Question
Hi.i live on the Cape Cod, Mass
every year i have the same problem  with clematis wine(dark violet single flowers, blooms late august). The plant grows in full sun but the lower part of it is shaded by geranium. Before the plant starts to bloom the stems start to dry out from the bottom up- including leaves and buds. This year especially it has enough water and i sprayed it with Ortonex insect and disease control (we have problem with Japanese beetles)

Answer
Hi Alla

Stems Girdled, Foliage Dies Back due to Clematis Wilt
Clematis wilt is caused by a fungus that produces reddish lesions on the stems; causing foliage above the lesions to suddenly wither. On established plants, the older, woody stems are usually attacked first. If unchecked, the fungus moves up and down the stems, eventually killing the plant. The disease is encouraged by wet weather and thick, tangled top growth that doesn't dry out. As soon as you notice the top growth withering, cut the vine back to 6 inches above the ground (lower if there are lesions below that point). The vine usually sends up new shoots from the base. Burn the prunings or dispose of them in a trash bag. Spray healthy plants with ferbam fungicide once a week as a preventive.
Control with Area Cleanup

One thing that helps control chronic fungal disease problems in your yard is cleaning up accumulated weeds, sticks, dead plants, and decaying debris near areas where fungal disease has been a problem. This denies fungal spores a safe place to overwinter.
In the fall replace mulch materials under infected plants with freshly chopped leaves or bark chips in the fall. Pull up and discard all dead and dying annual plants and cut dried stems and foliage of perennial plants back down to the soil surface. In the spring, rake up the twigs and debris that have accumulated over the winter. Be sure to collect all the branches left from spring pruning. Sterilize tools that you have used on infected plants in hot water and household bleach to prevent the spread of the fungus.