WISTERIA maintenance

This vigorous yet spectacular climber needs to be pruned twice yearly to obtain the best results, and now’s the time for its summer trim

For growers of wisteria, one of the most important tasks to undertake now is this vigorous climber’s summer pruning. Carried out in around July or August, this involves cutting back the whippy green shoots of the current year’s growth (which can sometimes reach a few metres in length) to five or six leaves. This not only controls the size of the wisteria, but also allows sun and heat to reach the wood, encouraging it to form flower buds for next year rather than masses of vegetative growth.

At up to ten metres tall and five metres across, a single wisteria can engulf an entire property, so keeping on top of their rapid growth and making sure they’re well-trained is vital.

Summer’s pruning is followed by a winter prune in January or February, when all shoots should be shortened to two or three buds to leave stumpy spurs that will flower (left).

One of the easiest wisteria to grow is the vigorous and floriferous Wisteria sinensis ‘Prolific’, holder of an Award of Garden Merit from the RHS. It’s an excellent variety because it blooms early in its life and at the beginning of the season, from mid- to late-April. Its scented racemes are perfect for clothing a house or pergola.