I thought it might be useful to share a recent experience with Wisteria. In my new-to-me house, I inherited a large Wisteria vine in the backyard. It was originally trained as a tree then left to its own devices. Since it was destroying the old fence behind it--that needed repair--I decided I would attempt to transplant it. It was like The Blob. It had woody stems that extended 10' feet in the air and at least 6' on all sides. It also had a maze of softer stems that extended 20' around from the trunk and innumerable suckers everywhere. The trunk was at least 6" in diameter. I had some muscle visiting the first week of April, but it was, unfortunately all in bud. So ignoring all the rules about pruning and transplanting, we dug it up with great difficulty, several shovels, a pickaxe, some chain and a truck and moved it. I cut it back at least in half. I cut off a substantial part of the wood, all the suckers, save 1 or 2, and all the long softer stems in bud. I left a couple of woody arms. I want to cut it back further, but that was all I dared to take at the time. I figured by next year, I'll know if it survived. It's been 7 weeks, and this is what it looks like now. I think it's pretty amazing.
I have a friend who also had a wisteria come with their house years ago. Her husband pruned it so hard, she thought he killed it...he didn't and now it's as big as it ever was!
I have seen these plants literally take apart wood-frame buildings. I have one near my house & prune it ruthlessly twice a year in self defence. It makes good compost material. In return, it flowers gloriously & brings us many compliments.
