What are some common problems/diseases related to Wisteria bushes/trees and what are some remedies for same?

My neighbor has a Wisteria plant which had prospered for some 26 years, but it fell "ill" after a particularly aggressive pruning by another neighbor %26amp; it seems to have died. Is there some way to salvage it? The owner is willing to try anything you can recommend since it belonged to his mother, who is now deceased -- hence, it has lots of sentimental value!

What are some common problems/diseases related to Wisteria bushes/trees and what are some remedies for same?
A common problem! Give the plant a good feed with a high nitrogen feed (this is seen as N on fertiliser packs i.e. N.P.K.)and keep well watered. It should start to sprout new shoots, possibly from lower down the stem if it's been pruned too hard. Leave these shoots for at least three years before you prune them again. A good gardening book should tell you the correct method, mine is: in winter i.e. late January early February, cut the shoots back to 2-3 buds. Then in summer i.e. august, cut the long growths back to around 5-6 buds. This is the best method. I've worked on wisterias that are over 200 years old, in fact the oldest one in the UK, so it's been well tried and tested!


If no shoots are obvious I would still feed and water and leave it until next year before making any judgments. Plants can go into shock and may lie dormant for a season, so give it a chance. If nothing happens by early next summer I would say it's dead, but you can scrape a small slice of bark off the trunk and if it's green underneath then it's alive, if it's brown it's dead.Good luck.