We had planted a small wisteria last summer and since that time it has displayed amazing growth - we figure it will only be a few years before we need to extend our trellis to accommodate this beautiful climber:
I would start working out which branches you want to train and do pruning according to your climatic conditions. We have had a fair few questions and threads on Wisteria and most seem to be having some problem getting them to grow and flower. How long did it take for yours to flower? http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0600/wisteria.asp Liz
Congrats! Your's is already flowering. It took mine almost 10 years to flower. I am thinking about buying another wisteria, but I don't want to wait 10 years to see a flower! What type of wisteria did you purchase? Also, love your dog as she/he looks like me! Cheers! B
Liz, Thanks for the advice regarding pruning - I had erroneously planned to simply let it grow untouched for a couple years and then cut it back as necessary. When pruning, do I cut back the unwanted branches all the way back to the original stalk? With regards to growing and flowering - the wisteria was planted in August last year and literally grew several feet by October. This year it is displaying an abundance of blooms. It was purchased at a local nursery and was in a medium sized pot and about three feet high at time of purchase ... we fertilized with a product called Sea Soil which is a local, organic soil/compost/seaweed blend. Also, I suspect, the climate here on Vancouver Island, British Columbia is ideal for wisteria. I think my only concern is that the leaves seem to be awfully pale green - if that is normal for wisteria, great, because we love the colour but were worried maybe it was getting too much of "something" nutrient wise? Attached is a larger picture of the leaves...
The soft green will harden up to a tough dark green and if it is like mine to a golden autumn show. I wait a little while after blooming probably mid summer and I remove some of the long trailers I don't want because they are heading up trees etc. In your case try and tie them to the trellis (at least those that will become the bones of your flat tree). I then remove any young new shoots that seem to come up from every where. Again for this time around wait till it is your pruning season and the leaves are off then prune all the little stuff out. Just be careful to leave the flower spurs on your main branches. You will see them as you know what the new flowers look like. Liz
Thanks Liz, much appreciated - I hope we get to see a golden autumn foilage as well as it sounds wonderful. Cheers,
