"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

Mine got a bit out of hand, so I cut it down to the ground. I have
done close to that before, and it normally shoots from both old
wood and the roots. But it hasn't so far. It might have died
in the very wet winter, of course.

Has anyone any experience with doing this?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

I always take mine down to within 1cm of the ground every year so I doubt
its that, they are prone to rotting off at the ground in winter if in a wet
spot and of dying of old age (one of the reasons for hard pruning - keeps
the base young and healthy) In the wild the tangutica types behave a bit
like the American tumble weeds and break of and blow along scattering seed
and behaving more as an annual.
I suspect its nothing you have done/not done but just one of those
unexplained seasonal losses.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collections of Clematis viticella (cvs) and
Lapageria rosea