Growing Wisteria

Growing Wisteria

Wisteria in Full Flower, Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, June 2010

Wisteria can be a very rewarding climber. If the plant is from good quality stock and it is planted in good conditions it can give a wonderful flowering display.

Tips for Growing Wisteria.

  • Wisterias are usually grown from grafted rootstock. It is important you get plants from a reliable source. Non flowering wisteria can often be traced to poor grafting / rootstock which won’t flower whatever you do.
    Wisteria naturally grow in wooded environments with shoots reaching above tree line for sun. Make sure they are planted in plenty of organic matter and ideally soil should be kept shady or moist.
  • Wisteria need some training to give the best flowering. Ideally, you want to train along horizontal supports, which will maximise flowering from the spurs which develop from side shoots.
  • Wisteria naturally attach themselves to supports in a clock wise motion, so bear this in mind when tying them in.

wisteria
This well trained Wisteria has a high % of flowers to green leaves.

Pruning Wisteria

  • If the Wisteria flowers before July it should be pruned after it has flowered. These varieties flower on previous years growth
    Those plants that flower after June/ July flower on current seasons growth and should be pruned hard at the beginning of the year,
  • If you are not sure, you will have to look at your Wisteria and work out which shoots they are flowering on.
  • Remove excess side shoots. You don’t have to tie in every side shoot. Prune someback and concentrate energy on a few strong side shoots.

Why Isn’t My  Wisteria Flowering?

My own Wisteria isn’t flowering, despite several years of strong growth. I actually ordered an Acer Tree from a mail order company and received this by mistake. This makes me doubt the quality of the plant. Since I never intended to have a Wisteria here, I may simply remove it. Also, in its current location there is a lack of horizontal supports to encourage the necessary side shoots.

If your wisteria isn’t flowering, it may be worth giving it one last change.
You could try cutting back hard and adding much more organic matter.

Related

Wisteria Plants online

Wisteria may be too robust for Trellis but needs some support

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