Help! Overgrown wisteria.

[moodyblues]

Was hoping for some advice regarding the wisteria that is taking over the house!

We are living in a rental house which has wisteria growing over the front door. It's growing out of control and I'm desperate to cut it back but I'm aware that you have to be careful with wisteria.

Don't want to incurr the wrath of the landlady by killing her pride and joy so does anyone have any tips?

Thanks.

Anyone?

Hack away to your heart's content. As long as you leave the strongest stems it will be fine. But don't do what my friend's dh did and cut it down to 6 inches from the ground. It did grow back but it never flowered again.

Thank you so much, that reassures me - we had a go at it this afternoon but we were quite cautious. Might have another go now!

I cut mine back recently after the flowers finished. Its growing like made and making the windows dark. At this time of year it can usually take it.

Is it not the responsibility of the landlady to do it? Or if you ask her for advice and anything happens to it then you wont be at fault.

DH says (prof horticulturalist) - you can prune the whippy bits if they're in the way at the moment, but proper pruning should wait until Autumn/Winter.

In August all the whippy bits should be pruned to half their length to make the plant concentrate all it's efforts into making flowers next year.

He did pull a bad face when I asked if you could prune it now. It'd not do the plant any good he said.