Will it die? Very overgrown clematis in need of prune.

[hmmSleep]

I'm a complete gardening novice, moved into new house a year ago which has 2 types of clematis and 2 other unidentified climbers up the outside. We have done nothing with them since we moved in, and they are now about 3 ft out from the wall and looking rather precarious. It's only the outer bit that is green, the rest is old brown leafless 'stuff' (gardening terminology). Will the whole thing die if I cut it right back to the brown stuff? It flowered last month. Thank you for any advice, would hate to kill it!

I would generally say prune in Autumn after the growing season or early Spring.

I found this by Googling which generally recommends hard pruning down to 2 ft high. I agree. The flowers grow on new wood so the old wood is not really doing anything but adding structural support.

It may take a season to recover or it may kill it but somehing woody and overgrown like this is sitting aganst your house wall will trap damp and may damage brickwork so worth considering that issue too.

I would hack away. Then water and feed regularly.

nope i did this with my honeysuckle and my jasmine and they've come back beautifully this year.
i cut them right down so i had aboiut 6 inches or so of stem left

i don't think you're supposed to do it now though, wait until autumn/winter

Thanks all! Will wait until Autumn then hack away.

Last year I hacked away, everything grew back fine this year. In fact, I accidentally strimmed through one of them a few weeks ago and it appears to be making (another) comeback.

I thought you were supposed to cut back any clematis that flowered in the spring at about this time of year. The reason being that the early flowering clematis flower on the previous year's growth so cutting back now gives it a chance to put on some growth this year and for flowers on that growth next spring.