Wisteria and now what?

[Rosefriend]

I have started a new thread for this although there was an older one and if anyone would like to read through it then please do by all means.

gardenworld.proboards103.com/index.cgi?board=borders&action=display&thread=1175530255&page=1#1178209839

The story here is that I have a Wisteria standard and it is exceptional - please do not get excited ladies and gentleman - although I doubt that one can get such fantastic examples in the UK.

Very simply - my Wisteria standard did not flower this year at all and ended up looking like this:-



although the year before it was magnificent ..........after may I add a + minus 18 deg C winter.......



anyway - cor isn't this exciting........

this is how it now looks and happily Andy told me exactly what to do with it - no my dears - he was polite!!

I have cut it back as told and have been feeding it as well.



It has even started to come back which is marvellous. Sorry pic not so good.



However I do have a problem - well it is rather odd or is it just normal for the summer that we are having - it is starting to flower.





So what on earth do I do now then?

RF

[andy]

Let it flower.

I would prune as normal.....any of this years long growth....cut back to around 6 buds. Now is the time to do it too.

I'd also look at giving it a good feed as flowering really does reduce the plants strength.

Good luck....i can honestly say that i've never seen a wisteria flower for a second time !!!!

[lottielady]

My one used to flower twice ( before it was knocked down by a transit van ) Once before the leaves opened and then again when the leaves had become full size. Not so many flowers the second time though...

LLx

[Rosefriend]

Thanks to you both - I am pleased that I am not the only one that has had a wisteria flowering at this time of the year.

Well I have pruned back but it obviously needs to be pruned more if you are saying to do it now Andy.

One thing is bothering me a little and that is how good will it fair over winter. Would it perhaps be better to wrap the crown in fleece as I do my standard roses?

BTW LL - I hope your Wisteria wasn't attached to your house when the van knocked it down?!!

RF

[andy]

WRT pruning RM.....yeah, just cut back any unwanted long growth now.....if you've already done it, don't worry.

As for coving it up in winter, as you tend to get much harder winters in the uk, it won't hurt giving the pot some protection to stop the roots getting too frozen. They are pretty hardy though.

[Weeterrier]

Andy, perhaps you can help me too. I have a Wisteria, and I think I have the pruning procedure licked. Every Spring it is smothered in long panicles of buds. But, when it comes time for the big show of flowers I am disappointed, because all that is inside the buds is dust. This has happened every year for seven years. I had thought of yanking it out, but then I found the message boards, and I hoped someone might give me some advice. I got no replies to this problem at the BBC, so had rather lost hope till I saw this thread.

[beanie]

i just been reading an article about wisterias, aparently the japanese wisterias wind clockwise and the chinese varieties wind counter clockwise, you really needed to know that didn't you, ;D it's the chinese that flower twice yearly.

[Deleted]

Hi Weeterrier

My wisteria does that too, loads of buds but very few flowers, been the same since we move here six years ago. It makes me so cross.

I took some photos this year but they are still in the camera, may try to upload them tonight.

My neighbour thinks it may be lack of water, so will try watering more next year.

If any one has any idea what causes it and how to remedy it I would be so pleased.

[beejay]

Just to confirm that my wiseria sinensis flowers twice every year. The second flowering is nowhere near as spectacular as the first, partly because it is lost amongst the leaves & new shoots.

[Weeterrier]

woobats said:

Hi Weeterrier

My wisteria does that too, loads of buds but very few flowers, been the same since we move here six years ago. It makes me so cross.

I took some photos this year but they are still in the camera, may try to upload them tonight.

My neighbour thinks it may be lack of water, so will try watering more next year.

If any one has any idea what causes it and how to remedy it I would be so pleased.

This could be the cause with mine as it is near a tree and a hedge. If that was confirmed, I'd try to move it. Thanks, Woobats, nice to know I'm not alone ;D

[lottielady]

rosefriend said:

BTW LL - I hope your Wisteria wasn't attached to your house when the van knocked it down?!!

RF

No - it missed the house by a whisker - but knocked down the pergola that the Wisteria had been climbing up for 27 years and even though the Wisteria was cut almost to the ground it has started to grow again

LLx

[Rosefriend]

Well certainly a shame about the Wisteria after so many years LL but at least the house was OK.

RF

[Deleted]

Here is a picture of the buds on my wisteria, you can see that there are no flowers at the top where the buds have opened and you would expect to see flowers.

Is this what yours look like weeterrier?



I do hope this link works, fingers crossed.

[Weeterrier]

Yes, Woobats, EXACTLY like that!! Now all we need is advice

[Deleted]

It would be so good to get to the bottom of this and have lots and lots of beautiful flowers next spring.

[JennyWrenn]

They are very unpredicable things wisteria - had mine for over 7 years I think without a bloom - last year I think 2 blooms and this year well over 60 - but it has changed from a climbing across the front of the house wisteria to a tall upright tree type Not noticed any new buds though - may take a peek 2moro

[Rosefriend]

Well my Wisteria is growing back rapidly after I thought that I had killed it and it is now flowering as well.

I finally found what type mine is - knew I had the label somewhere.
It is Wisteria floribunda "Issai" (Japanese Wisteria)



RF

[Deleted]

Is Andy about ? could do with some help with this prob.......

[Weeterrier]

Yes, we need Andy, before we are scuppered for another year

[andy]

Well i'm not too sure. The photo that woobats has given earlier (soory for not replying but been offline for a month !!!) suggests that everything is ok and that's exactly how mine look at that stage. The buds that the photo shows have got some way to go before they open and flower (see rosefriends photo above where hers is elongated and those brown looking things on your photo have long gone to reveal the flowers.

I really don't know what to suggest woobats.....wisteria do like acid soil....although mine are on thick chalk, and they are heavy feeders coming from the legume family. Have they been dried out prior to the buds forming.....i can't see it really as the buds look as healthy as anything.

Any more clues ?

[Weeterrier]

Hi Andy, I think our problem is that everything DOES look wonderful. beautiful leaves, masses of healthy panicles of buds, but when they open, there are NO flowers, just dust . I'm wondering if mine are too dry, but they do so well on the walls of houses that I feel they don't mind dryness? Mine is in the open garden, but I have a clematis nearby, so they could be fighting for moisture. I'm going to give them lashes of my own compost this year. Do you think it could be lack of moisture when the buds are forming?

[Deleted]

Hi Andy

Glad you are back on-line.

The photo of my wisteria shows the buds opening at the top but no flowers, it's happened for the last few years, before that no buds at all, but the plant had been cut back to ground level, before we moved in.

I too like Wee Terrier wonder about lack of water as it is planted against a wall, so next year I will make sure it gets more water.

Another thing is should I be feeding it, and if so when, now or in the spring? Tomato feed or chicken manure?

Woobats

[andy]

Soooo...how's everyone's wisteria ?

Just a heads up to say that the second pruning is due now....i've just been out and done mine.

All those long shoots that you cut back in August to half a dozen buds can now be cut back further to about 2-3 buds

Good luck

[Rosefriend]

Mine is alive - after all that mess, I cut it back as you said. Do you think that I could cut mine back as well or should I wait a little. I do hope it flowers this year.

RF

[Amo]

Fingers crossed for all stressed out wisterias this spring!!!!

When we bought this house we had a huge blank wall end and decided it needed a wisteria. Because of the slope the house is on you have to look slightly up at it. Unfortunately we were not going to move until after flowering time so we went and bought one in flower ready for the move and nursed it on the balcony .

When we did move, in June, we immediately went to plant the wisteria against the said wall and discovered a huge, well 4inch across, trunk of one already there!! Another one of the previous owners victims. Anyway, it did have signs of life on two or three stems wiggling across the garden, one was almost 3 feet with a couple of flowers still going, so we put up the wires and tied it in. Last year it was about 3feet wide and 12feet high and lots of flowers.

Just before Christmas the blank wall had a bay window built into it. The trench for the footings has cut almost up to the main trunk so I guess its probably lost a third of its roots including one or two major one. After putting the fear of Amo into the builders we have managed to back fill the trench with the garden's finest compost and have given it a nice feed.

Well the buds are swelling, not sure if they are leaf or flower at this stage, but they are swelling!!! We have had enough water recently to make the Gobi flower and we are poised with more vine eyes etc should we be lucky and it has survived another huge trauma. It would look lovely going over the top of the new bay.

Oh, the one we bought is going well and is to be trained over the garage but it's early days yet. ;D

[Amo]

My buds are going fluffy so it's still alive! I'm so relieved. ;D

[Rosefriend]

I am pleased Amo - I am watching mine very carefully after the fun I had last year - I do hope that I get a few flowers this year - it is alive and that is the main thing!!

RF

[Amo]

Remembered to check on mine yesterday

This is where the roots go into the ground at a slant. You can see the new wall for the bay window on the right. If you know how wide footings usually are you can imagine how much root was chopped away so they could go in



And these are some flower buds as of yesterday and they are all the way up the 15 odd feet of it!!! ;D ;D

[Amo]

WoooooHoooooo!!!

[Rosefriend]

Well done Amo - I wish I was doing so well with mine. I have decided to get it out and put it back into a large tub and see what happens. As it is a standard I should be able to leave it in a tub for a while.

RF