Hmmm. Get used to it? Wisteria, as you describe, takes over—and tales of takeovers abound here (see below). You need to have the sheers handy at (almost) all times. Or put it somewhere where it has room to roam. About the roots sprouting elsewhere: It may be that you trimmed the “top” (aboveground) portion in such a way/amount that the plant just decided to grow in another direction.
Try this: Because wisteria will continue to sprout after it has been cut, it should be cut back early in the season, cutting sprouts every few weeks until the fall. This will stop growth of existing vines and prevent seed production. When you do have to prune, just cut climbing or trailing vines as close to the root as possible. Immediately apply a 25% solution of glyphosate or triclopyr to the stem. The best time to apply an herbicide is in the spring and summer when wisteria is actively growing.
One of our editors wanted to enjoy its beauty, too, so planted it near her house, beside an arbor that was about 8 feet high. She wove the tendrils/new stems through the arbor and pruned the vine regularly (a few times/season). One day she discovered that a stem was hiding up under the bottom panel of the house’s aluminum siding. She pulled it out. And pulled and pulled … getting about 20 feet of vine. Soon after she decided to eliminate the plant—and that meant getting all of the root so that, as you experienced, it would not come up several feet away. There is a hydrangea in the spot now.
Hmmm. Get used to it? Wisteria, as you describe, takes over—and tales of takeovers abound here (see below). You need to have the sheers handy at (almost) all times. Or put it somewhere where it has room to roam. About the roots sprouting elsewhere: It may be that you trimmed the “top” (aboveground) portion in such a way/amount that the plant just decided to grow in another direction.
Try this: Because wisteria will continue to sprout after it has been cut, it should be cut back early in the season, cutting sprouts every few weeks until the fall. This will stop growth of existing vines and prevent seed production. When you do have to prune, just cut climbing or trailing vines as close to the root as possible. Immediately apply a 25% solution of glyphosate or triclopyr to the stem. The best time to apply an herbicide is in the spring and summer when wisteria is actively growing.
One of our editors wanted to enjoy its beauty, too, so planted it near her house, beside an arbor that was about 8 feet high. She wove the tendrils/new stems through the arbor and pruned the vine regularly (a few times/season). One day she discovered that a stem was hiding up under the bottom panel of the house’s aluminum siding. She pulled it out. And pulled and pulled … getting about 20 feet of vine. Soon after she decided to eliminate the plant—and that meant getting all of the root so that, as you experienced, it would not come up several feet away. There is a hydrangea in the spot now.