I'm happy to say , I've never had problems with controling any mealy bugs I've found on plants, though their were very small populations that I quickly erradicated using the old alcohol on a cue tip trick to remove the bugs. and I've rarely had the type called (root mealy bugs), though I guess there are some species that prefer to infest plant roots. I hate to say it , but I'd think you'd see at least some weak new shoots comming back by now, and my "vitifolia" struggled for over a month before sending out a very weak new shoot, which promptly died, and signified the demise of the entire vine. That severe pruning as mentioned is not to every passiflora's liking and it can kill them at the wrong time of the year. If the lowest part of the stem near the soil line has turned brown it's most likely the roots have died as well, but you could pop it out of it's pot and inspect the roots for signs of life. If all the roots are brown and soft, they're dead, but if you see some white parts towards the ends of major roots there may still be life there, and perhaps could get some new growth from beneath the soil line.

Never give up on a plant until you are absolutely sure it's dead! Stick it in a corner when it gets SOME light and warmth, and water VERY sparingly. If it has any stem length left on it, it will begin to shoot some leaf growth. Don't overwater a plant with no leaves - there is no photosynthesis going on and you will kill it.

Thank you to everyone who replied to my post. Well, I took the plunge and dug up the plants (there are two separate sections). The roots look pretty white and surprisingly healthy, at least to my novice eye. One of the plants has a tiny translucent-whitish sprout about half an inch long coming from the root/stem area! I'm pretty excited to know it isn't past hope. I tucked them back in their pot and will wait to see what happens next. Not sure if I am going to actually put the whole pot outside again next year because of the mealy bugs. There were A LOT of them in the dirt and eating up the plant after this past summer, so may just try to keep it a nice, happy house plant. Thanks again!

I dug mine up last fall and cut it back to the first 2 stems and put it in the greenhouse and it still did not put out until spring....think it just needs that much time once it is cut back. They do not put out like other plants do when they are pruned. Good luck. Mary