[Grubbypaws]

I have a very vigorous mature clematis montana. At least I did! So far it has shown no signs of life at all this year and I am worried that the severe winter we had may have killed it. It got down to -17.5C.

Should I still have hope? It acts as a boundary along one side of my garden and will be a nightmare to dis-entwine . Help!

The only other casualties have been my various ornamental grasses (all of them) and some of my Saracenia.

[JayG]

I've heard suggestions that Montana is not as frost hardy as some other types, but I also came across "Clematis slime flux" (this is not a wind-up; about half way down the page - other sites suggest it's an almost certain killer of affected Montanas:)


http://www.gardenforumhorticulture.co.uk/gardenanswers/climbers.htm

[topgardener]

I have had a montana for several years now, 2years ago i thought i had lost it so i cut it down to 6inches and it was magnificent after that. This year i dont have quite as many flowers but its still good

[freckledbeck]

I did have two huge evergreen clematis plants, both of which are now dead.
I put it down to the cold weather too, but not sure if thats right?
I have a couple of other clematis plants, (which are deciduous) and seem to be thriving, so I guess it depends on the type of clematis as to how hardy they are?

[bradberry]

I have 2 montanas growing on the same fence.  1 is in full flower and looking better than it ever has but the other which is larger and older appears to be dead.  I am sure I saw buds on it a few weeks ago but there is nothing there now.

[Yorkie]

Try the thumbnail test - low down on the plant, use a thumb or fingernail to gently scrape away the top layer of bark on a very small area.  If it looks white or green, there is hope.  If it looks brown and dry then it probably isn't going to recover.

I spent quite a while yesterday hacking bits off a jasmine plant which looked completely dead.  I suddenly realised that some of the pieces didn't look completely dead; I did the thumbnail test and saw green.

So I have pruned it and given it a further chance to recover.  Sometimes pruning itself can stimulate further buds to break.

[Grubbypaws]

thumbnail test= very pale green.
Should I prune it back or just leave it?
I am a little anxious that there may be birds nesting but can also imagine a very ugly plant with a few live bits on an otherwise brown woody carcass.

[fatcat1955]

Prune it hard and low down just above a bud. If you are concerned about nesting birds , don't pull it down for a few weeks.

[arugula]

Just a further note on pruning it right back..... As a type 1 Clematis, Montana blooms on growth made the previous year, so if you prune it right back, it won't flower next year.

[mumofstig]

In my experience, if you prune after flowering (in this case it hasn't)  it will make enough growth on which to flower next year........assuming of course that you don't cut it down to a stump 

[arugula]

........assuming of course that you don't cut it down to a stump 

I didn't think I had cut mine back as far as that, but I speak from experience too, as my Montana is flowering beautifully just now having done nothing at all last year.

[LivvyW]

My clematis montana grandiflora was only 3 years old. Dead as a dodo.
We also had -20 degrees, and i read up on the slime flux possibility.
Will cut it back now, but i do not live in hope!

[peapod]

Mines fine..though both are protected slightly by growing up trellis on walls.

A couple of years ago I cut one right back to ground level in the summer leading to hardly any flowers the following spring, but its flourishing this year

[Sid]

My Montana started to flower a while back,now looks dead..yesterday  I started to cut back only to fined green stems,so have pruned back quite heavily,glad I read this hopefully she won't die as originally thought.

[Grubbypaws]

Ok we (husband) tackled it today; an enormous job given its size.

I kept hearing 'dead ,dead, dead 'and then eventually i heard 'it lives'!

Only one stem survived, the most buried so the most protected from the cold. But the new buds had no light as they were shielded by the rest of the plant.

I have since fed and watered what remains. Paul has now shredded the entire thing for our compost bin.

It is now 20:30 and we have to wash eat and get to work in the morning.

Phew!

Love it!

Thank you all.

ps also planted out my new raised bed; beetroot, spinach and onions.