It looks as though someone has cut through the stem at the bottom and it can strike literally overnight. You Will Need. Can you suggest clematis that is not prone to wilting? Other pests and diseases include powdery mildew , viruses , slugs and snails , scale insects, aphids , earwigs , and green flower disease, which is usually caused by infection with a phytoplasma , a type of bacterium. Andrew Bunting, Curator . The texensis varieties, viticella, tangutica and the bush types. I have the same issues with wilt. 1 Response . Since replanting it in what can be described as a slightly clay soil with a bit of multi purpose compost added in for good measure, it hasnt been doing very well. Wayne County Michigan. Clematis are pretty much trouble free, suffering from just one serious problem known as 'Wilt'. Leaf-bud cuttings can be taken from any clematis and are a quick and easy to way to boost your stock of your favourite clematis. I tried it once and it never thrived and eventually died out. Clematis wilt is often misdiagnosed because damage to the stems and lack of moisture at the roots causes wilting anyway. The best thing to do is cut it to the ground and it may re-sprout a little this year, but next year it may come up and be absolutely fine. Greetings, Many of the newer, smaller flowering varieties are more wilt resistant. The vine comes up nicely than before it flowers get wilt and dies back. Multi-purpose, peat-free compost; Horticultural grit; Sharp knife or secateurs ; Total time: 15 minutes Step 1 Discard the soft growing tip of the shoot, cutting just above a … Learn how easy it is to take clematis cuttings, below. Slugs and snails will often chew through stems or even just remove the outer layers of stem again resulting in damage which leads to wilting. I would love to hear some success stories with this particular variety as I am considering giving it another go. clematis rebecca Posted at 15:18h, 26 July Reply. Suddenly, with no warning, all the plant, or sometimes just a part of it, collapses and 'dies' - generally just as the plant was about to flower. My wife and I have (about a month ago) replanted our lovely Clematis 'Rebecca' from its pot to a flower bed. This is due to a fungus phoma clematidina which may attack any part of the plant to just below ground level. Advertisement. There are few if any clematis that has such a bright red flower like "Rebecca". Clematis Wilt A catastrophic disease affecting clematis , when the vine can appear very healthy one day and almost dead the next. what can I do ? Plastic mesh (sold as clematis netting) is the best as there are plenty of places for the clematis to grab hold of, resulting in a strong hold and no twisting. Clematis wilt, a stem rot caused by the fungus Phoma clematidina, causes dramatic wilting and death of whole branches, although many species are resistant to it. my clematis rebecca has flowered well ,but now has gone brown and looks very sick ! When it was in its pot, it was growing enthusiastically, and in a stage just before it was about to flower. Initial symptoms are usually the sudden wilting of upper parts of shoots. Thank you . Andrew Bunting Posted at 15:36h, 26 July Reply.