- 1). Train the vines when they are young. Choose a bright location for planting with well-drained soil that is away from obstructions. After planting, install a heavy stake. Use a ladder to give yourself leverage and a mallet to hammer the stake into the soil.
- 2). Find the thickest, most vertical stem and attach it to the stake with plant ties. You can also twist together two or three vines and then tie them to the stake. Keep in mind the braided or multi-stemmed trunk will take more maintenance.
- 3). Remove suckers from the base of the plant. You will need to be vigilant about removing these two or three times in the growing season. Cut the top of the vine when it reaches the top of the stake. This will force it to branch out and create a canopy of secondary vines.
- 4). Keep the canopy vines as short as you wish. You can allow them to grow to the ground in a weeping cascade or you can keep them short and sassy to provide a cluster of colorful spring blooms just at the top.
- 5). Maintain your tree by trimming it in fall for rejuvenation and again in mid-spring as the flush of growth begins to turn your carefully sculpted tree into a wild, rangy mess. Unlike most plants, wisteria can withstand some pruning when it is actively growing and will simply grow more.
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