Last summer I took a conservative approach to pruning a Chinese wisteria. I shortened long runners down to five or six inches and leaf-pruned to four-to-six leaflets (see “Cutback on Chinese wisteria” for details).
This year, I want to cut back to two or three buds per shoot and leaf prune to two leaflets. The idea is to keep the internodes short as I try to improve the branch ramification.
Here’s the tree before I started pruning.
Chinese wisteria – June 2020
And here’s the tree after cutting back to two or three buds per branch.
After cutback
It’s hard to see what the branches look like, so here are close-ups showing new shoots with two buds and three buds.
New shoot cut to three buds
New shoot cut to two buds
I’ll be curious to see how many of these buds produce new shoots as this will guide future cutback efforts.
The next step was to reduce each leaf down to two leaflets. After making the cuts, it was easy to see the branches again.
After leaf pruning – 31″
Depending on how the tree responds to the work, I’ll decide whether or not to prune again in late summer. In the meantime, I’ll continue to fertilize the tree and keep it well watered.
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Alessandro says
Ciao Jonas! I’m not a wisteria fan as I like them only when they’re in bloom… do you think that with this approach will be possible a second blooming or there is no time for the tree to develop new blooming buds?
Thank you, Alessandro
Jonas Dupuich says
Ciao, Alessandro! Last year the tree bloomed after spring cutback, but I don’t know if it will bloom again this year. From what I’ve seen, if a wisteria blooms a second time, there typically aren’t as many flowers as there are in early spring.
James says
I started a Chinese wisteria from seed when is the right time to prune them
Jonas Dupuich says
Hi James! I haven’t gone through the process, but at some point you’ll have to cut where you want branches to emerge from the trunk. Left on their own, wisteria can grow a long way without any branches spreading out.
Here’s what I’d try. I’d want to wire the trunk when the tree is young so it has shape. When it is one or two years old (when the trunk is at least 1/4″ – 1/2″ in diameter) I’d cut where I want the trunk to divide into two. Based on how that goes I’d follow a similar process for subsequent trunk or branch divisions up to the top of the tree.
If you give this a try, let us know how it goes: https://ask.bonsaitonight.com
Maryann. Plante says
Where can I buy a wisteria
Jonas Dupuich says
Hi Maryann – I don’t know where to find wisteria already trained as bonsai, but I’d suggest checking with a local nursery or garden center as wisteria are relatively common garden vines. Hope this helps!
Paolo says
Hi Jonas, can Wisteria be fully defoliated? Where do the tendrils grow from, flower buds or leave bud? Do you or should wisteria deadwood be treated?
Thank you.
Jonas Dupuich says
Hi Paolo! I haven’t tried fully defoliating wisteria so I don’t know how they’d respond. I’d expect healthy trees to recover but it may lead to dieback on smaller branches. The tendrils grow from both leaf buds and flower buds. And as for deadwood, treating could make sense as it is soft and can rot quickly.
Philippe St-Jacques says
Hello Jonas,
I partially defoliated my Wisteria floribunda, cutting each shoot to two or three buds and reducing the leaves to two leaflets. The tree responded in two weeks with heavy growth at each latent bud. I put pictures on my site and I think it shows that you can obtain good ramification (and increase the number of buds) quickly using this technique. Even if my journal is in french, the pictures are self-explanatory !
http://philstjacques.com/bonsai/defoliation-wisteria-2020.html
Best regards,
Philippe
Jonas Dupuich says
What a great example Philippe – thanks for sharing the link!