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A wisteria with no 'get up and go'
I live in southern Spain so no snow ice or frost. About 5 years ago in September I bought a Wisteria plant from a local nursery. It was about 2 foot tall and I planted it in an 18in pot .
In its first year it sent off strong shoots and by the end of the year it stood about 7 feet supported by a metal pergola. In the February it flowered and has continued to do so each year sometimes flowering twice in the year. That all sounds good so what is the problem?
It has never produced and further growing shoots other than the small flowering points. I had planned for it to cover the pergola even expecting problems in controlling its growth.
Can you knowledgeable gardeners offer advice as to encouraging it to grow more vigorously.
My only thought was that the pot was on the small side.
In its first year it sent off strong shoots and by the end of the year it stood about 7 feet supported by a metal pergola. In the February it flowered and has continued to do so each year sometimes flowering twice in the year. That all sounds good so what is the problem?
It has never produced and further growing shoots other than the small flowering points. I had planned for it to cover the pergola even expecting problems in controlling its growth.
Can you knowledgeable gardeners offer advice as to encouraging it to grow more vigorously.
My only thought was that the pot was on the small side.
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Wisteria is a plant that needs a large deep rootrun ... it's not really suitable for a pot ... as you have found it will be very unhappy there. It's also quite a thirsty plant. Is there any way you can prepare a good spot for it in the ground?
@Obelixx has grown several wisterias very successfully ... hopefully she'll see this and be able to offer more help.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
As they grow, wisteria trunks attain tree like proportions and very deep roots to support all the growth above and with all the flowers and foliage that's a heavy load to feed and hold up. Growing one in a pot is just asking for itto behave like a bonsai and doing that in Spain means you're likely to be baking the roots in the heat and adding further stress.
If you want it to cover a pergola you'll need to get it in the ground and expect to water it regularly for its first full growing season while it establishes a decent root run.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
Perhaps I made a bad choice?
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
I will consider them all and take appropriate action. But as I feel at the moment the future of the wisteria is not looking good.