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More Wisteria queries. Do they respond to hard pruning?

AsarumAsarum Posts: 661
in Plants
I have a Wisteria in a 45 x 45 x 45cm container which was purchased already trained.  It had two main branches, one went in a zigzag to the top, while the other went straight to the top on the right and then branched a bit.  It did well and flowered for about 5 years, but now the zigzagged stem has rotted off and I have removed it, while the other stem has survived but looks a bit odd. The stem that died was on the left, NOT the stump seen on the right.   My question is, will it shoot out lower down if I cut it? I am hoping I can then start retraining it, but perhaps with one main stem.  It was a significant birthday present, so I would like to save it if I could.


East Anglia

Posts

  • gardeninglily1gardeninglily1 Posts: 424
    I think it would benefit from a hard prune Asarum - the sooner the better. I have had to cut many of my wisteria branches off at a low level due lack of space and it sends out twice as many tendrils. It would also help if you could also  move it into the ground - somewhere with lots of sunshine. 
  • AsarumAsarum Posts: 661
    Thanks for responding gardeninglily1.  Unfortunately I have a very small garden so nowhere for it to be planted out.  I am hoping to retrain it as a supported standard if it regrows from the bottom.  It faces south and gets lots of sun.
    East Anglia
  • gardeninglily1gardeninglily1 Posts: 424
    Ah ok. Could you gently straighten the stem to the required height whilst tying it to a support and then prune where you want the top to start sprouting to grow as a standard? 
  • AsarumAsarum Posts: 661
    Unfortunately the stem seems fairly rigid, I don't think it will straighten out easily.  I shall have to hope it shoots out in a sensible place!  I was thinking I would chop the top off in February, giving it time to benefit from the leaf growth for the rest of the summer.
    East Anglia
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