Quote from Lee Garden Ninja on 6th October 2026, 11:46 am

Hi @street, thanks for such a clear description of what you have been doing.

Please don't cut the whole section back

I would not take the whole section back to the original 2 or 3 buds. Those stems have just given you your first blossoms, so cutting everything off removes healthy growth and the flowering spurs you have built up. It also tells a young Wisteria to throw out a flush of whippy green shoots instead of putting its energy into flowers.

How I would prune the new side shoots

I would pick a few of the best, strongest additional laterals and prune those back to 6 buds. Then in February, cut those same shoots back to 3 buds. This is the 6 and 3 rule from my Wisteria pruning guide, and over the years it builds short flowering spurs along the framework. Choose shoots that are thick, healthy and well spaced, so each spur has light and air around it.

Any shoots that are too close together or congested, I would cut right back to the main, thicker, woodier laterals they grow from. Crowded growth shades itself, and a few well placed spurs flower better than a thicket of thin shoots. Sharp, clean secateurs will handle the thin shoots, loppers suit the woodier laterals, and my guide to sharpening secateurs keeps the cuts clean.

Is it too late to prune Wisteria in autumn?

No. My usual summer prune is late July or August, so a late September cut is a little later than ideal but still fine. Doing the 6 bud cut now leaves you free to finish with the 3 bud cut in February while the plant is dormant. My winter vs summer pruning guide explains why each cut does a different job. Your Wisteria will also drop its leaves over the coming weeks, which is normal, and my dead or dormant guide shows what to expect.

Common Wisteria pruning mistakes to avoid

The pruning mistakes I see most are cutting every shoot back hard in one go, removing the plump, round flower buds along with the slim leaf buds, and leaving crowded growth that never gets enough light. Over pruning a young Wisteria gives you leaves instead of flowers. Stick to the twice a year routine and water well through dry summers, because that is when the flower buds form.

My video on how to make your Wisteria flower with summer pruning shows the cuts, and my full Wisteria pruning video covers the whole year. If you are thinking about a second climber to share the wall, my best climbing plants for UK gardens guide has some good partners.

Happy gardening,
Lee Garden Ninja