Summer prune wisteria

Summer prune wisteria to remove all this year’s long, whippy growths and promote more flowers next year.

Wisteria

Wisteria hail from China and Japan, and are universally adored for their spectacular displays of waterfall-like lilac, white or pink flowers in late spring, filling the garden with a sweet scent. They create a real showstopper of a feature when trained over a sunny wall or pergola, so make sure you plant them in the sunniest spot you have and right in centre stage where they can be admired to the full.

If you don’t already grow one, you’ll certainly want to: early autumn is the best time to plant, so make a note in your diary to pop into the garden centre here in Pickering and browse our selection of fabulously beautiful varieties. You can always put in the supports for it in the meantime: you’ll find an excellent choice of arbours, pergolas, obelisks and trellis in our outdoor garden supplies department.

Wisterias are trouble free to grow, but they do need attention twice a year to keep them looking at their best. Though they will still flower if you let it ramble unchecked, they are very vigorous plants and can quickly overwhelm neighbouring plants and become a nuisance as shoots invade the eaves on your house.

Work your way up each main stem and take back every side shoot to five or six leaves each. You’ll find the pruning tools you need here at the garden centre, including a good sharp pair of secateurs and, for older plants, loppers and pruning saws.

Not only does this job tidy up the plant and make it look neater: it increases air circulation, reducing the chances of disease, and lets more sunshine reach the wood to ripen it, giving you still more flowers to enjoy next year.