|
Why won't my Wisteria bloom?
There are a variety of possible explanations for wisteria not blooming.
• The first is pruning at the wrong time of year. Vines that are pruned too late in the growing season will not bloom the following spring.
• Wisteria plants take a long time, ten years or more, to reach maturity and begin blooming. Be sure the plants your purchase are not seed grown, as they may not bloom for years! The best bet is to purchase a plant that is is bloom when you buy it.
• Excessive fertilizer will promote loads of healthy foliage, but it won't do much for flowering performance. Keep them a little hungry to promote flowering.
• Flower buds emerge in late winter and are sometimes destroyed in late freezes. This is difficult to prevent once the plants have reached any size.
Wisteria are vigorous, twining vines with wide landscape usage where space permits and gardeners are committed to keeping them in bounds. Among their attributes are hardiness, vigor, longevity and the ability to climb high. They are greatly valued for their large, pendulous flower clusters that occur in the spring. Flowers are pea-like and may be white, pink, lilac-blue, bluish-purple or purple in color. The fruit is a long, green flattened pod that is not particularly ornamental. The plant climbs by means of twining stems and has alternate, pinnately compound leaves. Older, established plants may have a twisted, woody trunk several inches in diameter. Plants that have been grown from seed remain in a long juvenile stage and often do not bloom for 10 to 15 years or longer. Plants that are grafted, and plants grown from cuttings or layered from a flowering plant will usually begin flowering earlier than seedlings.
Where should I plant my Wisteria?
In order to bloom well, wisterias need six or more hours of sunlight each day and a deep, moderately fertile, moist soil that does not dry out excessively. They will adapt to most soils, though they prefer a neutral to slightly acid soil pH of 6.0-7.0 for best results.
What should I use for support?
Wisterias climb easily on wires, trellises, arbors, pergolas, fences and walls. You'll need to use durable materials like galvanized hog panel, tubing or wood.
Wisteria can be grown as a tree form, also. Plant are staked upright until they reach 4-5' in height. The top is cut off. and side shoots are allowed to develop on the upper part, but are pruned from the lower stem. Future pruning consists of cutting summer shoots to the sixth or seventh leaf as soon as it expands and of cutting off secondary shoots that develop just beyond the first or second leaf. In winter, secondary shoots are cut back to within an inch of their base.
How do I plant and care for my Wisteria?
Plant the root ball of the plant in the hole and back fill with no more than 50% added compost or other soil amendments. Water in and then keep watering through the first growing season is rainfall is not adequate to keep soil from drying out. Once established you will only need to water if foliage wilts during drought conditions.
Are Wisterias hard to train?
To train plants on a wire trellis or an arbor, select a vigorous, upright stem to serve as the main leader and attach this to the support. Remove other side shoots. As the main leader grows, it will develop side branches that will produce more shoots and the flower buds. Continue to train the main leader upward and the new side branches as needed to form a framework. Pinch off the main leader when it reaches the desired height.
Can I move my Wisteria?
Wisterias do not transplant well
|
