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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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| List of FAQs | ||
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Q. WHY DOESN'T MY WISTERIA VINE BLOOM?A. Pruning is usually the answer, either the lack of, or done improperly. Other less common reasons may be lack of sunlight, the plant is too young, and sometimes if you have a plant grown from seed rather than a grafted variety. Our double flowered, grafted, Chinese Wisteria at the nursery is usually breathtaking in Spring. This vine was planted by the previous owners about 15 years ago and had a difficult start. Since we adopted it 6 years ago, it's had some major initial prunings , and now a good prune after it blooms and once again sometime on a dry day in Winter. After the first hard prune , we also built a huge ( 15'x24' ) free standing pergola for the vine to grow on in full sun. Providing this structure has created a wonderful shady area in summer and also makes pruning much easier. Notice I mentioned free standing structure, we never reccommend planting Wisteria on a building, these vines left unattended for any amount of time can litterally engulf the building. Once established
your Wisteria shouldn't need much in the way of fertilizer, though a little
top dressing
of compost annually never hurts. Be sure you provide good drainage to the vine,
this is the only thing I've ever seen kill an otherwise healthy plant. Much
of the pruning depends on the type
of structure you have. If you
decide to take on the task of pruning your own Wisteria, first choose one or
two main leaders from the main stem. Once you have chosen your main leaders
train them to go the length you need, then as the plant grows, trim any secondary
or "sucker" growth
down to about 4" or 4 nodes. As you prune over the seasons you will be able
to recognize what sucker growth needs to be pruned down or out, always cut out
dead or weak branches and cut out any crossing to allow maximum light. Books
may help you with this task, but also hiring a proffessional initially is a good
idea, watch what they do and take notes. I'ts actually fun once you get the hang
of it and definitely rewarding when you see the "blooms" of your
efforts! |
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