Controlling Wisteria

[Persephone]

I planted vines on each side of the back porch about 5-6 years ago. In my dumb innocence, I didn't know how predatory it was; by now, it's coming up all over the back yard!

About 3 years ago, come dormant time, I cut one side off a little short of the roof, to avoid compromising the roofing. That part did not regrow, and my gardener (who only mows & edges) said it doesn't regrow when cut off.

But it grew under the porch from the other side, and now is even more abundant than before.

Now I finally come to the Question:

When it goes dormant again, can I or can I not prune from the top?

TIA

Persephone

[told2b]

Late Summer Pruning August: Cut all of the current side-shoot growths back to within 12" of the main lateral. This allows more sun to get to the wood, encouraging flower-bud formation. This should leave 4-6 leaves on each side shoot. Obviously, any side shoot required to extend or train the framework should be left and trained as required.

Winter Pruning February: Cut these summer-pruned side shoots back even further - 1 or 2 inches long, leaving only 2 or 3 buds on the side shoot. These will be the flowering spurs. It should be possible now to distinguish the plumper flower buds from the slimmer growth buds. Long, whippy shoots that grew after the summer pruning should also be pruned. Cut these back to five or six buds from the main branch, making the cut just above a bud. Remove any suckers that appear at the base of the plant.

[Johnny Borborigmi]

Yup. I leave 5-6 buds on each of mine. I HAVE to prune mine during the growing season every week or it'll take over the planet. Every time I hear of a missing kid I check my Wisteria. The ground runners will grab them if I don't keep them in check....

[Persephone]

Thanks to both.

Question 1. Are these appropriate dates for Southern Calif? Our "summer" and "winter" are different from other parts of the country.

Question 2. Neither kind poster discussed VERTICAL pruning. Remember my question about "pruning from the top"?

Realize that I now have to deal with several years of uninformed non-pruning.

TIA

Persephone

[told2b]

My experience with Wisteria is in zone 6, NJ.

Pruning the top of the vine does not inhibit future top growth. But it will probably cause excessive vegetative bottom growth in the Spring. Do not try to 'fix' the vine in one season, but do get rid of all the suckers. If you do excessive corrective pruning all at once you will probably have to wait two or more years for flowering to commence again. Good Luck.

[Persephone]

OK - quite a different climate.

Any Southern Calif. gardeners here who have Wisteria experience/problems?

Makes sense; I shouldn't have swallowed gardener's dictum whole.

Precisely what happened! Now I know ...

Sigh! Very dense and very high. Will work on the suckers if I can locate them, but it's going to be tough.

Seems like that is what happened, and gardener's absolute caveat is not valid.

Thanks..will need it.

Guess the only way to deal with upstarts all over the garden is just to pull them out... right?

Persephone

[Persephone]

[...]

Didn't want to repeat whole thread; problem is that Wisteria is reaching up over the roof; has to be cut back vertically; can this be done w/o inhibiting growth?

Tx

Persephone

[John Bachman]

Quick! Before it takes over the house! Nothing inhibits growth short of nuclear attack.

John