Lee Burkhill: Award Winning Designer & BBC 1's Garden Rescue Presenters Official Blog
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Quote from Tim Atkins on 21st April 2025, 10:15 am
Hi Lee,
Got a couple of questions about newly planted climbers! I’ve learnt so much from you and would really appreciate it if you could guide me on both!
1. After planting a climber, should I prune the lead stem to encourage side growth and better coverage?
2. I’ve just planted a young wisteria, it has two long stems only, one is longer than the other. Should I prune the longer stem to encourage side shoots or just leave it be to find its way?
Thanks so much!
Tim
Hi Lee,
Got a couple of questions about newly planted climbers! I’ve learnt so much from you and would really appreciate it if you could guide me on both!
1. After planting a climber, should I prune the lead stem to encourage side growth and better coverage?
2. I’ve just planted a young wisteria, it has two long stems only, one is longer than the other. Should I prune the longer stem to encourage side shoots or just leave it be to find its way?
Thanks for your questions and kind words about my work here at Garden Ninja in helping train new gardeners.
For your first question, it really depends on the climber, but your logic is correct pruning the lead stem of most* plants, will lead to thickening lower down or bushing out of the plant. For climbers though I always give any new small climbing plants one year to get their roots established before pruning. I pop them in and let them do their thing in year one, then yeat two start pruning back for lower growth and to help formatively prune them. Pruning climbing roses is a good example of this!
For wisteria again I'd leave it for the time being until September then prune both back to 6 buds or side shoots, this will focus the growth. Let both shoots go for gold until then as you may be surpised which one becomes the leader. Then each year for the next 3-5 years with wisteria its back to 3 in feb and back to 6 in Aug/Sept. BUT, take back 1/3 of all overall growth each summer too ready for help create a strong base for the wisteria. Letting it just climb for greatness witout this tends to lead to lots of foliage and whippy growth every where!
Thanks for your questions and kind words about my work here at Garden Ninja in helping train new gardeners.
For your first question, it really depends on the climber, but your logic is correct pruning the lead stem of most* plants, will lead to thickening lower down or bushing out of the plant. For climbers though I always give any new small climbing plants one year to get their roots established before pruning. I pop them in and let them do their thing in year one, then yeat two start pruning back for lower growth and to help formatively prune them. Pruning climbing roses is a good example of this!
For wisteria again I'd leave it for the time being until September then prune both back to 6 buds or side shoots, this will focus the growth. Let both shoots go for gold until then as you may be surpised which one becomes the leader. Then each year for the next 3-5 years with wisteria its back to 3 in feb and back to 6 in Aug/Sept. BUT, take back 1/3 of all overall growth each summer too ready for help create a strong base for the wisteria. Letting it just climb for greatness witout this tends to lead to lots of foliage and whippy growth every where!
If you get a moment, I'm always grateful for a Google review of the advice and content I create for all you Ninjas! It helps with paying design clients and keeping the wheels turning!
If you get a moment, I'm always grateful for a Google review of the advice and content I create for all you Ninjas! It helps with paying design clients and keeping the wheels turning!
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Lee Burkhill
Lee Burkhill, known as the Garden Ninja, is an award-winning garden designer and horticulturist with over 30 years of gardening experience and 15 years as a professional garden designer. A qualified RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) professional, Lee specialises in sustainable garden design and practical horticultural advice. He designs and presents on BBC1’s Garden Rescue and in leading gardening publications. Lee combines three decades of hands-on gardening knowledge with professional design qualifications to help gardeners create beautiful, functional outdoor spaces.
Lee Burkhill: Award Winning Designer & BBC 1's Garden Rescue Presenters Official Blog
