When to Plant Wisteria to Grow Up a New Wrought Iron Fence?
Wisterias are a popular choice for those who are looking to add draping vines to their pergola, archway, or arbor. They climb to impressive heights, produce blue-to-purple flowers in early spring, and are relatively low maintenance once established.
(Looking for “Hassle-free fence removal” Contact us today!)
When to Plant a Wisteria?
For best results, you’ll want to plant wisterias in late winter or early spring. They need a warm and sunny location with well-drained soil and a pH level of about 6.0. They are fairly drought-tolerant once established but will appreciate good watering during hot, dry summers.
When to Train a Wisteria?
If you’re aiming to train wisterias into trellises, you can start by selecting and tying in main shoots that are about 6 inches long, using wires. Remove unwanted side shoots, and pinch off the tips of any new growth that develops. This will help the plants form a framework of ‘permanent’ stems.
In the meantime, check your tires regularly for any that have become too tight around your tree’s trunk and loosen them as needed. After a couple of years, the ties should be replaced with larger and stronger ones to keep your vines from breaking off or becoming unruly.
When to Prune a Wisteria?
To keep your wisterias under control, prune twice each year: once before they leaf out in the spring and again just after flowering. This helps to control vigor, promotes blooming, and keeps your wisterias within their allotted space.
Once the vines have flowered, you’ll want to cut them back to the ground to encourage a neater appearance. This is especially important with standard and tree forms. It’s also necessary to remove any wispy tip growth that developed in the previous growing season just before the flower buds swell up and become fat since these are more likely to cause the vine to look unkempt.
When to Plant a Wisteria from Seed?
If you’re planting a wisteria from seed, be aware that it may never flower. This is more common with Japanese wisteria, but it can occur with Chinese and American varieties as well. In any case, if you plan to grow wisteria from seed, always check the base of the plant for signs of graft, as this can be a cause of flower failure.
Depending on the variety of your wisteria, it should be planted in well-drained soil with a slightly acidic pH of about 6.0. If your soil is too acidic, you can amend it with a small amount of horticultural sand or peat before planting.
When to Trim a Wisteria?
To shape the wisteria’s branches into a more formal appearance, cut off any unwanted side shoots that are about 6 inches long in summer and prune the rest of the year after flowering to 3 buds. This will ensure that your wisteria has a more defined head of flowers, as well as to prevent the vine from taking over your yard and forming a thicket that will be difficult to control.
