1. Why won’t my wisteria flower?
It could be too young, wisteria usually flower after about 5 years. Also, wisteria can take a few years to settle into their new environment before flowering. Alternatively it could be graft failure, which can happen many years after planting, although it is rare.
2. How do I prune my wisteria?
Click here to visit our How to Prune Wisteria page
3. Which wisteria is best for a pot?
Wisteria sinensis make the best wisteria for pots.
4. Which wisteria is best for an arch or pergola?
Wisteria floribunda, as the racemes are longer and hang down.
5. Do wisteria flower in the North of England?
Yes! Just a few weeks later than in the warmer parts of the UK.
6. What do I feed my wisteria?
If planted in the ground, wisteria do not need any feed, as legumes they fix their own nitrogen from the soil.
If planted in a pot, wisteria benefit from a slow release feed given when the buds begin to elongate, and additional monthly liquid feeds.
7. What kind of compost do I need for growing wisteria in a pot?
I recommend a mix of loam based peat free compost, very fine composted bark and grit 3:2:2 ratio.
8. Do I need to water during hot weather if my wisteria is growing in the ground?
If the plant shows any sign of wilting, yes, otherwise no.
9. Which wisteria is best for scent?
Wisteria sinensis forma alba Jako, Wisteria sinensis Amethyst, Wisteria brachybotrys Okoyama, Wisteria brachybotrys forma albiflora Shiro-Kapitan
10. Will wisteria tolerate a being cut down to a more manageable size?
Yes, although they may forfeit flowers for a year.
11. How can I tell if a new wisteria is going to flower?
You can tell when the buds begin to swell in Spring, flower buds are larger and elongate before opening.
12. When is the best time to buy a wisteria plant?
At flowering time when you can see the flower colour, especially if you are looking for a specific cultivar. As with many plants they can be mislabelled.
13. I’ve been given a wisteria with no label, how do I work out what type of wisteria it is?
If it twines anti-clockwise it could be Wisteria frutescens, Wisteria brachybotrys or Wisteria sinensis, or if it twines clockwise Wisteria floribunda. Hybrid cultivars can twine either way.
Then, you will have to wait for flowers to determine the cultivar.
14. When is the best time to plant a wisteria?
Any time other than in hot weather. They will need watering the first year or so in dry weather until they are established.
15. How hardy is wisteria?
Hardy to minus 20 degrees centigrade when dormant, but opening flower buds are susceptible to late frost damage.
16. Will wisteria flower is a shady garden?
Not very successfully, they love full sun.
17. Which type of wisteria is best for a small garden?
Any, if pruned correctly and often.
18. What is the best way to get rid of scale bugs on wisteria?
Spray with 99% alcohol and rub off with fingers.
19. What are the brown blotches and yellow margins on the leaves of my wisteria?
Possibly powdery mildew, or a sign of underwatering.
20. Do wisteria flowers repel bugs like gnats and mosquitoes?
No!
21. How important is wisteria for biodiversity?
Bees absolutely love them, and birds such as thrushes like to nest in them.
22. How long do wisteria live for?
They can live for hundreds of years.
23. What is the oldest known living wisteria?
Probably some of the wisteria plants at Kasuga Grand Shrine in Japan, reported to be hundreds of years old. There are many shrines in Japan with ancient wisteria.
24. Where is the best place to buy wisteria from?
A reputable nursery, preferably a wisteria specialist. (insert link to links page on website)
25. Do I need to change the compost in my potted wisteria?
Yes, when the roots fill the pot and there is no soil left, it will need a root prune (remove about half of the roots) and new compost.
26. What can I do about the long wispy bits growing at the bottom of my wisteria?
ALWAYS CUT THESE OFF! Potentially they can be root stock shoots which if left unmanaged can be stronger than the cultivar in vigour and outgrow it – just like with roses.
27. Are there any likely problems with growing wisteria in a pot?
Not if its fed, watered and root pruned when it fills the pot eventually.
28. My wisteria is rotting at the bottom, is the plant dying?
Unfortunately, it is very likely that it is dying. This happens occasionally with large wisteria, which is devastating, but no one really knows why.