Q. We have a very old, well-established wisteria covering almost the entire front of our house. Unfortunately, two of the three largest branches, which are approximately 12 feet in length, are being held up in part by a wooden fence/arbor which we need to remove and replace due to rot. Is there any way to drastically prune back these branches without losing the plant? Or, in the alternative, do you have any suggestions on how we could possibly prop the plant up without doing major damage until a new arbor is in place? Angela Krupa – Tacoma, WA
A. There is little doubt that if you cut the branches back you would get new regrowth below the cuts. You might get more than you hope for and will have to selectively prune to select a new leader that will go back over you new structure. But with a little ingenuity you may be able to prop them as you mention in your question. What may work in this case is a dry-wall T-Square. You can buy them at your local hardware store, but in your case you may want to build your own. You can then make them the appropriate lenght to support your wisteria vines. You can make a “T” one from 2×4’s and making the letter “T” by taking a short piece and nailing it to a longer piece. Use more than one nail so the smaller piece doesn’t swivel around on the single nail. There are many modifications you can make to this basic design to suit your needs. Then you slide the “T” under the vines. You may need a few to be successful. This will take the weight off the decrepit structure and allow you to replace it. Then release the “T” and ease the vines onto your new structure.