Clematis

Hello - this is my first post, so please be gentle...

I have a clematis (at least I think it's a clematis - I'm fairly new to gardening, as well) which was growing magnificently and covered nearly half the back of the house last summer. Then it collapsed (it turned out it was only being help up by a narrow plastic pipe, which broke). As it was then covering nearly half the lawn, I couldn't see any way of getting much of it back onto the wall, so I took a machete to it, and it now looks like this:



It's not pretty but I don't think it's completely dead. There are still a couple of green shoots peeking out - one about half way up and one at the top.





So my question is - what do I do now? I seem to have 3 options

1. leave it alone
2. cut it right back so that any new growth starts lower down
3. dig it up and get a new one from the garden centre

but there may be others. Any suggestions gratefully received

Thanks in advance
Bryn

 

Hello Snail Magnet and welcome.

You're right, the plants not dead but it's moribund. I don't see any chance of it making a good recovery.

I would cut it right down to about ground level and see if it will come from underground.

If that fails - it's a trip to the garden centre.

 

Yes, I'd cut it back hard, at least to the new shoots and close to ground level. With the state it's in, you haven't much to lose at the moment!

 

I would cut it back to about the height of the base of the trellis, that way you have plenty of old stem with lots of dormant growth points. Then I would give it a real good feed with Miraclegrow or Maxicrop (not Tomato feed as you want growth not flowers). As long as the roots are ok then it should regrow to its former glory. We have just had to cut one down as sverely as that and it has shot beautifully from the old thick stem.

 

Big breath - then cut it back near ground level. I go along with all the previous advice. Go for it you've nothing to lose
Good luck:thmb:

 

Thanks very much everyone. Looks like it's surgical gloves and pruning saw for me then!

 

It will be wonderful to see it sprouting from the base from a very strong root base:gnthb: