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Any difference between pruning & cutting leaves with WISTERIA

18 years ago

HI

I ALREADY HAVE MY CHINESE WISTERIA AND I KNOW THAT THE WAY YOU PRUNE IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO MAKE A WISTERIA BLOOM IN LESS YEARS, SO I REMOVED a lot of leaves so it could be less clutter. Is this the same as pruning? Because I don't want to do any mistake. Thank You

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Comments (4)

Ina Plassa_travis
18 years ago
uhm- not really. pruning actually involves the cutting of the stems that the leaf clusters are riding on- you noticed how they make tufts (I know there's a proper name for the leaf formation, but dang if I can remember it) with a stalk and a bunch of leaflets that makes a cluster?

what you prune is the 'vine' those clusters grow on.

and no, pruning, to the best of my knowledge, won't make a wisteria bloom younger. pruning is for health, and shape (instead of letting it run amok, which WILL tend to cut down on flower production)

but I'd beat to death any nursery who sold immature wisteria= they shouldn't even put them on the market until they have had their first bloom.
Prieta_Linda
Original Author
18 years ago
Thank You Chinacat :)
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From the sounds of it, I think you have the wrong plant...! If it's only recently planted, getting rid of it is likely the smart thing to do. I gather that, for whatever reason, wisterias are not as rampant spreaders in the UK as they are in some parts of North America, but they are vigorous growers everywhere- as you've found out ;-). Is it a Chinese or a Japanese wisteria? I have one of both, and both are grown as 'trees'. We planted the Chinese one 15 years ago and keep it to ~8-9'. We planted the Japanese one in 2007 and are keeping it shorter - ~6'. I ignore the complicated pruning instruction you see everywhere and just whack back into the desired framework all whippy new growth as it arises - can be an almost daily task when it is in active growth! All root suckers and growth from below the graft union (assuming there is one) get ripped off (not cut off - I'm trying to remove bud wood...). The Chinese wisteria virtually stopped producing root suckers after 5-6 years of age, but the Japanese one is still producing lots, so it is the more rampant grower in my experience.
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janepa
18 years ago
I got a small mail order wisteria, and a wisteria in a pot from a local Amish nursery last spring and they were planted at that time. Both now have buds, and I am anxious to see the blooms. The one from the Amish nursery had a bloom last year when I purchased it. The one from mail order is twined around a metal post and might be 3'-4' stretched out, but it has at least 8 buds/blooms coming. I am pruning the ends of the vines to keep them from growing so rampant.
Jane
Jane
njoynit
18 years ago
Mine in my yard is smaller(I didn't know that dormant vine was wisteria...I was left with what I missed& what has re sprouted)I DO KNOW to cut lead stem BACK at 4-5 ft for growing tree form& tree forms require more pruneing for shapeing.My neighbor has a chinese wisteria growing on her chain link fence(I do have photos in albulms)I really like the china wisteria cause it has a heavey bloom in the spring and sparodiacally rest of year.We hard pruned hers this year with a chainsaw.I was very worried at 1st& yes she did loose blooms this year& could up to 3 years,but the foliage is comeing back very full.(she passed away and her son moved in house and I was a lil slow comeing to help.....so he took chainsaw to it,but think in 3 years....it will look better than ever.I knew she said she would wack it back every 5 years& just bet she NEVER used a chainsaw.)

I came looking for about pruneing an established wisteria.property has been neglegted& is basically growing in a somewhat tree form fashion.I'm going to try adding a weight lifting bar at base of trunk and try lifting some of the vine higher& go into triming,but don't want to trim too much as to stop blooming for next year.its a mass of alost 18 ft round& looks most is twisted/twined together. Me& my neighber discussed briefly about a tree type wisteria,but was about starting one OUT...not playing with already established one.from seeing her main leaders.I would guess vine is going on 20 years(its 2-3 inches in places) I DO know it has bloomed this year and has a few flowers here and there now& believe it is chinese(flowers are shorter now,but hers were shorter ones that were through-out the year also.

oh as to you purchaseing 2 plants different places.You may be able to check to see if they sell grafted or rooted cuttings.I was told not to fertilize unless the leaves showed problems& give plant 3 years to establish once you plant/re plant it out.(I have transplanted 2 and they both bloomed this year,no fertilizer)

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