Plants don't age in the same way we think of people aging. Age in people is a described on a chronological basis, where plants age ontogenetically. This might be framed as, the parts that have taken the most cell divisions to produce are the plant's oldest parts; so strangely, the most recent part of the plant (say, a new branch high on the plant) to grow is the oldest part of the plant. The youngest part of the plant will be found in the root to shoot transition zone. This juvenile part of the plant is also nearly always the most vigorous part of the plant. Plants pass through life stages until they end up at the sexually mature stage. At that point they are capable of blooming/fruiting. Whether they DO or not is complicated and not entirely understood. Blooming and other environmental reactions of most healthy plants are primarily influenced by day length (technically it's night length), but more than a few plants are triggered by other factors, like moisture availability, temperature, predation. Some plants even seem to have an internal 'alarm clock' that acts as a trigger to bloom. There are species of bamboo that bloom as infrequently as every 130 years and when the bloom occurs, all plants of a given genetic origin bloom simultaneously, en masse (all at once), and this occurs regardless of environmental influences. Now, that a plant is capable of blooms/fruit doesn't mean it will produce same, no matter how much we hope. The factors that limit a plant's ability to bloom are as complicated as those that trigger blooming. The plant's internal chemical messengers that limit blooming is first influenced by the plants ontogenetic age, but then by health, stress, stored energy reserves, a significant number of environmental factors, and sometimes seemingly no more than a built-in piqued obstinacy that can be more irritating than Justin Bieber or the Kardashians, if that's even possible. How do I get it to bloom? Keep it healthy and let it do its thing. You can search online - there might be some simple ways to coax it to bloom exactly whenever it feels like it. How old does it have to be? The only age important to plants is what growth phase they're in. They have to be old enough chronologically to have reached sexual maturity. This is also complicated because the (ontogenetic) age of the parent plant from which the propagule (that is now your plant) was taken has to be a part of the equation. Example - a hawthorn tree from seed needs to survive around 20-25 growth cycles to bloom; whereas, a cutting from a blooming hawthorn tree can be counted on blooming within a few years if its state of vitality has been generally good. Al

if they were greenhouse grown.. and you shocked them outdoors ... then they will lose their leaves ... or there was a frost or freeze ... or the shipping did it ... or they were simply cheap poor stock ... regardless.. life is in the buds .... and even if they lose every leaf.. if the buds are viable.. they will prosper ... and only time will tell that.. water deeply.. and then do not water again until they need it.. figure that out by inserting your finger .... a good cover of mulch will really help in the heat of summer... you have time to figure out if they will live.. before you need to do that ... do NOT fert them ... spraying water on leaves does little or nothing for a plant ... it usually cant hurt.. but it isnt going to be some miracle ... and i doubt that had anything to do with leaf loss ... as you say.. its only a matter of time.. to see if they live.. but not necessarily meaning death ... who did you get them from.. and how are they rated by the various watchdog sites??? when did you get them .. how were they packed.. how did you hold them over until planting.. how did you plant other than tilling... more specific facts please ... good luck ken

You may also have caused additional fertilizer burn by applying fertilizer. Mammal urine is very high concentrate nitrogen, a basic plant nutrient, and in its undiluted form can easily burn plant roots and tissue. Washing out the urine is the best solution as it both dilutes and leaches the nitrogen. For the future, if the vine survives, wrap the base of the plant in loosely crumpled chicken wire, making sure all the soil surface is covered. This is the easiest "cat deflector" for containerized plants, if not the most attractive, and requires no retreatment or application of dangerous chemicals.

How discouraging! Your clematis may not be dead, though it may take some time to reappear. Duchess of Albany? Duchess of Edinburgh? Certain clematis are prone to wilt, particularly when younger, but will often do better once they have developed a larger root system. Here's an FAQ titled "Why have the leaves on my Clematis turned brown?" which tells what to do if it's wilt. Most folks prefer to grow clematis in a pot when they are small as you are doing, but I find it easier and I am more successful if I go ahead and plant them in their final spot, mulch well, and just keep a close eye on how they are doing. Clematis don't like the soil to be too wet, but they also don't like to be too dry, so regardless of if they are in the ground or a container, it's best to stick your finger in the dirt to see how damp it actually is. I have a tough time maintaining even moisture in a container, which is why I plant them in the ground early. Best wishes for a full recovery for your ailing clem!