Growing Wisteria - Proper Wisteria Vine Care

This vine requires deep, rich soil that is somewhat moist but will tolerate many soil conditions. Once planted, pruning is about the only important requirement for wisteria vine care. Since this vine is an aggressive grower, there's no need for fertilizing and being drought tolerant, wisteria requires little watering.

How do you take care of a wisteria vine?

Caring for Wisteria

Each spring, apply a layer of compost under the plant and a 2-inch layer of mulch to retain moisture and control weeds.
Some gardeners swear by phosphorus to aid with flowering. ...
Water your plants if you receive less than one inch of rain each week.

Does wisteria vine like full sun?

Plant wisterias in full sun or partial shade, but make sure the vines receive at least six hours of direct sun daily to encourage good flower development. Also choose a sheltered planting location if you live in a colder climate, since the flower buds can be damaged by a hard spring frost.

How do you keep wisteria blooming?

Phosphorus encourages wisteria blossoms and helps to balance out the nitrogen. The other way to reduce the amount of nitrogen a wisteria plant is getting is to root prune the plant. This is done by taking a shovel and driving it into the ground in a circle around the wisteria.

Does wisteria grow quickly?

Fast-growing wisteria could be the answer. ... It can be relied on most years to brighten up the month of May with its long, scented trails of lilac-purple flowers, yet many folk are frightened of wisteria.

Is Wisteria an invasive plant?

Found extensively throughout the eastern U.S., Chinese wisteria has been reported to be invasive in at least 19 states from Massachusetts to Illinois south to Texas. Wisteria prefers full sun, but established vines will persist and reproduce in partial shade. Vines climb trees, shrubs and manmade structures.

Is Wisteria poisonous to dogs?

While these climbing growers are useful for sprucing up your landscaping and vertical space, they can also be toxic to dogs and cats, particularly since wisteria contains poisonous seeds and pods.

Does wisteria need a trellis?

Wisterias are hardy, vigorous climbers reaching over 10m (33ft) height and width. You will need to provide support in the form of wires or trellis against a wall, or garden structures like pergola or arch. Wisteria can also be trained up a tree or grown up a support to form a standard.

Is Wisteria bad for houses?

If you choose to grow your wisteria over your home you will need to install wire support. ... By installing wire support, the wisteria will grow onto the wire instead of growing over downpipes and aerials which will cause long term damage. Wisteria will also grow into windows and climb to the roof of your property.

What month does wisteria bloom?

Wisteria rewards well, a beautiful climber flowering between April and June. If Wisteria is growing well and happy in its spot, you may also get a second flush of weaker flowers in late summer around August time.

What is the best fertilizer for wisteria?

For best results, feed wisteria plants every spring. You can use Miracle-Gro Growmore Garden Plant Food or Miracle-Gro® Fish, Blood & Bone All Purpose Plant Food, but a rose or flowering shrub feed will generally give better results. In very well-drained soil, also feed with sulphate of potash in summer.

What month do you prune wisteria?

How to prune wisteria

Summer pruning (July or August) Cut back the whippy green shoots of the current year's growth to five or six leaves after flowering in July or August. ...
Winter pruning (January or February) ...
Renovation or hard pruning.

Can wisteria grow in pots?

Wisterias can be grown in containers but they will never be as successful as those planted in the garden. Ideally, only plant wisteria in a pot if you're training the plant as a standard tree. Choose the largest container you can find and use a good tree and shrub compost.

How many times a year does wisteria bloom?

Wisteria flowers bloom once per year. The blooms appear in mid- to late spring, in May or June in most places. The plant can take up to two months for all of its blooms to show through in their entirety.

Should I remove the seed pods from my wisteria?

A healthy wisteria plant will produce seed pods in late summer and fall. The pods hang from the vine, just like peas. To keep a mature wisteria plant blooming, it's best to cut the seed pods off. Left alone, the pods will ripen and you'll have seeds shooting out several feet (about 1 m.)

How much space does wisteria need?

Wisteria does well when trained. The ideal way to grow wisterias against a wall is to train them as an espalier, with horizontal support wires (3mm galvanised steel) set 45cm (18") apart. Alternatively, you can train them onto a sturdy pergola, or even onto a tree.

What is the difference between a wisteria vine and a wisteria tree?

No there is no botanical difference between a Wisteria vine and a Wisteria tree. “Wisteria is a deciduous twining climber native to China, Japan and eastern United States.” (Royal Horticultural Society, UK) The difference is in the training and pruning. ... It also contains a link to how to grow Wisteria.

Does wisteria attract bees?

Does wisteria attract pollinators? Absolutely! It is a bee, butterfly and hummingbird magnet.

What Wisteria smells like?

All Wisterias are scented. Some varieties release a musky fragrance while others exude a sweet scent. ... Most of the cultivars of Wisteria floribunda (Japanese Wisteria), Wisteria sinensis (Chinese Wisteria) and Wisteria brachybotrys (Silky Wisteria) are noted for their delicious scent.

What happens if a dog eats wisteria?

When your dog chews wisteria seeds or pods, ingested lectins move from the stomach into the bloodstream, where they clot red blood cells. Nibbling any part of a wisteria vine also exposes your dog to the toxic glycoside wistarin. Swallowing it gives him a severe stomach ache with possible nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.

What parts of wisteria are poisonous?

Wisteria seeds are contained in hanging, velvety seed pods. The seed pods and seeds are considered the most toxic parts of the plant, but all parts contain the harmful chemicals lectin and wisterin, which can cause a burning sensation in the mouth, stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea if swallowed.