Hi there- I live in the lower mainland (BC). Do you have any tips on planting Chinese Wisteria? I want it to grow rapidly and crawl up my latices. When is a good time to plant one? Is March too early? Thanks
There are many question you need to ponder if you are considering growing a Chinese Wisteria. I have several in our yard - two up separate trees, two along separate sectons of the fence, another trained as a standard and yet another one in a container. They are fast growers and vigorous. They need room. If you want to keep them small and to size, you need to be deligent in keeping up with regular pruning. You should try and visualise how you want it to look like, and in the following years of training and prunining, keep to your vision. If left alone, it becomes a jumble of foliage with sparse blooms. In fact, it could easily overwhelm the structure. Don't forget too, that it generally take a few years before it really starts to put on a good show. In fact, with most varieties, do not expect any blooms for the first 2-3 years. The best description for the pruning technique is an article by Cass Turnbull at Plant Amnesty. As for growing, late fall is usually the best time to plant it, as a dormant specimen. But March would be fine in the lower mainland. Here is an example of a "standard trained" wisteria. In full bloom, it is absolutely stunning.
Hello I would recommend that you carefully select the location for your Wisteria, as once it is established, the tap root goes very deep and does not like to be transplanted a few years down the road....a sunny locale is preferred from my experience...and good drainage. I have planted and transplanted wisteria, with success as early as January (now), during this season's mild winter...in fact my citrus, brugmansias, aloes and jades are all out of doors, until the next frost.. And remember to provide herculean support to your Wisteria...they demand it...unless you wish to compact prune regularly...good luck.
I second the advice regarding the sturdiest and most long lasting support you can provide. The standard trained wisteria in the picture above is held up by a 2 inch stainless steel faence post set in concrete 2 feet deep. And by Jove! it needs it.
Hi- thanks a lot! This is my vision. Our deck has a sturdy, what-do-you-call-it roof like trellis. I do have a wisteria in a very large pot but it doesn't grow fast enough. Thanks for the tips.
