Blasted Clematis Blight:
A Sumer Drama in the Garden
When summertime arrives with its warm rains, it also brings along some unwelcome guests in our gardens – plant diseases. One of the most dramatic of these is clematis blight, caused by a fungus now known as Calophoma clematidina. But we’ll stick with the simpler names: clematis blight or clematis wilt.
Understanding Blight and Wilt
Dealing with Clematis Blight
Now, let’s talk about how to handle this disease. Start with disease-free clematis plants planted where they get at least six hours of sunlight each day. Make sure they’re well-spaced, so the foliage can dry out, protecting them from foliar diseases. Pruning is crucial to remove diseased tissue. Dense, overgrown clematis can become a hotbed for this disease. Some varieties only bloom on old wood, so pruning out disease tissue might affect blooms. After pruning, consider applying fungicides from early spring through summer to keep your plants healthy. There are various fungicides available for clematis blight control, such as Daconil Weatherstik, Emblem, Orkestra, Pageant, Palladium, Postiva, and Trinity, so check the labels for recommendations.
Conclusion
In the end, clematis blight might not be fatal on its own, but it’s unsightly. Here’s the recipe for success: give your clematis enough sunlight, prune and space them to keep the leaves dry, use fungicides preventively, and prune out and dispose of any infected tissue.
References: van de Graff, P., O’Neill, T.M., Chartier-Hollis, J.M., and Joseph, M. E. 2001. Susceptibility of clematis varieties and species to stem infection by Phoma clematidina as an indicator for resistance to wilt. European J. of Plant Pathology 107:607-614.
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