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Growing clematis and wisteria together?
Mr. Vine Eye
Posts: 2,394
in Plants
Hi all, I planted a wisteria in September - it's young and I've cut it to just above the first tier of a set of horizontal wires on my shed.
I'm wondering if I could successfully grow a clematis on the same support to intertwine with the wisteria and prolong the flowering time.
I was thinking of a Group 1 viticella that would flower in summer.
In my mind the issue - potentially - would be if it made pruning the wisteria too difficult in summer. Having never grown either plant before I'm not sure. I assume that the winter pruning wouldn't be an issue as the clematis could be cut back first allowing easy access to the wisteria.
Im planing to grow the wisteria like an espalier - so training branches in horizontally, keeping to the size of the shed - summer and winter pruning lateral growth to a few buds to encourage the flowering spurs.
If I were to do this, could I plant the clematis this coming year? Or would it be too much for the wisteria? I'm thinking that with wisteria being such a vigorous plant it should be fine as long as I keep the clematis off it for the first couple of years - I could train the clematis up canes onto the higher tier wires and avoid growth where it would conflict with the wisteria.
Any advice very much appreciated as always.
I'm wondering if I could successfully grow a clematis on the same support to intertwine with the wisteria and prolong the flowering time.
I was thinking of a Group 1 viticella that would flower in summer.
In my mind the issue - potentially - would be if it made pruning the wisteria too difficult in summer. Having never grown either plant before I'm not sure. I assume that the winter pruning wouldn't be an issue as the clematis could be cut back first allowing easy access to the wisteria.
Im planing to grow the wisteria like an espalier - so training branches in horizontally, keeping to the size of the shed - summer and winter pruning lateral growth to a few buds to encourage the flowering spurs.
If I were to do this, could I plant the clematis this coming year? Or would it be too much for the wisteria? I'm thinking that with wisteria being such a vigorous plant it should be fine as long as I keep the clematis off it for the first couple of years - I could train the clematis up canes onto the higher tier wires and avoid growth where it would conflict with the wisteria.
Any advice very much appreciated as always.
East Yorkshire
0
Posts
Sorry, I know sometimes I joke too much....
A friend used to have a wisteria around their bungalow windows and it was hard work keeping it in check once it got settled in. Though it did look fantastic in flower.
Mr Vine viticella are group three (3) just to clarify, though you are right they can be cut back hard in spring. You can tidy them up a lot in winter too if need be as they are pretty tough, and any wispy bits left will pretty much dry up and blow away.
Also for the first couple of years I would want to make sure I familiarised myself with the Wisteria and practice the art of successful pruning, and you really don't want anything else clambering over it during this period... it should be understood that on a wall or fence - shed even - your aim will be to develop short outward facing spurs in order to display the long racemes of flowers properly, and not to allow spurs growing towards the shed, and to remove any long growths that grow behind the main framework as it will start to look cluttered and clumsy..
Size is not an issue as Wisteria can be pruned to any height or width... as you can see with standards... so control is something you will develop over time..
It would be good to know the name of the Wisteria in question... if it is an American hybrid then they are of a dwarfer form in any case...
It be easier to prune the wisteria
Group 3 flower after the wisteria extending the flowering period.
Group 3 clematis are easy prune than group 1 or 2, and particularly group 1 (montana ) may swamping a wisteria stopping the flowering buds ripening.
And because I've already planted a Clematis G3 with a wisteria on my pergola, this is clematis Viticella supernova and wisteria sinensis
The Wisteria is a Sinensis Prolific.
I agree that it would make sense to just let that get established in its space before having the clematis.
I had a good think about the suitability of the shed as a plant support before setting to it. But it is quite a large shed - very solidly built with a sturdy structure. The wood is planed pressure treated timber which I've retreated and painted with stuff that should last and protect for several years. The wires are held a few inches away from the wood as well.
if it doesn't work out or becomes too much work then I'll remove it and plant something else - like another rose - in fact if I hadn't already bought the wisteria that's what I'd have done now.
The Group 2s are straightforward, but you need to look at the flowering times to see what suits. If you want a long succession of flowers, you could pick one of each of those types to give a good display.
Either way, it's worth spending time training the growth well horizontally to get the best coverage.
I think I'd agree that having the two plants on a shed will be too much, if one is a Wisteria. I have no experience of them, but I know you need to have enough time to spend getting the pruning right and following it well to get the best results. I feel they're better suited to a house wall though, to benefit from their full effect.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
We have inherited 2 wisteria which both have triffid ambitions. Both are old enough now to be free standng with no framework other than their own branches but both need constant pruning to stop the spring and summer growth of whippy stems getting out of hand and then in winter, when we can see better, we get up and prune all the stems heading under gutters, roof tiles and beyond their boundaries.
The first has nothing planted below as there is no bed but I di have pots there and the second has a teeny bed in which I have planted spring and autumn flowering bulbs and some persicaria. Too dry for anything else in this area.
Wish I had the space to do something similar to your trellis Papi Jo. I'm starting to wonder if maybe I could have a little shuffle around with some of my plants, move the wisteria into the border and grow it as a small standard on a strong tree stake.
Use the shed for growing another rose or just a clematis.
The shed is the main view from the kitchen window so that's why I was thinking it would be nice to have flowers there for as long as possible.
Have only a small garden but want to fill it with as wide a variety of plants as I can.