pruning wisteria

Question

Every year, I remove the growing portion from which the flowers and seed pods originate. I was under the impression that the energy the plant expends growing seed pods is wasted if I don’t need the seeds. I follow the old flower stem back to the wood from which the seed pods develop. Am I cutting off the wrong portions, eliminating flowers for next year? Pruning articles advise leaving “two flower nodes” for next year’s flowers. Are these nodes located on these residual extensions? I have been tying selected stringers to my pergola to extend the vine outward overhead. Exactly where are next year’s nodes located?

Answer 1

Nodes are where the stem with the leaves meet the main stem. It is from these junctions that the flowers grow from. If you look at the seedpods, you should see where they are attached and this is a node.

Once a main stem is severed, these leaf nodes will also sprout and will eventually become a main stems as well. It is a little like a hydra. Cut the main stem and then the next leaf node below this will sprout 2 main stems eventually.