Wisteria belong to the genus Wisteria and to the family of Fabaceae. They are climbing, woody, ornamental plants, which we appreciate the spectacular and fragrant flowering. The speed of its growth, up to one meter per year, makes it an ideal plant for covering railings and pergolas. But this vigor obliges the gardener to prune your Wisteria regularly so that it does not become too bulky. Let’s see when to prune a Wisteria and how to allow it to bloom again profusely year after year.
When to prune a Wisteria?
This is at least once a year that we must prune a Wisteria to be able to control it because it grows very quickly and can therefore take on a certain size. If you opt for a single annual pruning, the best time is between November and the end of Februarywhen the plant has lost its foliage and is in vegetative rest.
This size must be done outside frost period. Weather forecasts are therefore monitored so that work can be scheduled as soon as warmer temperatures are announced.
Afterwards, in summerit will be necessary to perform a maintenance pruning of glycine. It consists of cut back severely the stems which develop on the framework of the plant and which one calls the secondary branches. As soon as they do not participate in the framework, they are eliminated.
How to prune a Wisteria?
The size of the Glycine does not present any particular difficulty, but it is important to follow the following steps so that it is carried out perfectly.
- Start by staking the main stem. Use a stake of 1.50 m to 2.50 m because it is he who will determine the height of the plant.
- Cut the side branches of the year to the desired height and keep those at the top so that they continue to develop. They can then be trellised.
To perform a maintenance pruning during the summer, you have to cut short – that is to say that we keep only two eyes at most – all the stems that start from the main branch, from the ground to the desired height.
In winter, when it is not freezing, shoots that have undergone summer pruning are at cast off again and it is also the ideal period to remove the superfluous rods which wrap around the supports as well as the damaged vines and those which intertwine.
Gardener’s secrets for properly pruning your Wisteria
It is very important to only prune young shoots, that is to say those of the year, because they do not flower. It is indeed the branches of the previous year that produce the magnificent clusters of papilionaceous flowers from the month of May, forming magnificent fragrant cascades.
Glycine being very vigorous, its secondary branches develop quickly. In just a few months, they can become invasive. Also, some gardeners prune their Wisteria up to three times a year in order to tame it.
A Wisteria about ten years old generally has too many branches starting from the base. It is therefore necessary to practice a rejuvenation waist which consists in deleting the excess branches in order to keep only one trunk. This pruning is absolutely essential because it gives the plant a nice look and boosts flowering.
There is nothing to fear if one has carried out a drastic size, quite the contrary. La Glycine will only be better off. It will produce even more flowers provided that one or two buds (eyes) have been retained on the stems.
Pruning a Wisteria is fundamental for the guide et master its magnitudebut it also allows promote flowering. However, it is possible to (almost) never prune a Wisteria, but this involves planting it at the foot of a large tree such as an oak for example, which will serve as a guide, and letting it climb as it pleases. The Wisteria will end up completely covering the support trunk which, in addition to being original, is absolutely sumptuous. Of course, the chosen tree must be strong enough not to bend under the weight of the Wisteria.
Note that the maintenance of a Glycine also involves the removal of faded flowers As things progress. This avoids an unnecessary rise in seeds, especially since these are toxic. It is therefore preferable not to let the pods form, especially if you have children, because the ingestion of one or two seeds can be enough to cause a grave intoxication.
Finally, before pruning, take care of disinfect your tools for example by passing the blades to alcohol at 90° or even to the flame. This limits the possible risk of disease transmission from one plant to another. It is also necessary Wear safety gloves because the sap of the Glycine is irritating.