Wisteria
Heavy with scent, the racemes hang down through the cherry red beams creating an enchanting tunnel for selfies and a wondrous walk to meander down.
Everyone wants to recreate their own wisteria moment, but it’s worth reflecting on their power and might before going overboard at your own place…wisteria can be very vigorous and pruning it properly is key to having great blooms and the perfect shade for your pergola. There are many types too, with white, pink and double forms available.
The key three ingredients to success are:
- Position
- Needs
- Pruning
Position
Wisteria likes full sun, preferably all day long and all year long. Judiciously prune back any trees that might be shading out your vine.
Needs
Wisteria loves water and this needs to be applied liberally to all the root system, not to the trunk of the plant. Remember that plants roots are far reaching, and likely to be under all the foliage, so this is the perimeter that needs coverage. If you don’t water enough, you will get stressed suckering root growth as a result.
Pruning
Wisteria needs to be regularly trimmed. In winter, the vine should be cut back to its main framework, which should be trained to sit on top or your structure rather than twine at will. Identify your flowering buds (the fat, plump ones) and leave these so you get spring blooms. After flowering in spring, remove any side and water shoots, and any suckers.
by Meredith Kirton
