Clematis leaves turn black. Pests and diseases of clematis and their treatment, photos and signs of damage
The popular garden plant clematis has more than three hundred species. This plant is widespread on all continents except Antarctica. In Russia, this flower has been known since the 19th century. It is easy to care for, but often an amateur gardener cannot understand why clematis withers. We will try to answer this question.
Types of clematis
These unpretentious perennials are very different from each other. It could be:
- Herbaceous perennial (Clematis Manchurian, Clematis Texas). A peculiarity of these plants is that the shoots die off towards the end of the growing season;
- Subshrub (clematis hogweed, clematis whole-leaved). Feature - the lignified lower part persists for several years, and the upper part of the plant dies off annually;
- Shrub (varieties of the Florida, Vititsella, Patens group). They are distinguished by completely lignified wintering shoots.
Use in landscape design
Low-growing varieties of this plant are ideal for creating alpine slides and rockeries. In this case, a blooming carpet of flowers will serve as a replacement for ground cover plants.
Jasmine, ivy, peonies, and lilies are suitable neighbors for this culture.
This vine plant is also used for vertical gardening. The support can be a railing on a terrace, an arch or gazebo, balcony bars, a gate or a window, that is, almost any unsightly structure can be decorated with the help of shoots of this charming plant. For example, Tangut clematis definitely needs support.
How to properly care for clematis
- Before planting, add garden compost or rotted manure to the area;
- Regular abundant watering. The soil should be moistened to a depth of 35-40 cm. Warm water should be used;
- Loosening the soil the day after watering;
- Tying up the plant immediately after removing the winter shelter;
- Covering clematis for the winter with spruce branches;
- Applying fertilizers during the period of active growth, budding or after summer pruning.
The amount of fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizer depends on the fertility of the soil.
Why does clematis wither?
The most common disease found in clematis is wilt (from the English word wilt - to wither). It is the wilting of the leaves and shoots of the plant at the end of June that is a pronounced sign of this disease.
This fungal disease enters the plant through the root. The causative agent of wilt (a fungus of the genus Verticillium) develops in the soil and overwinters on plant debris. Wilt leads to blockage and intoxication of blood vessels in the ground part of the flower. The blockage prevents the flow of water and minerals from the soil, causing the clematis to wilt.
Wilt tolerates wintering well, so there is a high probability that for several more years the plants in this area will be subject to wilting. In order not to watch with annoyance how clematis withers, experts recommend annually watering the soil near the plant with a fungicide every two weeks. Such watering should be carried out with the onset of the growing season. The fungicide calculation is prepared based on the need for 3-5 liters of solution per plant.
What to do at the first signs of clematis wilting
- Cut off damaged stems completely, right down to the base;
- Treat the base of the plant and the soil near the bush with a solution of foundationazole, a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate or a copper-soap emulsion. Copper-soap emulsion is prepared in the following proportions: 20 g of copper sulfate and 200 g of soap are diluted in 10 liters of water.
Attention! Do not use infected perennial stems for compost! Burn them!
Prevention of clematis wilting
It must be remembered that the disease penetrates through the root system! Therefore, it is necessary to avoid mechanical trauma to the roots. Preventive measures include:
- Protecting plants from slugs, snails and other pests;
- Carefully loosening the soil around the bush;
- Tying the stems to supports to avoid damage to the stems during bad weather;
- Disinfection of garden tools after pruning infected shoots;
- The area for these flowers should be sunny, protected from winds and rain.
Clematis are susceptible to fungal and viral diseases, and can also be affected by pests that spread them. This can lead not only to the death of the plant, but also to infection of neighboring crops. The most common clematis diseases and their treatment, photos and prevention methods are discussed in our material.
Fungal diseases of clematis
Growing vines requires regular inspection for the development of diseases. It is easier to prevent the spread of fungal infections by promptly treating the infected plant or removing it. Clematis, the diseases and treatment of which are discussed in this section, can most often be saved, and next year they will again delight with lush flowering.
Withering, or wilt
During the period of active growth in spring, clematis is especially susceptible to the disease - wilting. Spores of the fungus Fusarium, which lives deep in the soil, infect the root system of vines.
Signs of the disease are sluggish and drying shoots. The spread may be a consequence of stagnation of moisture in the soil due to excessive watering, poor soil drainage or improperly organized snow retention.
Damaged shoots of a diseased plant should be removed and watered with a solution of foundationazole at the rate of 1 gram of the drug per 1 liter of water. For prevention, you can spray the plant with a 3% solution of copper sulfate in early spring.
Dusting the young green mass and watering it with ash water also helps (1 cup of wood ash per 10 liters of water). It is also important to periodically loosen and remove weeds.
Gray mold (lat. Botrytis tulipae)
Occurs in plants under conditions of high humidity, stagnant groundwater or rainy summers. Signs of clematis disease are brown or brown spots that appear on the leaves and gradually cover the entire plant. The spores spread very quickly to neighboring plantings.
It is very difficult to save an affected plant: in the initial stage, spraying with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture and watering with a 3% solution of foundationazole will help.
To spray diseased plants, you can prepare the following composition: 1 cup of wood ash, 1 cup of chalk and 1 tsp. copper sulfate in a bucket of water. Approximate consumption: 1 bucket of solution per 2-3 square meters. m landings.
Powdery mildew (lat. Erysiphales)
The surface of the leaves and flowers becomes covered with a white coating, and the development and flowering of the plant stops. The causative agent of the disease is mealy fungi of the genus Erysiphales, which are often found in weeded weeds and tops.
Fungi quickly spread from affected plants to neighboring ones. Therefore, regular inspection, weeding and sparse planting are the most effective preventive measures against powdery mildew.
Spraying with a solution of ammonium carbonate helps well against powdery mildew. It is prepared as follows: 50 grams of the drug are dissolved in hot water, mixed, brought to a volume of 10 liters and allowed to settle. Spraying can be repeated after 10 days.
Spraying with soda ash helps against powdery mildew - dissolve 10 tablespoons in 10 liters of water. It is important not to heat the water above plus 55 degrees Celsius, otherwise the soda will lose its disinfecting properties.
Viral diseases of clematis and their control
Much less often, clematis are affected by viral diseases; as a rule, they are not treated, and the affected plants must be destroyed outside the site. Spread by sucking insects.
Yellow mosaic of leaves
Contrary to the name, the leaves do not turn yellow, but become discolored and brittle. There is no means to combat this virus yet.
As a preventive measure, plantings should be treated with preparations against sucking insects, which are not its carriers. Karbofos, colloidal sulfur, and potassium soap are suitable.
Also, you should not plant peonies, phlox, delphiniums, hostas in close proximity to clematis - plants that are susceptible to this disease and can cause infection.
If the vine is severely affected, but not completely, remove it, but to preserve the variety, prepare cuttings from healthy parts. They can be rooted in a quarantine area and the manifestation of the disease can be observed. Read about how to do this in our article: Clematis - propagation by seeds, green cuttings and layering.
Physiological damage to clematis
Many clematis diseases arise due to physiological factors: as a rule, if the causes of the disease are eliminated in a timely manner, the plant recovers.
Colorless (green) flowers
In representatives of different varieties of clematis, the sepals remain colorless or not completely colored. The reason may be lack of heat, poor soil composition or lack of lighting. When negative factors are eliminated, clematis are restored.
As a preventive measure, adding potassium to the soil during planting or loosening helps. 15 g of potassium sulfate per 1 sq. m of soil.
A well-chosen planting site with the correct light and temperature conditions is the best means of preventing colorlessness. If there is excessive shading of clematis, you should defuse the surrounding plantings and reduce the shadow. Nitrogen fertilizers will help compensate for the poor composition of the soil: an infused solution of manure 1:10, or a solution of bird droppings 1:15.
Pests of clematis and methods of protection against them
The graceful leaves and flowers of clematis can be affected by pests such as aphids, spider mites, and slugs.
Aphid (lat. Aphidoidea)
Colonies of aphids settle on the underside of the leaf and feed on the sap of the plant. As a result, the leaves lose their appearance, dry out and curl. The appearance of pests is usually accompanied by attacks by ants, as they feed on the sugary secretions of aphids.
Spraying plants with Fitoverm gives good results. The drug is available in ampoules, diluted with water in a ratio of 2 mg per 1 liter of water. The effectiveness of the action lasts for 10-20 days. It is important to take into account that the toxicity of the drug is reduced if treatment is carried out at temperatures below 15-17 degrees Celsius.
The best folk remedy for aphids is green potassium soap. It is grated and dissolved in warm water, then the affected leaves are rubbed with this mixture. The disadvantage of this product is that in the case of numerous plantings, it is too difficult and time consuming to treat all the affected leaves.
Celandine is also used. It is infused in an aqueous solution for 2 days, filtered and poured into a sprayer, after which the affected plants can be treated.
Spider mite (lat. Tetranychidae)
The appearance of a pathine mite is indicated by white dots on the underside of the leaves and a cobweb entangling the leaf along with the petiole. It is dangerous because it sucks nutritious juices from the plant and spreads clematis diseases, and their treatment in the future will require serious efforts. It affects plantings in dry air conditions without spraying.
Special preparations should be used against spider mites - acaricides and insectoacaricides, for example, Actellik. Recommended for massive plant damage, it is very toxic and requires careful handling. Diluted with water in the proportion of 1 ml per 1 liter, consumption 2 liters per 10 square meters. m landings.
The popular method is spraying with dishwashing detergent, which is diluted with water to obtain a soap solution. After treatment, you can cover the plant with a plastic bag for 2-3 days for a better effect.
Slugs (lat. Limax maximus)
Slugs feed on the stems and greenery of plants, eating them in the dark. During the day, pests hide from the sun's rays under fallen leaves, stones, and snags. You can fight them by regularly loosening the soil under the plants, setting traps and collecting by hand.
Ferramol granular product is ideal. They are scattered on the soil surface in places where slugs accumulate. They also make traps with the drug Metaldehyde.
To combat slugs, spraying with ammonia (2 tablespoons per 1 liter of water) helps.
Bottom line
Information about how clematis diseases spread and how to fight them using folk and chemical means will help you recognize signs of infection in a timely manner and begin treatment. Sometimes one plant must be sacrificed to prevent spread.
Caring for clematis in the garden consists mainly of correctly placing the growing shoots of the plant on a support and providing optimal conditions for growth and flowering.
Tying up shoots. The growing season of clematis begins when the average daily air temperature rises above 5°C. In the middle zone this happens in the second half of April.
If the shoots of the previous year are preserved, they are lifted, leveled and evenly tied to the supports. Since young shoots break very easily when tied, it is necessary to do it before the vegetative buds open.
The growth of new shoots begins in the first ten days of May, but the strongest growth is observed in the second half of May - early June, when the average daily temperature exceeds 10 ° C: per day the length of the shoots increases by 7-10 cm. At the beginning of growth, when the leaves are still fully have not unfolded and the petioles are still short, new shoots do not cling well to the supports. They twist together and form dense plexuses in which the shoots will later lack light. Such spontaneous intertwining of shoots can later become foci of various diseases and pests.
Watering. Most clematis are plants that require normal soil moisture. Lack of water is very dangerous for them in the spring, during the formation of new organs, as it causes weakening of growth and flowering. Therefore, in the spring it is necessary to carefully monitor soil moisture and water the plants in a timely manner.
The plant consumes the greatest amount of water in summer. The huge leaf surface promotes strong transpiration, especially on hot days. Therefore, a lack of water in summer for a plant can be fatal and lead to death, especially in the southern zones of the country. With enough water, clematis can tolerate high air temperatures well. At the same time, the temperature of the leaves remains within normal limits, the assimilation processes proceed actively and the plant does not suffer. With a lack of water, the leaves overheat, assimilation decreases and, as a result, plants starve, which provokes the development of diseases. In the middle zone, watering is necessary on average once a week, in the southern zones - much more often.
However, watering should not be carried out based only on calendar dates, without taking into account soil moisture. As is known, water in the soil is an antagonist of air. In waterlogged soils there is not enough air, and therefore the roots are unable to function normally, that is, to provide plants with nutrients and water. Therefore, on waterlogged soils, the plant also dies as a result of starvation and the inability of the roots to absorb water.
For irrigation, it is better to use water from rain, river, lake or other sources, because the salt content in them is lower than in groundwater. The rate of watering depends on the age of the bushes - in a 7-10 year old plant, the roots reach a meter deep, spreading over a radius of up to 70 cm. It is recommended to first direct the stream of water to the soil near the center of the bush, without watering the shoots and leaves, since fungal spores (if the leaves are affected ) can spread with water and infect healthy shoots. When watering the soil in the center of the bush, fungal spores in a moist, warm substrate multiply quickly and can cause wilting. Therefore, the best watering for clematis is underground.
Loosening the soil. Loosening is closely related to watering and even partially replaces it. As you know, the soil loses moisture not only in the process of transpiration by the plant, but also as a result of its own evaporation. To reduce it, loosen the top layer. At the same time, the soil is enriched with air, which is necessary for intensive work of roots and soil microorganisms.
The first small (2-5 cm) loosening is carried out in the spring to destroy the soil crust and the first weeds. Then loosening is carried out after each watering or each rain. To reduce this labor-intensive work, a subsoil irrigation system is installed or other modern methods are used in which the soil is not compacted.
It is important to follow the correct loosening technology. It is carried out when the soil is moist, but not wet or dry. When wet soil is loosened, a regular coarse-grained structure is formed, and when dry soil is loosened, it turns into dust.
Mulching. This technique partially replaces watering and loosening, since covering the soil helps maintain moisture, improve temperature conditions and aeration, destroy weeds, promote the proliferation of microorganisms and increase fertility.
When mulching, a soil crust does not form and therefore there is no need for loosening.
Until mid-summer, mulched soil retains twice as much productive moisture as soil without mulch. Since mulched soil is looser, it is more moisture-absorbing and retains more moisture after rains and watering.
On slopes, mulching retards soil erosion. Frequent watering helps flush out nutrients, so mulching maintains soil fertility because watering is done less frequently. In mulched soil, a lot of earthworms appear, which, by making passages in the soil, help improve the air regime.
When mulching, the soil does not overheat on hot days, and retains heat on cold days and nights.
Various materials can be used as mulch - peat, manure, humus, compost, moss, straw, leaves, sawdust, etc. Mulch the soil around the bushes without touching the shoots to protect them from fungal diseases.
For clematis, mulching with semi-rotted manure sprinkled with peat on top is very effective, especially where during the growing season the amount of precipitation exceeds evaporation. When mulched during rain or watering, clematis automatically receive adequate nutrition. This promotes strong growth of roots and shoots, abundant flowering and improves the color intensity of flowers. In winter, mulch protects the root system from freezing, especially during icy conditions.
The negative aspects of mulching include the appearance of rodents if straw or leaves are used as mulch. Rodents can damage shoots and roots. When mice appear, you must use poisoned bait.
If sawdust, straw, or leaves are used for mulching, they must be watered with a solution of mineral nitrogen fertilizers, since these materials are decomposed by microorganisms that use soil nitrogen, as a result of which the plants lack this element.
Fertilizer. Compared to other woody plants, clematis has two features: abundant long-term flowering and the annual renewal of almost the entire above-ground mass of vegetative organs - shoots and leaves. This plant consumes a large amount of nutrients. That is why it is necessary that they be present in the soil in sufficient quantities and in the correct proportions. This is achieved by applying basic fertilizer, as well as by regular fertilizing with mineral fertilizers in certain phenophases.
The issue of fertilizing clematis has not been sufficiently studied at present. Therefore, the timing, methods, doses and types of fertilizers are recommended based on the general biological characteristics of flowering plants.
For normal growth and development of clematis, it needs 16 elements. Three of them - carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) - the plant receives from the air during the process of assimilation, as well as through the root system from the soil.
Carbon is an important element found in organic matter. It enters the plant in the form of carbon dioxide through stomata on the leaves and through the root system.
Oxygen is involved in biological oxidation processes, due to which plants receive the energy necessary for their life. The plant receives oxygen through the leaves from the air and through the roots from water and various chemical compounds. Therefore, it is very important that the soil air is sufficiently enriched with oxygen. To do this, you must always maintain the coarse-grained structure of the soil through proper cultivation.
The plant obtains hydrogen from water through its roots and uses it to form almost all organic compounds.
The remaining 13 elements of the plant are obtained mainly through roots from the soil. Depending on the amount of these elements absorbed by the plant, they are distinguished: macroelements - nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sulfur (S) and microelements - iron (Fe) , manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), boron (B), molybdenum (Mo), cobalt (Co).
For clematis, the greatest need for nitrogen is observed in the phase of strong shoot growth. Nitrogen promotes cell division and delays aging and lignification of their walls.
Due to the fact that the growth of clematis shoots occurs throughout the growing season, nitrogen must be in sufficient quantities in the soil. However, the bulk of the shoots are formed in the spring. Therefore, the plant consumes the greatest amount of nitrogen during this period. In the second half of summer, nitrogen doses are reduced by half. Large doses of nitrogen when applied at the end of the growing season can delay the ripening of shoots, prepare the plant for the dormant period and reduce its winter hardiness.
Very large doses of nitrogen also reduce the plant’s resistance to diseases and pests. At the same time, the shoots grow strongly, the internodes lengthen, the leaves are usually large and soft.
The main sources of nitrogen are manure, humus, peat, green fertilizer (annual plants with large green mass and insecticidal and fungicidal properties - marigolds, marigolds, etc.). Additionally, during the growing season, slurry (1-2 l), bird droppings (0.5-1 l), grass infusion (1-2 l) and mineral fertilizers (15-30 g) are used. Before application, the specified amount of fertilizer is diluted in 10 liters of water. In spring, it is best to use ammonium nitrate (34.6% nitrogen) or calcium nitrate (18% nitrogen). On soils with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction, ammonium sulfate (21% nitrogen) is used. Urea (46.1% nitrogen) can be used in the form of root and foliar liquid fertilizers. Ammonium chloride (25% nitrogen) is not recommended, as clematis is sensitive to chlorine.
With nitrogen deficiency, the leaves become smaller, lighter, and turn yellow with a reddish tint; shoots, as a rule, are small, with short internodes, and do not grow. The number of buds decreases sharply, the flowers are small and poorly colored. Varieties from the Patens, Lanuginosa, Florida groups, which have abundant flowering on last year's shoots in June, sometimes experience a lack of nitrogen after the first flowering. When optimal doses are applied, growth is normalized, buds form on the shoots of the current year and flowering continues.
Phosphorus is the most important element involved in life processes. It activates the process of carbohydrate synthesis, assimilation, chloroplast formation and chlorophyll synthesis.
In order for all physiological processes of plant life to proceed normally, it is important not only the quantity of each element, but also the correct ratio between them, especially phosphorus and nitrogen, as well as phosphorus and iron.
Basic batteries
Phosphorus deficiency causes leaves to turn brown and turn purple. The shoots develop and ripen poorly and do not overwinter well. The formation of flowers and seed ripening are disrupted, which is very important when breeding clematis.
Phosphorus deficiency is eliminated by applying phosphorus fertilizer - superphosphate, bone meal, etc.
Usually there is an excess of phosphorus in the soil, which causes premature aging of the plant. Phosphorus is an antagonist of many other elements in the soil, especially iron, copper, magnesium, potassium, etc. Therefore, an abundance of phosphorus often causes chlorosis in clematis. To eliminate it, ferrous sulfate is added every 10-15 days. Phosphorus fertilizers are sedentary and, when applied frequently, accumulate in the soil.
For basic soil filling, you can use organic phosphorus fertilizer - bone meal (contains up to 9% phosphorus) or mineral fertilizers - simple superphosphate (8.7% phosphorus) or double superphosphate (22% phosphorus). After planting clematis, if the optimal dose is given during soil preparation, superphosphate is applied only in the second year in the fall.
Potassium activates the synthesis of organic substances in cells, maintains osmotic pressure in tissues, promotes the flow of water into cells, and reduces transpiration.
Potassium deficiency causes browning of the edges of leaves, especially older ones. The flower stalks and pedicels of the buds become brown and even blacken. The buds bend down and die. The color of the flowers becomes lighter. Potassium deficiency is often observed in abundantly flowering varieties (Ville de Lyon, etc.).
Excess potassium causes shortening of internodes, yellowing of old leaves, the formation of buds and flowering is disrupted, the color of flowers deteriorates, roots are damaged, growth stops, the absorption of calcium, magnesium, and manganese is disrupted.
Potassium mineral fertilizers are not washed out of the soil as easily as nitrogen fertilizers. In spring, it is best to use potassium nitrate (38% potassium and 14% nitrogen). Potassium sulfate (45% potassium) is used as the main and additional fertilizer.
Calcium necessary for physiological processes, cell construction and neutralization of organic acids. It also regulates soil acidity and prevents the harmful effects of aluminum and iron ions on the plant, improves the structure and other physical properties of the soil, and activates microbiological processes in it.
The most calcium is contained in leaves and shoots - 0.16-^0.32%, so calcium deficiency disrupts the growth of roots and shoots, they become deformed, their ends soften, darken and even die. Clematis needs calcium most during the intensive growth phase.
If there is a lack of calcium, lime, chalk, dolomite flour, calcium nitrate and other physiologically alkaline fertilizers, for example, stove ash, are added. Calcium nitrate cannot be used on neutral or alkaline soils, as it binds iron, manganese and boron.
With an excess of calcium, plants age prematurely, their leaves fall off and the intensity of flowering decreases.
Calcium is an antagonist of many elements in the soil and prevents their penetration into plants. Thus, excess calcium in the soil leads to a deficiency of potassium, magnesium, iron, manganese, zinc, and boron. For example, in plants of the Nelly Moser variety, toxicosis was observed, caused by the predominance of calcium in the ratio K:Ca:Mn 1:21:3.5 (normal ratio 1:8:2).
Magnesium in plants it is part of chlorophyll and is found in plasma and cell sap. It participates in the processes of photosynthesis and respiration, activates enzymes and carbohydrate synthesis. The supply of phosphorus and its movement in the plant is impossible without magnesium.
Magnesium deficiency causes chlorosis, i.e. yellowing of leaves. Initially, a characteristic mosaic color appears on the lower leaves, the veins remain green. Later, dry necrotic spots appear, small at first, but later covering the entire surface of the leaf. The flowers are small, slightly colored. The edges of the leaves curl upward. In clematis, magnesium deficiency is most often observed on sandy and sandy loam soils in the second half of summer after the first flowering.
The best remedy for treating magnesium chlorosis is magnesium sulfate, which is used for fertilizing, including foliar feeding.
Excess magnesium causes damage to roots, slows down their growth, the formation of root lobes and, in connection with this, the absorption of nutrients, and shoot growth decreases. Magnesium is an antagonist of calcium, potassium and iron.
Sulfur is an indispensable nutritional element. It is part of all proteins, amino acids, enzymes and vitamins. The most (70%) sulfur is found in chloroplasts.
With a lack of sulfur, the leaves turn yellow. Unlike nitrogen starvation, with sulfur deficiency, the lower leaves do not die. First, the youngest leaves turn yellow, later others, and necrotic spots appear along the edges.
The lack of sulfur is eliminated by applying sulfur-containing fertilizers - ammonium sulfate, calcium sulfate (gypsum), etc. All of them are physiologically acidic, therefore they are effective on carbonate, as well as on neutral and slightly acidic soils. Sulfur enters plants from the air through leaves in the form of dioxide.
Although iron is not part of chlorophyll, it plays an important role in the synthesis of chlorophyll.
Iron deficiency causes chlorosis, which begins with the upper leaves and gradually progresses downwards. The veins remain dark green, and light chlorotic spots appear between them; the tissue dies off along the edges of the leaves. The plants are blooming, but the flowers are abnormally light in color.
An abundance of calcium in the soil leads to iron deficiency. There are temporary and chronic chlorosis.
The first form is often observed in the spring, when the roots function poorly due to low soil temperatures or there is a lot of phosphorus in the soil. Later, when the soil warms up, chlorosis disappears.
The chronic form of chlorosis is caused by an abundance of calcium, i.e., the alkaline reaction of the soil. Due to the fact that clematis's root system penetrates into the deep layers of the soil, it is able to absorb calcium from there. Therefore, there is no particular need for strong liming of the upper layers of the soil, as this causes chlorosis of plants.
In poor soils, chlorosis can be caused by excess copper or lack of moisture in the soil, resulting in the plant not receiving enough iron.
Chlorosis as a result of iron deficiency is also observed in clematis varieties such as Yellow Queen, Lasurstern, Nelly Moser, Gipsy Queen, etc. The application of iron sulfate (20 g/10 l of water) 3-4 times every 10 days eliminates chlorosis.
The toxic effect of iron is observed only on strongly acidic soils with a pH below 5. In this case, the leaves become dark or blue-green, necrosis (death) begins without preliminary symptoms. The growth of shoots and leaves is slowed down. Despite the increased pigmentation of the leaves, the intensity of assimilation decreases, but respiration increases.
Excess iron can lead to deficiencies of phosphorus, manganese, zinc, copper and molybdenum in plants. Optimal soil reaction reduces iron toxicity.
Manganese participates in the assimilation process, activates enzymes, increases the plant’s resistance to high temperatures. A lack of manganese causes chlorosis of the plant with the same symptoms as with a lack of iron, but simultaneously on young and old leaves.
Manganese deficiency is more common in carbonate soils. It is eliminated by adding manganese sulfate (contains 19.8%).
Excess manganese makes it difficult for plants to absorb iron. The optimal ratio of iron and manganese in the soil is 5-10:1. With increasing acidity, the iron content increases (10:1). When feeding, the optimal ratio of iron and manganese is 7-8:1.
Zinc is part of many enzymes, participates in the synthesis of growth stimulants and promotes the process of photosynthesis.
A lack of zinc is often observed on overly limed soils, where iron and manganese deficiency often occurs. Excess phosphorus also causes zinc deficiency. At the same time, the length of internodes in clematis decreases and growth stops. The addition of zinc sulfate (22.8% zinc) can eliminate these symptoms.
Copper is part of many enzymes that promote redox processes; participates in photosynthesis and metabolism.
A lack of copper is most often observed when large doses of fresh manure or humus are added, since copper is easily bound by organic substances.
Copper deficiency is eliminated with copper sulfate (25.4% copper).
Bor takes part in metabolism, promotes cell division and the development of generative organs.
It has been established that an increased content of boron is observed in the stigmas of pistils, which promotes pollen germination.
Boron deficiency often occurs with frequent watering, as this element is washed out from the upper soil horizon. Boron deficiency is eliminated by adding boric acid (17.5% boron).
Excess boron most often occurs after heavy fertilization with manure and slurry.
Molybdenum participates in oxygen exchange and promotes calcium absorption.
A lack of molybdenum retards growth and generative shoots develop poorly.
The deficiency is eliminated by adding sodium molybdate (40% molybdenum) or ammonium molybdate (44% molybdenum).
Overview of the meaning of individual elements. nutrition indicates that normal plant development requires a certain amount of both macro- and microelements. The absence of any element or its excess causes disruption of growth and development or disease of the plant. Only the optimal ratio of macro- and microelements ensures abundant flowering and viability of clematis.
The amount of nutrients a plant receives depends not only on their content in the soil, but also on the development of the root system and the physical properties of the soil.
If the soil is well reclaimed, loose and rich in humus, the root system of clematis penetrates to a depth of 80-100 cm. On podzolic, clayey, gley soils, the root system develops in a layer of up to 30 cm and cannot provide the plant with a sufficient amount of nutrients. On well-cultivated soils, the total root mass is 3 times greater than on poorly cultivated soils. In sandy and loamy soils, the bulk of the roots (50-70%) are located in a layer up to 20 cm. With depth, the number of roots gradually decreases: at a depth of 20-50 cm it reaches 25-34%, deeper than 50 cm - 5-17% of the total mass roots.
Despite the fact that in deep layers the mass of roots is not particularly large, their functional role is quite significant. They contribute to uniform nutrition and provision of water in dry weather. The radius of spread of the clematis root system in width reaches about 60-70 (100) cm from the center of the bush. Old plants have a very dense root system. The roots are located close to each other, which makes it difficult to provide the plant with nutrition. In these cases, it is necessary to divide the bush or apply a fertilizer solution to a depth of 10-40 cm at least once a week. For this, a special drill is used, with which vertical holes with a diameter of 10-15 cm are made. They are filled with large gravel, crushed stone or fascines made from branches.
The distribution of nutrients in different soil horizons is not the same. Most of them are at a depth of 0-30 cm.
Since phosphorus is a sedentary element, the difference in its content along soil horizons is especially noticeable. In the upper layers, the amount of phosphorus is 10-20 times greater than in the lower ones, especially in poorly cultivated soils, where the toxic effect of large doses of this element is often manifested. In well-cultivated aerated soils, the distribution of nutrients across horizons does not differ greatly, and therefore the root system develops in depth. On such soils, the vitality of plants is high, flowering is annual and abundant.
Trimming. It is necessary to obtain long-term and abundant flowering, control the timing of flowering, biological renewal of the bush and harmonious spatial distribution of shoots.
The degree of pruning depends on the difference in the biological properties of clematis from different systematic groups. Depending on the characteristics of pruning and the intensity of flowering, clematis are combined into three groups.
First trimming group. This group includes clematis, in which flowers form on the shoots of the previous year. On the shoots of the current year, flowers sometimes appear in small quantities. This group includes species and varieties of the Atragene, Montana, etc. groups, which are grown without pruning or after flowering the generative part of the shoot is cut off. If the bush is very dense, some of the faded, weaker shoots are cut to the ground. This promotes the development of more vital shoots from the current year, which will bloom next year.
Before sheltering for the winter, only the generative part of the current year’s shoots is cut off and weak shoots are completely cut out.
Second group of pruning. This group includes clematis, in which flowers develop both on the current year’s shoots and on last year’s shoots. These include the Lanuginosa, Florida, Patens groups. They experience early
flowering at the end of May - June on the shoots of the previous year, the flowers are large, the flowering time is short. The second, or summer, flowering occurs on the shoots of the current year. It is abundant, begins in July and continues until autumn.
To ensure long flowering, pruning is carried out in two stages. First, in the summer, the generative part of the shoot of the previous year is cut off after flowering; if the bush is very dense, cut out the entire shoot.
The current year's shoots are pruned before sheltering for the winter. Depending on the density of the bush or to obtain early flowering next year, varying degrees of pruning are used. Only the generative part of the current year's shoot is removed if they want to achieve early flowering. This method is used in clematis breeding to lengthen the ripening period of seeds.
The average degree of pruning - to the first true leaf, strong - removal of the entire shoot is used when adjusting the number of shoots and the uniformity of flowering next year.
Third group of pruning. This group includes clematis, in which the bulk of flowers are formed on the shoots of the current year. These include the Jackmanii groups. Viticella, Recta. They bloom from July to mid-September. Maximum flowering is observed in late July - August.
Pruning this group is very simple: before sheltering for the winter, all shoots are cut off to the first true leaf or to the base.
This group also includes herbaceous and semi-shrub clematis, whose shoots die off at the end of the growing season. The next year they grow back without pruning. However, uncut dead shoots worsen the decorative appearance of the bush, so it is better to cut them down to the base of the shoot in the fall.
Pruning clematis is also used to limit the spread of disease. This is usually done during the main pruning, when all diseased shoots are removed, but sometimes it is also necessary to cut out diseased shoots during the growing season to limit the incidence of disease.
When propagating by cuttings, you also have to prune clematis bushes during the growing season. After pruning, the bushes are fed with mineral fertilizers to enhance shoot growth.
Individual shoots are pinched when it is necessary to delay flowering. During selection, pruning methods are combined to achieve earlier flowering for pollination, sometimes later, and good seed ripening. This often reduces the intensity of flowering. For a good harvest and obtaining full-fledged seeds, flowering must be limited.
Quite often, when planting ornamental plants, you hope that they will bloom and please the eye. But sometimes it happens that the plant begins to hurt. In this case, you will not see lush flowers or healthy, bright leaves.
Did you know? The registration of clematis varieties is carried out by the Royal Horticultural Society, which is located in London.
Proper watering and soil care
Since clematis (clematis) are photophilous, heat-loving, and love moist and fertilized soil, improper care for them can lead to poor condition of the plant or its death.
Let's start with watering. After planting, the plant needs to be watered every week in sufficient quantities. If the weather is hot and dry, watering is carried out once every 5 days. After adaptation, the plant is watered once every 8-9 days. When the soil at a depth of 20 cm near the clematis is dry, you need to water the plant.
In order for clematis to bloom profusely, the soil must be moistened to the depth of the roots (60 cm). This primarily applies to bushes older than 5 years. You can do this like this: place containers with a hole in the bottom 30 cm in diameter from the bush; After standard watering, fill them with water. This way, the water will gradually seep into the soil and reach the desired depth.
Important! The older the plant, the worse it will bloom. Since every year the roots go deeper into the ground, it is almost impossible to moisten the soil at a depth of more than 80 cm.
Let's move on to proper soil care. After each watering, you need to loosen the soil so that it is not covered with a solid crust. Since the plant needs moist and loose soil, laying mulch would be an excellent option. For mulching, humus sprinkled with peat is used. This mulch performs several functions at once: it keeps the soil moist, fertilizes the soil, protects roots from freezing and provides shelter for beneficial organisms (earthworms).
Why doesn't clematis grow? Perhaps because, in addition to mechanical tillage of the soil, it is also important to apply fertilizers. Clematis spends a lot of resources on flowering and, before cold weather, sheds all above-ground vegetative mass. If you do not feed the plant 2 times a month, it will begin to wither very quickly. You need to add about 10 liters of nutrients per adult plant (or 2 small ones).
Important! Small-flowered clematis are fertilized 2-3 times per season (3 months).
Let's look at the lack of important elements and how this is reflected on the plant.
1. Lack of nitrogen. When clematis lacks this element, its leaves turn yellow and acquire a reddish tint, and the flowers turn out small and discolored. The plant needs nitrogen most in the spring. For feeding, use ammonium nitrate (15 g per 10 liters of water) and slurry (1 part per 10 liters of water).
2. Lack of phosphorus. With a lack of phosphorus, the leaves become brown with a purple tint. This element is introduced in September. For feeding, use superphosphate (20 g per 10 liters of water) or bone meal (sprinkle the ground at the rate of 200 g per 1 sq.m.).
3. Potassium deficiency. Leads to darkening and blackening of the peduncle and peduncle, the edges of the leaves become light brown. This can be corrected by adding the following fertilizers: potassium nitrate (used in spring) or potassium sulfate (at the end of summer) in a ratio of 25 g per 10 liters of water.
Is the pruning done correctly?
This section will help you understand the reason why clematis grow poorly. Since this plant sheds almost all its ground mass in the winter, it needs to gain it very quickly in the spring. In this case, each extra branch or shoot can affect not only the number of flowers and their size, but also whether the bush will bloom at all.
Proper pruning reduces the load on the herbaceous plant in the spring and rids the bush of dead and diseased branches. After the first year of growing season, all bushes require heavy pruning. This way you stimulate the growth of new root shoots.
Important! If in the second year of the growing season clematis does not develop well, then in the fall the bush is re-pruned.
In subsequent years, pruning is carried out depending on the plant group:
- Early flowering. After flowering, faded shoots that are sick and weak are cut off.
- Early summer flowering. This group includes clematis hybrids that re-bloom in August/September. Pruning is carried out in late autumn (sick, dry shoots are cut off). Gentle pruning of last year's shoots by 2 mm is also carried out.
- Late flowering. These include clematis, which bloom in summer and autumn. In this case, severe pruning is carried out (20 cm is left from the ground level). Flowers will appear on new shoots next year.
It is important to adhere to the pruning technique so as not to damage the plant: you need to trim the clematis with sharp pruning shears just above the bud.
Important! After pruning each bush, the pruning shears must be disinfected.
Is winter protection reliable?
How to protect a plant from frost and hypothermia? Many gardeners have difficulty wintering this plant. Clematis may freeze and die, or bloom poorly.
There are several options for covering clematis for the winter:
- dry;
- air;
- combined.
Air method of shelter. The shoots are covered with film for the winter (install a frame and stretch the film). If the winter is light and warm, the plant may simply rot.
Combined method. First, sprinkle with sawdust, and then build a frame over the plant and stretch the film. This method will be the most optimal, since the roots will be protected from frost, and the film will not allow excess moisture to pass through.
Ways to control clematis pests
The plant is not protected from pests, which can simply destroy your bush in one season. Pests cause significant damage to it: they damage buds, buds, leaves and carry dangerous diseases. Let's look at the most dangerous pests of clematis.
Nematodes
Important! The most dangerous for the plant is the root-knot nematode.
It is impossible to get rid of nematodes, so the plant must be destroyed and the soil must be disinfected (with hot steam for 14 hours).
This pest overwinters under leaves and in ground crevices. The mite infects the foliage of the plant, which begins to curl and fall off. To combat, use an infusion of garlic (200 chopped onions per 10 liters of water).
Beet aphid
Shields
Like aphids, they feed on plant sap. To destroy scale insects, use 40% ethyl alcohol, which is used to wash the plants every 10 days. Other pests (slugs and rodents) are destroyed with standard preparations or mechanical removal.
Main types of clematis diseases
Clematis has one feature - a well-developed root system that goes deep into the ground. Most often, because of this, these plants can die from various diseases. In this section we will look at several ailments of this plant, we will figure out why clematis does not bloom, and how to solve this problem.
Did you know? Clematis is used in medicine as a medicine to relieve stress and calm.
Clematis rust is the appearance of orange pads on shoots, petioles and leaves. The disease appears in the spring. As the disease spreads, the plant's leaves dry out and the shoots curl and become crooked.
The virus of this disease is a fungus that overwinters on shoots and infects growing shoots in the spring. If leaves and shoots damaged by rust are not removed in time, clematis will develop poorly and may die. Rust on the leaves weakens the plant and negatively affects its wintering.
For prevention, we advise you to remove weeds on which the pathogen most often overwinters. If it was not possible to protect the plant from rust, then at the first signs of rust, you should remove the damaged leaves and shoots, and then spray the clematis with Bordeaux mixture.
Septoria (or leaf spot) is a common disease among plants. This “illness” did not spare clematis either. The causative agent of this disease is the Septoria fungus.
This disease is characterized by the appearance of many small round dark brown spots on the upper leaf blades. The size of these spots is 2-5 mm. They are black at the edges. A little later, the affected area becomes lighter, but the black rim remains. If black dots appear on a light spot, you should know that these are the fruiting bodies of the Septoria mushroom along with spores. These spores spread throughout the bush. Affected leaves turn yellow and die and fall off.
The plant remains without leaves, as a result of which physiological processes are disrupted. The affected plant practically does not bloom, lacks immunity and is susceptible to other fungal diseases.
If the fungus spreads, spots appear on leaf petioles and on new shoots, young bark dies, and the top dries out. The black fruiting bodies of the fungus enter the overwintering stage and survive the winter well on fallen leaves and bark. Cold and wet weather contributes to the spread of this disease.
In order to avoid infection with fungus (Septoria), you need to collect and dispose of fallen leaves, and then treat the cuts with garden varnish. If clematis grows in greenhouses, then it is necessary to reduce air humidity and increase the plants' exposure to sunlight.
This disease is caused by phytopathogenic erysifaceae fungi.
The first symptom of powdery mildew is a white coating on clematis. Young leaves, buds, flowers and shoots are affected. Plaque may also appear on the stems and leaves of the plant.
After the plaque, the first brown spots appear, the leaves and shoots dry out and become deformed. Clematis suffer from this disease most often in July and August. Hot weather promotes the spread of fungus. If clematis has contracted powdery mildew, all parts of the bush with plaque should be cut out and disposed of as soon as possible.
Important! You cannot leave infected branches on the site, otherwise the disease will return.
The most dangerous disease of all these is fusarium.
Clematis suffer from a fungal wilt called fusarium. This disease penetrates through damaged and weakened tissues. The fungus clogs the conducting “vessels”, and the metabolism of useful substances is disrupted. Fusarium wilt occurs in plant species with large flowers. Young plants are also at risk. The fungus grows in shoots damaged at the base. The affected areas fade, the leaves turn brown at the edges. This is facilitated by high temperature +20...+ 30°C. Signs of this disease appear in the second half of June.
For prevention, you should choose the right planting sites. The fungus develops on flowers that grow in overly moist areas.
Measures to combat this disease:
- cut off all shoots at the base of the bush;
- collect all fallen leaves and dispose of them off-site;
- disinfect a diseased plant.
This disease affects flowers during rainy times. Over time, brown spots appear on the leaves, as well as a gray fluffy coating.
This disease is caused by a fungus called botrytis. The main symptom of this disease is the appearance of plaque on the stem and leaf petioles. If a plant is affected by a fungus, it begins to rot and then dies completely.
To protect your flowers from fungus, you should prevent water from stagnating in the ground and on the leaves.
Unfortunately, there is no reliable cure for the disease. If gray rot has spread to the plant, the bush will have to be destroyed to prevent the fungus from spreading.
To prevent this disease from affecting clematis, you need to fertilize the plant with nitrogen fertilizers and water it near the root of the bush. Spray the bush with a 0.2% solution of foundationazole.
Thus, if you deal with pests in time, prune at the right time and apply fertilizers to the soil, the plant will feel great and delight you with luxurious flowers and healthy leaves.
Was this article helpful?
Thank you for your opinion!
Write in the comments what questions you have not received an answer to, we will definitely respond!
150
once already
helped