Garden expert's tips for pruning wisteria in January for a stunning spring show
It’s pruning season, which means green-fingered Brits are braving the cold conditions to spruce up their plants, but many struggle to maintain their wisteria.
If you’re fortunate enough to have wisteria growing in your garden, then you’ll know that the purple plant requires regular attention to guarantee a blossoming display. The flower is ideally pruned twice a year, during the summer and winter months.
According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the removal of growth between July and August allows better air circulation and more sunlight to reach the base of the young buds. This helps to ripen the wood and improves the probability of flower bud formation.
During the winter months, it’s advised that pruning takes place between January and February to spruce up the plant before the growing season commences. This ensures that the flowers won’t be hidden by leaves, notes the RHS.
Tackling the vigorous plant may appear to be a strenuous task, but gardening expert Michael Griffiths has shared his simple pruning techniques to guarantee an incredible display by spring. Taking to TikTok, under the username @themediterraneangardener, Michael said: "By pruning in the winter as well as summer, you’ll encourage the development of short spurs that carry the flower in spring. If you don’t you may end up with just a leafy growth."
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How to prune wisteria
If you’re currently training your wisteria, Michael suggests tying down some of the long, whippy growth to the support structure to establish a good base. When pruning during the summer months, the excessive growth should be shortened by around five to six leaves.
In January, the shoots should be shortened to around two buds - regardless of whether you have summer pruned - explained the expert. During the video, Michael cut back a shoot which boasted five buds, and pruned at an angle just above the second growth.
The angled cut helps the rainwater to drip off the branches end, which can prevent diseases or mould growing at the wound, reports Moowy. He then advised cutting back any dead growth on the shoot and repeating this process across the whole wisteria, making sure light and air reaches the plant.
Followers rushed to the comments section to share their responses, as one user gushed: "Just done mine today, thanks for the advice. Cannot wait to see it bloom," while a second penned: "Thank you this is excellent!!"
Others reached out to Michael for advice, as one concerned viewer questioned: "What about frost?". The expert reassured: "Wisteria is frost hardy so not an issue." Another asked: "Can you grow from the cutting you removed?" To which Michael responded: "You can - but they normally take around 20-years to flower from cuttings so I wouldn’t recommend it."
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