How do I prune my wisteria? - Ask Extension
Help! I planted wisteria a couple years ago and it’s lovely! However, I didn’t expect it to grow so well, and I’m inexperienced at pruning it in...
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How do I prune my wisteria? #918087
Asked September 20, 2025, 4:23 PM EDT
Help! I planted wisteria a couple years ago and it’s lovely! However, I didn’t expect it to grow so well, and I’m inexperienced at pruning it in the fall so I can successfullly train and maintain it for the future. Can you assist with guiding me? It’s a lovely problem to have! :)
Ramsey County Minnesota
Expert Response
Wisteria is an aggressive plant. It needs plenty of support, and a lot of pruning. The best times to prune are late winter and right after bloom. Use the late winter pruning to train the plant and keep it under control. Since it blooms on old wood, you will lose the blooms from anything you prune at this time.
Prune right after bloom to shape the plant. This pruning will not affect next year's bloom.
You can continue to prune throughout the summer to try to control the plant, keeping in mind that branches that you prune may not bloom next year.
However, pruning now is not a good idea for most plants. Pruning encourages new growth, which you don't want to do just before winter.
Here is an answer to a similar question from a few years ago:
https://ask.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=603828
Prune right after bloom to shape the plant. This pruning will not affect next year's bloom.
You can continue to prune throughout the summer to try to control the plant, keeping in mind that branches that you prune may not bloom next year.
However, pruning now is not a good idea for most plants. Pruning encourages new growth, which you don't want to do just before winter.
Here is an answer to a similar question from a few years ago:
https://ask.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=603828
