That's not very encouraging news there LOL do we have to have ours split in half in order to see blooms? My mom had one too and it never bloomed.
I see them all over the place that have over grown in the trees, and their full of blooms. This tells me i'm not suppose to prune mine,
I think when the time comes that my pink one looks like it's taking over, I"m going to take the vines and entangle them into each other and wrap them through andthrough sort of instead of trimming, so it's all inttact, but a little less mess LOL we'll see how that goes.
Chinese Wisteria 1st Blooms
Beautiful blooms on the Wisterias.
Mine got hit hard by the late freeze last year. It was killed back to the ground. It is about 20 years old and has bloomed maybe 3 times. I am hoping that the stress of the freeze last year may encourage it to bloom this year.
It usually sets buds too early and gets frost bit.
They are so beautiful when they bloom
Betty
Misery, as they say, loves company. And so I am somewhat pleased to learn that others have this stubborn plant that never blooms. I bought two several, maybe ten, years ago. One promptly died; the other grew like topsy, up over the pergola, way up in my old chaste tree - and just refuses to bloom. I've root-pruned the thing as that was supposed to help. Not. This year, I decided to give it the Lizzie Borden treatment so I chopped off tons of roots and nearly all of the top. Maybe I should split it down the middle and beat it with a newspaper! Now, whenever I complain to a nursery about my non-blooming wisteria, they say "don't buy one unless it's in bloom." Well, now they tell me.
I do love your pictures, though.
The plant that I got was from one that a friend has that has bloomed every year for many years and she does nothing special with hers. It was well rooted and about 2' tall when I got it from her, and I still can't believe that it has only bloomed in full that one time. Her's is still going strong and blooming like crazy every year. Guess it is the soil or something as I can't believe that it is the pruning after all my different attempts over the years. Last year I believe that it got 2 blooms and the tree is quite large? Go figure, will be anxious as always to see what this year brings.
I think if it is nice this weekend I am going to go out and hit it a few times with my rubber mallet, just for the heck of it. Now that it has been a few years the split part has come apart and I guess healed itself like a bad wound. Will have to take another photo.
I have a small one I bought a few years ago, it is slow growing,and hasn't bloomed since I bought it.But, I have it by the pond,so I'm going to dig it up,and put it in a large pot I have been trying to figure out what to plant in it.Thank you for the info all....
Cat54,
Putting your Wisteria in a big pot could be the solution to having it blooms soon for you. Best of luck. So far, I've one that's full of buds, the currius thing about wisteria is that they make flower buds on both old/new woods. But pruning them down to a manageable size, seemed to help them budding out. This tiny Wisteria in my bonsai-training pot is full of flower buds. However, other hasn't gotten this advance. It's too early yet, I think, but this baby (purchased pring before last, while it was bearing flower from local Lowes or HD). For those of us just now starting out to experiment with this gorgeous flowering vine in the early spring. Purchase them in blooms, or take cuttings from mature vines from friends and neighbor is THE thing to do -- since they don't general bloom until 5-7 years of age. I'm glad this thread could offer some helpful tips to enjoy this lovely vines.
Lily_love, I'm really interested in how you did the bonsai of the wisteria. Sounds like something I would like to do but can't figure out how to keep it in a small bonsai pot. Laverne
Laverne;
I'll spend some time this afternoon and walk you through it. I'm new too, but got some good result. So hang with me. We've a little bit of sunshine outdoor today, and I'm out there take advantage of the sun shine. Thanks the lord above for a sunny day. Will get back this evening.
Kim
Kim, Take your time. I probably won't be back on the puter until tonight. Thanks, Laverne
Lily_love,
Thx for the info,the plant is about 4 yrs old,so maybe it will do well in the pot.It was blooming when I bought it at HD,so I know it can.LOL
I'm so ready to get in the yard,spent the winter working on the inside of the house,have the new bathroom(original one actually) almost done,the house is from the 20's,so it was in dire need.
I need some help figuring out what to plant in the front beds,I have some autumn fern, which is doing good,but need some more,any ideas? It faces north by the way.
Photo of my dragonfly at the pond,they have been here since I put the pond in.So many beautiful ones drop by in the summer....these are my favorites.
So you've a few years old Wisteria but it doesn't bloom? Problems could include;
1. Rich garden soil.
2. Regular watering
3. Too much fertilizer
4. Needs root prune
To correct the problem;
1. Keep your soil lean. Do not add any amendment.
2. Withhold water; keep the soil on the dried side. I plant top dress with some decorative living mulch such as creeping plox, verbena. I add 1 purple conflower. I only water the Wisteria by looking at the purple coneflower if it begine to droop. I water the pot, allow it to completely saturate, and will not water it again, until the coneflower wilt again before I repeat the watering process. (Your coneflower may not look at its best - but it serves as a water-gauge for your Wisteria needs of moisture).
3. In early spring before the leave bud unfurl. I prune the wayward growth; don't be afraid to prune, that only stimulate the vine to put out more growths. Shape the vine/tree to your desired shape. Fertilize it generously with tripple phosphate. No nitrogen, since notrogen only stimulate leafy growth.
4. Prune the roots, once the vine is in a pot, long strand of roots may escape the parimeter of the pot. Cut those back to its boundary.
* Also, do not prune the "spurs" those stubby short stems near the base of the trunk, those are your inflorescents (future flower stalks). Wisteria are currius, they put out flowers both on the old woods, as well as those one year-old branch. So leave those alone. Soon you will see flowers. Hopefully this spring.
Another thing I need to stress, the vine will not flower unless it's 5-7 years of age.
My Wisteria as posted above from last year, it was at least 2 years old when I planted it. 5 years later it bloomed for me.
The dark purple Japanese Wisteria of my neighbor (as picture later in the post above) is a much older vine which was prune back down to roughly 2.5 feet tall. The wayward branches were allow to form a canopy to shape the "tree" like form.
The tree blooms best in a drought crisis. The neighbor doesn't water the vine at all. It thrives on total neglect! Most of us gardener will not consider this treatment. But, wisterias need those condition to flourish and blossom.
Feel free to ask specific question, I'd try to assist if I could.
Kim
Kim,
Thanks for the great information. Mine must be a soil problem as the plant is very mature (8-10) years now and as stated only bloomed profusely after the split. I have only had 2-3 blooms each year since and have tried trimming each year in a different season.
Think I will try cutting the runners along the ground this year in early spring, plunge the shovel into the ground around to sever a root or 2 and then twist the rest of the long growth as if braiding its hair and see what happens.
Candee
Best of lucks, Candee. Currently I've two little Chinese wisterias in bonsai-training pots, they were bought at the same time, and were both in blooming age from the garden center. Last year they both bloomed for me, though I don't remember if they bloomed the exact same time. This past year, I've given the two the exact growing condition, the exact size of container. One is putting out flower buds left and right. The other isn't.
So I may just take a rolled up newspaper and "slap" it (the one without the flower buds) couple of time, talk to it sternly and perhap threaten to trow it into a junk pile if it doesn't bloom? lol, I'll keep y'all posted as how it turns out.
Kim
This is another Chinese wisteria that I hope to make it into a bonsai. I allowed this wisteria's roots to escape the pot during the growing season last year. The trunk has increased considerably (compared to that of the other two) if we allow the long tap roots to run on top of the garden surface (that help us from having to dig those up because they could tunnel a long way before they re-surface and sprouts up rampantly in the garden - which will be difficult to rid off later). This one is large enough to be trained into a real bonsai pot. I'll wait until it blooms this year, then I'll gradually prune the vine to the shape that I like. Our shaping/pruning of the vine will be gradual. I'll take pics. and share with everyone how I go about doing this in the spring/summer ahead of us.
Kim
Slowly but surely these flower buds are getting bigger and bigger everyday. :-)
Kim,
I dug my wisteria up,and replanted it in a large planter,like you said,I cut it back... so now we'll see if I did it right. I hope so, I love the plant,and have always wanted one in bloom.You have helped me with your photos and information,thank you! Becki
I hope the transplant alone will stimulate the plant to flower for you, PWC54, pruning too is definately going to help it some. Did you use just ordinary garden soil for it? No fertilizer, only give it tripple phospate if you must. As a rule when we freshly pot any type of planting, do not fertilize them heavily (that could injur the wounded roots), wait a week or two before you give them the triple phospate. Then watch them bloom. :-)
Ahh, BTW, my other small pot of wisteria is now beginning to put on buds, flower-buds! :-)
It was a mixture of garden soil and some potting soil..... nothing else put in it.It got a good rain today,after my watering,so maybe the natural water will help too.
Photos of your wisterias,please! You all are better than any gardening magazine,I can get the info and pics I need or want,and plus everyone is so nice in their responses... ya rock ,ladies!
These are a few of the last spring pics. of the standard Chinese Wisteria that I planted in my half whiskey barrel.
#1
#2, notice how the Chinese W. Flowers open up before the leaves emerge.
#3 The long inflorescents dangling in the spring breeze.
#4 More of the 'Standard' Wisteria.
Today is the first day I spotted some flower bud on the same Wisteria above. Oh Yes!!!
Kim
Kim, ok, Yesterday it rained snowed around here,today it is in the 70's ,tomorrow more snow rain. *sigh* About the time it gets pretty, I am ready to buy flowers,then it gets cold the next day....I wish it would quit teasing us!
You aren't kidding, but it's good to know we aren't alone. lol. For us that live in the South, spring is right around the corner though. I've noticed my viburnum leaf are budding out and getting ready to unfurl. Wooohooo.
My japanese maple has buds too,I have it in a pot ,in the back,so it's protected to a point.
I have to say,I did get some bulbs,and they are sitting...waiting.......
Every year my wisterias get eaten alive by japanese beetles. I spray them but it doesn't help. Are these creatures eating the flower buds? Is this why it doesnt bloom? It gets plenty of leaves, I dont water it or fertalize it. It is at least 7 years old. I tried root pruning it last year but that didn't help either. I keep it shaped.
Thank you, Kathy
Kathy, I'll share some experience with how to control JP in the garden. Unfortunately those bugs love Japanese Maples, adore Roses, and they also love Wisteria (young leafy growth). But, in my zone, when the dreaded JPs erupt -- which is around 3rd weeks of May. Some Wisteria if they blooms, they are pretty safe from those munching critters because the blooms are well on the way and spent by then.
Foliage growth is essential for most any plants. Control the JP is to help your garden in the long run.... Wisterias like I've shared with my past experience; they won't bloom if the soil is rich, and especially if they receive abundant water in the growing season.
The most effective control of JP is the biological control agents called "Milky Spores" I recommend that you do some research on those and decide for yourself if it's right for your garden or not. It's expensive, and it takes time to be most effective.
Happy gardening.
Here is a small Chinese Wisteria I raised in pot. It's putting out flower buds. I've forced these into blooms among others....
This is the same Wisteria that bloomed last year for the first time for me. It's in a half wiskey barrel pot. Which is once again putting out many flower buds at present.
A close up of those flower buds....
Another close up...of the Chinese Wisteria above.
Here is a different Wisteria. This one is a Japanese Wisteria. The difference? Their foliage leafed out while the flower buds are forming. This one is also in a large pot, which is trained onto my swing arbor. This one has signaled its readiness to bloom last year. But not until this year it's first noticed with abundant buds. Another one on the opposite site has yet putting out bud this year....both were planted at the same time, so I'll wait a while and see if the buds will come up....
Thank you LL
Lily the blooms that you forced are amazing! What is the trick to make Wisteria bloom?
PerennialG; I've posted all the tricks that I know how to get them bloomed. I'm a little disappointed though, because I was hoping that I have 5 wisteria to bloom this year, but as it turned out there are only 4. Remember, what ever tricks we utililize, Wisteria needs to be 5-7 year old in order to bloom as mentioned earlier.
Here is the update on the Chinese Wisteria today.
It has been 2 days to the date when my Chinese Wisteria first bloomed last year. I realize it's time to begin a new thread for "Chinese Wisteria; the second year". So I'll initiate a new thread. Please stay tuned.
We continue here:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/830549/
Revisit the once exuberant Chinese wisteria. It must be in some type of grievance since the year it first bloomed back in 2007, it hasn't bloomed well since. The environment has changed ... nothing good lasts forever!!! The once sunny side where it was located has gradually turned into a shady land, then we experienced several spring floods. Then I decided to move the plant to a sunnier location last spring. This spring, dispite the additional attention. The tree just refused to bloom.
Only 2 inflorescents were seen this year.
Sorry your wisteria decided to quit blooming!!! I just love wisteria but don't really have room to grow it. It was growing on a fence when I first moved in this house about 29 years ago but it would never bloom. I did everything but nothing helped. I finally cut it way back - can't kill it - it's still growing but just don't have as much of it and it has never bloomed in 29 years. Last year I bought one I was going to keep in a pot but it didn't make it over the winter. Think I'm going to give up and just other peoples wisteria!
They're quite tempermental. I saw buds, but not sure if those may just be leave buds. Seem as if the main ingredient they require to bloom are sunshine. Our yard is becoming more and more shady....that could be the pitfall of it all.