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Wisteria - What to do?
jonathanlcarpenter
Posts: 19
Hi there, When we moved into our house we inherited this Wisteria. It looks as though it has been in for a number of years, but probably has had no care or attention. We are now wondering what is the best thing to do with it. We are mainly concerned with the roots and whether this is likely to cause any damage to the house? If so, we will remove it if necessary. If it is not going to cause damage to the house, is there anything we can do with or has it been left too long and its best to remove and replace with something else? If it can be saved, whats the best approach?
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Posts
I suggest you arm yourself with some very clean, sharp secateurs and loppers and remove all the stems growing away from the wall below the level of the upper, horizontal trellis so you can walk past without being mugged. Then look again and remove any small, twiggy stems coming out from the ground or the main stems up to shoulder height just to tidy it up.
After that, take a look higher up and remove any long, whippy stems that will flap about in the wind. Make sure any other stems are loosely tied to your horizontal trellis and cut out any that are crossing windows or heading up towards soffits and gutters.
Then give it a very deep drink - 2 or 3 big cans - and a generous handful of slow release rose or tomato fertiliser around the roots and maybe a can of diluted tomato fertiliser once buds start to burst. Make sure it gets a good big can of water in hot dry spells and remember to feed it every spring.
For future pruning to encourage flowering have a look a t this info from the RHS - https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=242 They also have videos on You Tube.
Basically with Wisterias there's a two-stage pruning task: in June to establish the framework (so you could start then), and in January to trim back side shoots so you end up with flowering spurs, a bit like an apple tree.
This is also a helpful website:
https://thewonderfulgardencompany.co.uk/blogs/gardening/pruning-wisteria
It has information on the best kinds of ties, for example, which would allow you to dispense with the green nylon twine.
Wisterias are wonderful plants and long-lived--yours should give you many years of happiness.
This one faces east and is along the side of our garage wall so is allowed more freedom but I have cut back several stems growing away from the wall.
They are both big enough now that I don't do a strict cut back to two buds in winter and 7 in summer but I do cut back to a framework in winter and then remove or shorten excess whippy stems all summer once the first main flush of flowers is over.
The corrugated iron in the laurel to the left is a temporary feature - Barn roof panels deposited by a tornado during storm Alex.
There is a large expo centre at Nantes with 3 or 4 storey high walls covered in both sinensis and japonica wisterias. They're in flower when I go for the April patchwork and crafts fair tho not, obviously, last year or this. It's beautiful and highly perfumed and buzzes with bees.