Overwintering Wisteria

steve390 · October 2020

A month ago, I ordered a couple of Wisteria which arrived in plastic pots. However the ground where they are to go isn't ready yet so they've been in their pots in a trug with water to keep them fed.

Is there any urgency to get them in the ground or can they be left in their pots over the winter?

Obelixx · October 2020

Check for roots peeping out of the bottom of the pots. If they are, you need to pot them on a size as roots grow over winter. Use a good John Innes no 3 type soil based compost and then store the pots in a sheltered spot for the winter. It may help to wrap the pots - but not the plants - in bubble wrap to protect from frost and make sure the pots can drain as they won't like wet or ice lolly roots.

steve390 · October 2020

Thanks! I've put them in the greenhouse for now and I'll keep an eye on them.

steve390 · November 2020

Just checked the wisteria in the greenhouse. They've shed almost all their leaves apart from one shoot, and some of the old stems have just fallen off with the touch. I'm wondering if they're still OK and whether it might be an idea to plant them now as it is still autumn? There's a bit of frost some mornings. How would they take?

Obelixx · November 2020

Wisteria are hardy down to -20C so, as long as you get the planting done well yours should thrive. Planting in autumn allows their roots to grow and establish before they have to do the hard work of sending sap up to the shoots in spring to make all those glorious flowers.

Take car to make a good planting hole and enrich the soil with well-rotted garden compost and/or manure and make sure the root balls are well soaked and then teased out a bit before planting. Water well after wards and then train to supports as growth starts next spring and be prepared to prune in July and January to encourage the formation of flower buds.

This info from the RHS may help you - https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/popular/wisteria/growing-guide

steve390 · November 2020

Thanks. All done now. Attached are the photos. Please let me know if anybody see any problems.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6030279/uploads/editor/bo/h4zh44dy75pn.png

Obelixx · November 2020

Are you planning to grow it as a standard?

Silver surfer · November 2020

Hmm! Not sure what you hope to do with it?
Wisteria need something to lean against to grow up.
Normally houses/walls.
https://www.google.com/search?q=wisteria+house&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjn5bW1yKDtAhUBQBoKHaNiDUkQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=wisteria+house&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQDDICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADoHCAAQsQMQQzoECAAQQ1CvJVjUNGC2RWgAcAB4AIABX4gBlwSSAQE2mAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWfAAQE&sclient=img&ei=J8-_X6e2IoGAaaPFtcgE&bih=579&biw=1280&client=firefox-b-d

Yours appears to be planted in the middle of a bed.
You can train them as a standard but that needs a support at the top to bear the weight of the leaves and flowers.

https://www.google.com/search?q=training+standard+wisteria+tree&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwiQlMDnyKDtAhVrgM4BHZylCbUQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=training+standard+wisteria+tree&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQDFD1hAJYnpkCYJOoAmgAcAB4AIABdIgB0AaSAQM3LjKYAQCgAQGqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZ8ABAQ&sclient=img&ei=kM-_X5CMJOuAur4PnMumqAs&bih=579&biw=1280&client=firefox-b-d

If your plant is taken from a cutting you will need to be very patient before it flowers.
Sometimes they can take years.
For instant flowers it is better to get more expensive grafted shrub with flowers already on it.

Obelixx gave you a link to RHS...did you read it?
Quote...

"Wisterias flower best in full sun so choose a south- or west-facing wall or pergola. They will grow in slight shade but flowering will be reduced.

Wisterias are hardy, vigorous climbers reaching over 10m (33ft) height and width. You will need to provide support in the form of wires or trellis against a wall, or garden structures like pergola or arch. Wisteria can also be trained up a tree or grown up a support to form a standard. By training a wisteria into a standard it restricts its vigour and allows to you to grow a wisteria in a border or container."

steve390 · November 2020

Oh, sorry, I should have said that there will be a solid pergola in between them that I'm planning to grow them up against. The plant was bought as a sapling a few months ago and not a cutting.

Silver surfer · November 2020

steve390 said:

Oh, sorry, I should have said that there will be a solid pergola in between them that I'm planning to grow them up against. The plant was bought as a sapling a few months ago and not a cutting.

You say "THEM".
Have you planted more than one?
They tend to grow huge and need massive of room.

Would be better to have had your pergola in place before planting your wisteria.
Otherwise you risk damaging the roots.

Sapling/young wisteria bought in garden centres can be from a cutting...very cheap.
Or grafted ones....more expensive.

You need to look very carefully at the main stem to see if you can find a graft.
No graft..then it is one from a cutting.

steve390 · November 2020

The pergola is going in tomorrow and the holes for that are already done, so there shouldn't be any risk of affecting the roots. I'll post a photo once this is done. Thanks for the clarification about the cutting. This wasn't an expensive wisteria so I think you're right but I'm happy to be patient. :-)

Overwintering Wisteria

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