WISTERIA TWIG HOW TO

Removing some of the foliage during the summer (July or August) allows for more sunlight to reach the new growth and better air circulation throughout. Wisteria can be left to grow freely but will typically have more flowers and bloom more regularly if you prune twice each year. Cutting away wood from last year may stunt your flowers for the upcoming season, and pruning wood that’s two years old can stimulate unwanted foliage.

WISTERIA TWIG HOW TO

How to Prune Your Wisteria to Encourage More BloomsĮven though Wisteria is a fairly low-maintenance vine, pruning at the wrong time can cause more harm than good. In this case, you don’t have to worry about pruning as much because the shrub will have a good chance of blooming regardless. However, some plants, like certain Hydrangeas and Spiraea, bloom on both old and new wood. That way, you can cut away any dead or woody growth, and the plant still has time to produce new wood and set its buds for the coming season. New wood bloomers usually flower during the summer, and they can be pruned in the winter or early spring. Throughout the end of summer and early fall, the plant will dedicate its resources to set new buds for the next season. On the other hand, you can go ahead and prune your new wood bloomers earlier in the year to help maintain them and prevent woodiness.įlowering shrubs that bloom on old wood like Wisteria should be pruned right after the blooms start to fade and die off. If you prune an old wood bloomer at the wrong time, you may accidentally cut away all of your flowers for next season.

Knowing whether your plant flowers on old wood or new wood is important for knowing when and how to prune it. They flower on the new growth that’s developed since the previous year, so they have to hold their buds until the wood grows back. Bigleaf Hydrangea (some cultivars bloom on old and new wood)įlowering shrubs that bloom on new wood typically bloom later in the growing season, like early to mid-summer, and often have blooms that will last into the early fall months.Many common flowering shrubs bloom on old wood. These plants typically bloom in the spring, and they start forming their buds during the summer and fall for the following season. Plants that bloom on old wood bloom on last year’s stems. Knowing the difference will help you know when you should prune your shrub. “Old wood” and “new wood” refers to whether the plant’s blooms develop on the current season’s growth or if they develop during the previous season and lay dormant until it’s time to flower. What’s the Difference Between Old Wood and New Wood Bloomers? Hard pruning and cutting through roots can help a new plant bloom faster, but each vine will develop at its own pace. This is normal, as the vine invests so much energy into its breathtaking growth rate. Pruning at the wrong time can impact future blooms.Ī new wisteria plant may take several years before it starts blooming, taking as many as 8-10 years before you see the lovely lilac-colored flowers. The blooms for next year are set after the blooming season, usually during the late summer months or early fall. Wisteria blooms each spring and goes dormant in the fall. This one-year-old wood is typically thinner and lighter in color, and more flexible than the old-old wood. The vine produces flowers on wood that was produced during the previous year’s growing season. Wisteria is primarily an old wood bloomer. I’ll also give you some tips on pruning your Wisteria to encourage growth. Throughout the rest of the article, I’ll explain this in more detail and discuss the differences between old wood and new wood.

Wisteria should be pruned twice each year, with heavy pruning during the first few years. That means you must be careful not to cut away next season’s blooms when cutting back the plant. Wisteria blooms primarily on old wood, but sometimes will bloom from new growth also. The wisteria vine can live for many, many years, resulting in a massive plant that can be 30 feet long or more! Knowing that the vine on my pergola needed a trim, I wanted to find out if it was an old or new wood bloomer so that I didn’t accidentally stunt next year’s blooms. Wisteria has a whimsical quality, bringing clusters of lovely little flowers in shades of purple each spring.

Wisteria twig