Wisteria, some advice needed.

[Mick Dempsey]

 So, around 4 years ago I planted a white wisteria next to my house at the foot of an arbor, eventually I had a dream of running it along the front of the house as you can see arrowed in the photos.

 

  For a while it did very little but last year it seemed to get the bit between its teeth and took off.

 

 This is the year I’m going to train it up to a frame I’ve just strung up on the front (south facing).

 

First question: Should I thin out the ‘lesser’ growth showing in the picture (thinner sprouts from the main stem) to improve the energy levels going to the rest?

 

Second question: How does one prune to improve flower production?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Mick

 

[Ty Korrigan]

I prune a few regularly and have renovated some which where just a mass of twisted non-sense.

I choose a couple of main leaders and remove all the others.

Then prune the laterals back to 4-5 buds.

If your tough on the pruning regime the plant will concentrate it's growth into the chosen leaders rather than spreading it's energy into creating growth which pruned off as unsuitable.

I also prune after the first flowering as most flower again in later summer.

Basically, treat them as you would a grape vine.

Regards

   Ty

 

[nepia]

Pruning of Wisteria is done twice a year; in late summer for flower formation the next year and structural (formative) pruning in winter.  It sounds like what you're proposing should be done about now.

 

This may help

 

https://www.rhs.org.uk/videos/advice/pruning-wisteria

[Mick Dempsey]

Indeed it does, thanks.

[Mick Dempsey]

Ahh, good, that was helpful. It’s never been pruned so it is, as you say, a mass of twisted nonsense.

 

looks like it’s time to get heavy with it, starting tomorrow.

[Ty Korrigan]

Spare not the secateurs but close attention to what you are cutting and that it isn't something you want to keep.

It has a habit of doubling back on itself.

Lady clients often get very upset with radical treatment of this plant which they deem as holy.

I've been booted by clients before for taking the vine back to basics.

Best of luck.

[Mick Dempsey]

Cheers, I’ll post a pic when it’s done.

[nepia]

You two have got it sorted.

 

Mick, your beautiful house will become even more so with a well tended Wisteria gracing it;  well done.

[Gary Prentice]

Sorry haven't looked at the video, but I always followed the RHS guidelines from their small pruning book, which is pretty much summarised here;  https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=242

 

I think Wisteria is like roses, best pruned by anyone else but the owner, who is scared to get stuck in to do what's needed.

[Mick Dempsey]

Just a little note to say I followed the advice given on here and it’s flowering better than ever.

 

Started to train it up some wires, so a few years hence....

[Mick Dempsey]

Well, a year later, it’s getting there, another couple of years and it’ll be all the way along.