Overwintering Passion Flower Vine

Question

I am Zone 3 in east central AB. This year I planted 2 passion flowers and a John Paul 11 clematis in pots around my obelisk. I have just read the tips on this site and I want to bring my pots inside and store them in the dark, cold room in the basement for the winter. My question is, can I cut the vines off a couple inches above the dirt, or how much do I need to leave on the plant? Obviously, I cannot bring the whole 6 ft obelisk and 4 potted plants inside. Should I water it well first and then just forget about it for the winter? Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Answer 1

Generally, it will die down on its own but you can go ahead and cut it back by about a third.