturbance forest shade soil and head climbing to the sun » I plant a lot of clematis over top of deciduous native maples (Acer circinatum) So a big black color pot might be too hot Also please seriously consider : do NOT plant ivy or periwinkle (vinca) I am always so surprised how high Hwy 26 west of general Beaverton area climbs (I think I named wrong hiway #) And I like Van Duzer to Tillamook too. That’s why Sunset might have a very refined map useful to you - plus you know your own frost areas in the low areas of your land and which side of the house etc I look fwd to your updates
