Wisteria

Hi There,
I have a Wisteria growing on a trellis at the front of my house which is South facing. It has been growing like mad for the last 9 months but does not seem to produce any flowers. Am I correct (informed by the lady in the nursery) that it should flower twice a year, once without leaves and once with leaves?. Or am I being inpatient as its only been there a while?

 

Hi indigarden. I used to have a wisteria at my last house. As far as I know, it only flowers once a year. Also, it might take a few years to flower (in spring). I've read somewhere that it can take up to 7 years to flower, although mine flowered in 2 years. Cheers...freddy.

 

7 years eh-----gosh, looks like I will have to talk to it more often and be nice to it rather than reversing the car up to it:lollol: Thanx Freddy

 

Hi again indigarden. Like I said, mine took 2 years. Apparently, the one thing that you need to get flowers is for it to be in a sunny position, and it sounds like you have it in a good spot. Cheers...freddy.

 

I have 2 wisterias - a pale blue one and a white one. Both flowered prolifically in their second year. This year the white one did well in spring and has had a second flowering in August, though not as many flowers. (The blue one didn't do much except leaf, because I got the pruning wrong last season!) My neighbour tidies hers up in autumn and then cuts back hard to near the main stem the following Feb. She gets wonderful crops of flowers. Mine don't get as much attention but they usually bloom beautifully. Lindy.

 

Like most shrubs best performance is in the second year--you have to get the pruning correct with Wisteria - pick up the book before the secateurs!

What you are trying to achieve is what the RHS call, stumpy spurs. These short shoots at the base of the previous yearâ??s growth produce the larger flower buds.

 

Even Alan Titchmarsh has probs with wisteria. In the May 08 gardeners world mag at the very back he tells us about his wisteria not flowering. His took 4 years to flower. He recommends:

A sunny wall (south or west facing) and pruning twice a year, shortening unwanted long growths to about 30cm in July and then cutting back all sideshoots to finger length in January. A decent helping of rose fertiliser in Feb and again in June.

He kept this up and was rewarded with lovely flowers

 

What a great expression - 'stumpy spurs' ! :lollol:I shall definitely prune BTB this year.

 

The most common complaint about Wisteria is why doesn't it flower. Unfortunately there are still many nurseries that sell seedling Wisteria. Wisteria seedlings can take 10 years, 15 years or even longer to flower. There are many fine Wisteria cultivars that will flower in 3 years.So when you buy a Wisteria for your garden make sure that it is a true to name cultivar that has been either grafted or grown from a cutting.

 

You took the words right out of my mouth, Walnut. Seed grownWisteria take an age to flower, always go for grafted. And always buy them " in season " that is when they should be flowering. If at this time they do not have flowers on in the garden centre, then leave them alone.:thumb:

 

Didn`t you`rs have flowers on Freddy?

 

Nope.

 

Whenever you are buying a plant for it`s flowers, you are better off buying it in season. That way you can see what you are buying.:thumb::D