Clematis Attack

Could be Vine Weevils?

I don't think its Vine Weevils cos. they chew little piecews from the edge of the leaf. Might be a Leaf cutter Bee, They cut out a piece which they use to surround a chamber where they place a victim on which they lay their eggs., or something like that. Could also be a Snail, they love Clematis but it seems unlikely at that height.

Leaf cutter bees remove a pice from the edge of the leaf, rather like a vine weevil but bigger. This looks like mollusc damage to me. As for height, we watched a slug crawl across the bedroom window(outside) the other night!
Some Caterpillars also eat the leaf like this, but there are none specific to Clematis. Go out with a torch after dark and check the plant.

Snails do climb up as high as this - I should have taken a picture of the horror that ate my 'Mrs Chomondeley' no less than 4 times! I caught it climbing up the supporting cane - it went for a swim in our stream!

I don't know if ants would eat it but mine suddenly was covered in ants - the stems were completely black with them and the leaves were disappearing till i Sprayed it with ant killer

The ants would be feeding on aphids rather than on the plant itself, unless you live somewhere with leaf cutter ants that is!
Actually the ants feed on the sap of the plant oozing through the aphids, ie greenfly poo!

On second thoughts I think Owdboggy and Spritzhenry( why have they got such difficult names for us novice typists!!!!!?) are quite right slugs or snails.

I usually answer to OB if that is any help

OB - ken OB?
(think Star Wars) :-)

Mine is usually shortened to 'Spritz'!

If it IS snails (and there are a lot of them) wouldn't they eat lower down first??? Mind you- I suppose they could be lurking at the other side of the fence at this height....
Any remedies - (I could get some pellets.....)
Snails sound like a lesser evil than weevils....

No - they ate the top growth. Then again - and so on. Slug pellets didn't appear to deter them, though I did dispose of several dead snails too.

I say snails too. They will (or it will) be hiding somewhere near that area. They love the new growth on clematis and tend to leave the older leaves to the slugs. I had a beautiful flower right at the top of a newly planted clematis. I was so happy it had flowered in its first year then some #&!#$* snail ate the whole thing!!

Some of the lower leaves seem to be a little nutrient deficient too. Try adding some organic matter around your plant this autumn and again in spring to stop this happening next year. Clematis are greedy plants.

Jess- What sort of manure would you recommend?

I use composted cow manure (but I am sure horse is just as good) and organic chicken pellets through the growing season as well as wormery juice occasionally.

Wormery juice???????????

Haha! I have a worm bin. It is a bin with a lid and a tap which takes small kitchen scraps. In it are Brandling worms, the little red, banded worms that you see if you lift a pot, old piece of wood etc. in the garden. They eat the contents of the bin and basically the juice (their wee!) collects in the bottom section and can be tapped off. It is very rich and is added to a watering can full of water and watered in....yum!

Jess- sounds lovely.............but I'll give that a miss thanks
xx