Wisteria pruned badly by partner please help

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• lovelylittlelaradog63133 Posts: 12

  October 2023

  
  

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• lovelylittlelaradog63133 Posts: 12

  October 2023

  
  He’s cut everything back to the wood. To say he’s left no shoots is an understatement, I’m crying buckets 🥲

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• Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494

  October 2023

  Don't worry, Wisteria is very tough and resilient. I'm pretty sure that will re-shoot in the Spring and there is nothing you can do about it right now but wait and see. It might not flower next year but the tough pruning this year might well be good for it in the long term.
  
  Next Spring before it shoots, give it a good mulch of well rotted manure (keeping it well away from the trunk) which will give it a boost to aid flowering.
  
  Good luck, let us know how it goes next year (and don't blame your partner too much!).

  North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone

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• Obelixx Posts: 30,090

  October 2023

  First of all you need to hide the secateurs, loppers, pruning saw and anything else that he can use for further vandalism.
  
  Then you both need to read this info from the RHS about pruning wisteria - https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/wisteria/pruning-guide - which can be briefly summed up as prune back to 7 nodes in July and 2 nodes in February.  
  
  Finally, I think your wisteria will produce new shoots from the main stem next spring which gives you time to install extra training wires to the other side and strengthen and tauten the existing ones.   Don't do any further pruning but, next February, give it a very generous dollop of slow release fertiliser for roses or tomatoes and thne be vigilant as new shoots form so you can train them along their supports. 
  
  Make sure you water it in dry spells - at least 15 litres at a time - and maybe give it a liquid feed in March, April and May.
  
  If that doesn't work, let him pay his penance by digging it all out, improving the soil and buying you a new one.

  Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
  

  "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."

  Plato
  

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• lovelylittlelaradog63133 Posts: 12

  October 2023

  Thank you, I’m absolutely devastated, it’s my favourite plant in my whole garden, I planted it when I moved in. I can’t believe he would do that, I really thank you for the advice. 

  My Dad now tells me that the branch remaining is poisonous to animals. I’ve 2 dogs and 6 cats 🙄

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• Emptyheadtime Posts: 366

  October 2023

  My wisteria snapped about 1ft up from the base some years ago. It was a bit younger than yours. It regrew just fine but it did take a few years before it flowered again. 

  I just hope your partner is around long enough to see it…..🤣

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• Dovefromabove Posts: 88,147

  October 2023

  Loads of plants are poisonous to animals … few carnivores like dogs and cats are likely to eat a tree … sheep and goats are another matter 😉 
  
  @Obelixx has two much loved dogs and some beautiful wisterias … so far they’re all in very good health 😊 
  
  

  
  Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
  
  
  
  
  
  

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• lovelylittlelaradog63133 Posts: 12

  October 2023

  Thank you both, I’ll forgive him in time 🙄, he’s left a couple of tendrils I’ve noticed. For the past few years it has grown really well and grown around everything it can, so it has needed a good prune, not this much though. 

  He’s not killed it, that’s the main thing, so I shall get over it. 

  I just need the shock to the system to recede 🤦‍♀️

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• Dovefromabove Posts: 88,147

  October 2023

  I hope you’ve put him on washing up/window cleaning/oven cleaning duty for the next six months 😉 

  
  Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
  
  
  
  
  
  

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• Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889

  October 2023

  Take the opportunity to remove the Ash tree, and you might be able to unwind those spiralling stems.

  Devon.

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