What can you do if the leaves on your treasured clematis have started turning yellow? Let’s have a look and find out.
Clematis Leaves Are Turning Yellow
Let’s talk through each of these potential issues individually.
Shaded Roots
Clematis don’t like their roots being in the sun or too hot. You should always mulch the roots of clematis or grow a cover crop around the base of the plant.
You can use compost, bark, or straw, anything organic really makes a good mulch.
Poor Drainage
If we are having a particularly wet summer and your clematis leaves have only just started to yellow with the poor weather then there is a good chance you have a drainage issue.
Clematis plants don’t like their roots to be sat in water, so good drainage is essential.
You can improve your soil’s drainage by adding some sand and lots of compost. If you have really heavy clay soil then add lots of sand and dig it in well to lighten the soil.
Dried Out
As much as they don’t like being sat in water they also don’t like drying out, so make sure you keep your plants watered in dry conditions.
If you have well-draining soil then this balance between being too dry and being too wet will be much easier to obtain.
Overly dry clematises are a really common problem, especially with plants planted up alongside walls and fences and in and amongst other plants.
Missing Nutrients
Yellowing leaves can be caused by plants missing certain nutrients. With clematises, it is much more likely to be the reasons above, which is why I have listed them first.
If however, everything above is as it should be then it could be time to look at the nutrients. One of the easiest ways to address any imbalance is to use a specialist clematis feed.
These should be available from your local garden centre or alternatively, you can find them online.