Caring for your wisteria — how soon to prune?

’Tis the season to prune your wisteria! A gorgeous woody perennial, wisteria needs pruning twice a year to ensure that the wood will ripen and produce an impressive seasonal show. In this article, we explain how to go about your prune to encourage beautiful blooms come May.

A fantastic climber that produces fragrant, cascading flowers in late spring, wisteria needs pruning and training to keep it in check. This includes cutting back excessive growth in the warmer months, then shortening these shoots even further in February or March before the growing season.

Check it out

First, take a look at your plant and make sure to tie in any longer shoots you need to continue its growth. You should also replace any ties that are cutting into the stems. Use this time before pruning to ensure you are happy with your wisteria’s route. If you want your wisteria to cover a garden structure or wall, hold off on pruning until it has covered the object.

Make the cut

The aim of pruning is to tidy your plant up before the growing season and make sure that your hard-earned flower show will not be hidden by leaves. Prune long stems back to the second or third bud from the base, remembering to mark your cuts with twine beforehand. Leave any flowering ‘spurs’ (the short branches with clustered buds) intact.

Do a little more

If you have an older plant, you may have to prune more aggressively to remove worn-out growths or unruly branches. You might also use harder pruning if the structure supporting your plant needs maintenance work. Examples of hard pruning include shortening long branches, removing older stems, and cutting your plant down to a main branch, or even down to the ground.