I bought a tall wisteria two years ago and it flowered (a little) last summer but there has been no sign of flowers this year. Now it looks like a tall stick with a few rather raggedy leaves branching off from three or four shoots at the top. It has never been pruned and has only a tall bamboo to climb. It has reached beyond the height of that bamboo and I was going to hammer some nails and wire into the brickwork to help it along but it hardly seems worth the effort for the show we've had this year. As you may be able to tell I am a novice and would like advice on whether it can be salvaged. Cal.
Did it make any new shoots? I have a runaway on a 2nd storey balcony and it makes huge long tendrils that I prune back over summer. My flower buds are starting to show (spring coming here) I don't prune in winter till i see where the flowers are. Is it in a pot? Could it be pot bound, hungry..... Are you able to plant it in the garden in Autumn when all the leaves are gone so it can get a good run on. Liz
The lack of pruning could be one of your problems. wisteria should have it's new growth pruned in late summer back to between 4 and 6 (somthing like 15 cm) buds to create flowering spurs and then again in winter cutting the spurs cut back to 2 or 3 buds. if it's only been in the ground since last year it might just be sulking at being planted out but it should take off once it settles in give it a feed too. It's worth getting some support up now before it takes off and getting at the wall becomes a problem.
Thank you for all the advice and suggestions. It is not in a pot but when we had the front of the house repaved, we left a few holes for plants. This one is right next to the house so I think it is very dry as it can't get the moisture from elsewhere. On the other hand, we also have some roses in other similar holes and they are doing quite well. There are a few new green shoots (since I started watering regularly). But all of this is happening right at the top of the plant. Surely it should be sprouting lower down too. Cal.
No it will sprout from the end. It may have been grafted. Do you know if it is a run of the mill mauve one or something special. I think your best thing to do is water and feed and wait for it's bad hair day. I have one out the front that has taken off up the 60 ft gum tree. Am gong to have to rein that one in or it will be in the power lines. That is the old fashion mauve one Liz http://www.silktree.co.uk/wisteria.html
It would be helpful to know exactly what kind of wisteria you've got, as these plants can sometimes be finicky about flowering. Christopher Lloyd writes in "The Well-Tempered Garden":
