The remaining branches won't be any more poisonous than the whole plant was, so if the pets have been OK until now I don't think there's anything to worry about. Maybe don't leave any of the cut off branches lying around if the dogs are likely to chew/play with them.
I would cut out those two branches that are twisted round each other if they won't untwist and separate, as well as the ash tree growing up from behind the wisteria if that's what it is - the tall straight one with slightly greenish bark, smoother than the wisteria. May as well take advantage of being able to get in behind it. Better still, get your partner to do it as part of his penance. But supervise him!
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
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.
Thank you, I thought I’d given him a job he couldn’t possibly mess up, knowing that it’s quite hardy.
You are all at least giving me hope that he’s not completely killed it.
He’ll be digging it out if he has and buying a new one. He’ll be attaching new trellis either for the new one or this existing one 😊
The remaining branches won't be any more poisonous than the whole plant was, so if the pets have been OK until now I don't think there's anything to worry about. Maybe don't leave any of the cut off branches lying around if the dogs are likely to chew/play with them.
I would cut out those two branches that are twisted round each other if they won't untwist and separate, as well as the ash tree growing up from behind the wisteria if that's what it is - the tall straight one with slightly greenish bark, smoother than the wisteria. May as well take advantage of being able to get in behind it. Better still, get your partner to do it as part of his penance. But supervise him!
Thank you 😊 that ash tree has been completely hidden by the wisteria, they grow everywhere here, I’m always digging them up, this one has had chance to thrive.
All branches have been got rid off, he doesn’t want me to be reminded of what he’s done. He does feel badly about it. He didn’t mean to and I haven’t meant to make him feel awful about it but I was so upset. I planted it with my eldest daughter years ago.
It won’t affect the trees regrowth is I cut the twisted branches more?
If its any consolation, I had a wisteria on the garage wall. It grew up and into an apricot tree. The apricot tree died, so the wisteria was cut down to the height of the garage. Somehow it escaped its support and fell over so it lay on the lawn. The cat has been using it as a hide all summer. I took it down to a stump of six inches in September. It is already regrowing. The cat plays with bits of it and has come to no harm.
@lovelylittlelaradog63133 Two cats, 2 dogs, 2 huge inherited wisterias and a newer, smaller one planted to disguise the veg plot fence where we keep the hens..... We also get wood pigeons nesting in one wisteria despite one of teh cats using it to get to the annex roof and the sparrows have very noisy conferences in therre too.
No bovver so far.
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)."
Poor you @lovelylittlelaradog63133. My dad did a similar thing to my mothers beloved variegated Dogwood, which she trained all up and over their garage. It was a magnificent shrub and she loved it very much. Dad wasn't " into" gardening very much and he didn't like this particular dogwood so one summer, he chopped it right down to almost ground level. Mum was devastated, pretty much as you feel now, and she berated my father for many a long time over it. However, the following Spring, it started putting out new shoots and it didn't take too long before it had grown to the size it previously was. Obviously a different plant from yours, but the feelings surrounding it were identical,to yours😢 I do know that Wisteria take some years to flower but ,hopefully, this time next next year, you will see an invigorated plant with lots of new, fresh growth. Good luck.
If its any consolation, I had a wisteria on the garage wall. It grew up and into an apricot tree. The apricot tree died, so the wisteria was cut down to the height of the garage. Somehow it escaped its support and fell over so it lay on the lawn. The cat has been using it as a hide all summer. I took it down to a stump of six inches in September. It is already regrowing. The cat plays with bits of it and has come to no harm.
Bless cats, they find all sorts to play with, better that than mice or frogs. Thank you for the reassurance.
My partner is trying his best to get in my good graces. I’m more cross at myself now for thinking he knew what to do. I did say don’t cut back past the new growth. But I’ll know better next time.
I very much love trees and plants even if I’m not very green fingered. I cried when the Sycamore Gap tree was felled.
Thank you @Songbird-2 I bet your Dad was in the doghouse for a long time. I’m hoping the same will happen here.
I have CFS so the gardening I’ve managed to is of pride to me. I have 2 mature trees with protection orders in my back garden so it’s really shady. Wisteria can only grow at the front. And it took years to reach maturity. I’m as cross with myself for not realising how bad it could be. My reckoning was it really could do with a good prune but that’s not what I had in mind 🤦♀️
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No bovver so far.
Mum was devastated, pretty much as you feel now, and she berated my father for many a long time over it.
However, the following Spring, it started putting out new shoots and it didn't take too long before it had grown to the size it previously was. Obviously a different plant from yours, but the feelings surrounding it were identical,to yours😢
I do know that Wisteria take some years to flower but ,hopefully, this time next next year, you will see an invigorated plant with lots of new, fresh growth. Good luck.
I bet your Dad was in the doghouse for a long time. I’m hoping the same will happen here.
I’m as cross with myself for not realising how bad it could be. My reckoning was it really could do with a good prune but that’s not what I had in mind 🤦♀️