Tips for Growing a Wisteria Plant
The Wisteria plant is a member of the pea family; it is a vigorous plant that has plenty of twisting vines that works well for landscaping large areas. There are ten different varieties of Wisteria; these plants are native to Asia, but there are a couple varieties that originate in the southern region of the United States.
With the Wisteria plant you not only get flora that is hardy and easy to grow, but their tendency to grow upward are an attribute that many people like. In the spring this plant will bloom with beautiful clusters of flowers; the colors vary by the type of Wisteria, they can be white, pink, to blue and a deep violet color. Once the plant is older and well established it will have a wood like trunk that will be several inches around.
It will take anywhere from 10 to 15 years for the Wisteria plant to flower if it is grown from seed. If you would like the plant to flower sooner it is best to grow it from a seedling.
The most popular type of Wisteria plant to grow in the home garden is the Chinese Wisteria; this plant can grow up to 25 feet and has flower clusters that can be up to a foot high. These violet blue flowers will bloom in the spring and provide the most beauty landscape in mid to late May.
The Wisteria plant will do well if it is planted in full sun; it should have anywhere from 6 to 8 hours of sunlight each day. It is necessary to fertilize the soil though you have to be careful not to add too much fertilizer. It is also recommended that the soil be moist; if it dries out too quickly it could harm your plant. As the Wisteria grows you will want to provide some type of support for the vines, as they will become heavy as the plant matures.
When growing the Wisteria plant it is important that you prepare the soil correctly to help the plant become established. Soil testing is important to ensure that the pH levels are good and if they are not you will have to add materials to the soil to correct the problem. The area that you prepare will need to be about 2 to 3 feet in diameter and approximately 18 inches deep. You will need to mix compost or peat moss into the soil; the mixture should be about on third of the total volume of soil that will be in the planting area. This will improve soil conditions, as well as provide better drainage.
Due to the fact that the Wisteria plant is a climbing vine you will want to provide either some wire, a trellis or an arbor for the plant to grow upwards on. When planting the Wisteria, ensure that you are choosing a location where the vines will not grow into the building’s gutters and clog them.
You can also plant Wisteria in a way that it will grow upright into a tree like shape; to do this you will need to provide support and prune the bottom shoots during the summer. Although it is possible to use a tree as support for the Wisteria plant, this is not really recommended, as you will be taking the chance that the Wisteria will choke out the tree and kill it. Even when growing the Wisteria on a trellis or arbor you will want to be sure that you prune the plant on a regular basis. Not only will this encourage flowering, but it will keep it from overtaking nearby plants.
When growing the Wisteria plant do not be overly concerned if it fails to bloom when you expect it to; the problem could simply be that it is still in its juvenile period. Other problems that can cause it not to bloom include not getting enough sunlight, too much pruning, or a severe winter.