In full bloom, there aren’t many sights in the garden as stunning as wisteria, with its long lilac flowers creating a beautiful fragrance that heralds the start of summer.
Wisteria normally begins to bloom in early May and, soon after the blooming season is over, tendrils begin to grow out of the main structural vine. The plant needs regular pruning to keep the growth and size under control, but it will also improve the flowering display. Although it can seem complicated, wisteria pruning is quite simple.
Kept unchecked, wisteria tendrils can grow 25 feet in one season and are strong enough to rip off roof tiles and rain gutters, which is why it’s so important to develop a regular pattern of robust pruning.
When?
To keep wisteria healthy and to encourage even more beautiful blooms the following year, the plant should be pruned twice annually – once in July or August and once at the start of the year.
In summer, tendrils that are not necessary for the plant’s support should be cut back. A clean, precise cut is best to reduce the chance of infection and potential to squash the tendrils, so Wilkinson Sword’s Bypass Pruners, with high carbon blades, are ideal for the job. Cutting each shoot down to around 15cms and leaving five or six leaves on each one will control the size of the wisteria and allow more sunlight to reach the base of young growth – encouraging even more flowers the next year.
To protect from straining the wrist, Wilkinson Sword’s Ratchet Anvil Pruner is another good option for summer pruning. This tool is ideal for cutting woody, thick growth on older plants, and its soft-grip handle and ratchet mechanism lessen the strain on hands and joints, with a cutting capacity of up to 22mm.
For overgrown or extremely woody wisteria, a more ruthless prune may be needed. Wilkinson Sword’s Loppers provide great leverage for cutting harder, more mature wisteria branches, while the longer handles make it easier to cut branches which are out of reach for handheld pruners. The three-step ratchet mechanism reduces the effort across the entire cutting process, so a user can gradually cut the branch rather than trying to lop it off all in one go.
Depending on the condition of the wisteria, drastically shortening back long branches, removing sections of an older branch or cutting completely back to the original branch may be necessary. In this case, you may even need to use a tool such as the Pruning Saw and Holster. This saw by Wilkinson Sword has triple ground teeth that deliver a smoother cut and effortlessly saws through thicker branches.
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