I have old wisteria and unclear how much woody stuff to cut off. There are runners along the bottom and numerous stems.
How tidy should wisteria look like in winter?
Do I need to cut back more?
Hi @bigbird21,
You do not need to remove all the older wood, as this forms the main structure supporting the plant. The only reason I'd be cutting more of the older wood, is if you are looking to majorly reshape them ready for spring.
It really depends on what you are trying to achieve with your pruning. Are you looking to simply refine the plants ready for spring? Or are you looking to start a reshaping process?
If you are looking to simply refine the plant, I would suggest it is best to remove any dead, damaged, twisted or crossing stems, and remove the ground shoots. This will mean the energy is directed towards the stems that you are aiming to keep. Remember, wisteria can be pruned year round as well, so there is no need to try and get everything right now.
If you are looking to do some major reshaping, there may be some older woodier stems that are growing laterally that could be removed. I can't see any from your photos that stick out, but if there are structural branches growing laterally into the other plants, you might choose to remove them as they will be taking up the space and light of their neighbour.
The goal is to leave a clear framework of main stems with short flowering spurs rather than making the plant look completely neat or bare. Remember you can also prune the long new growth again in summer to help control its size and encourage flowering.
Have a read through https://www.bunnings.com.au/diy-advice/garden/planting-and-growing/growing-and-planting-wisteria for some further guidance.
Let me know if you have any further questions.
Jacob
