Wisteria
Buy a named, grafted cultivar rather than a seed-grown plant if possible — seed-grown wisteria can take a decade or more to flower.
Care
Sheltered — needed for good flowering.
Standard climber watering.
Fertile, well-drained soil; deep rich soil encourages lush leafy growth at the expense of flowers, so avoid over-feeding with high-nitrogen fertiliser.
Prune twice a year: cut back long whippy summer growth to five or six leaves in late summer, then cut those same shoots back further to two or three buds in winter.
A high-potash feed in early spring and again after the summer prune; sulphate of potash is the traditional choice. Never use a nitrogen-rich lawn feed anywhere near a wisteria — it produces metres of growth and no flowers at all.
Layering a low shoot in summer is the reliable home method, and it takes a year. Bear in mind that nearly all good wisterias are grafted and that a seed-raised plant may take fifteen years to flower, if it ever does.
Month by month
Months change with the climate: in southern Italy tomatoes go out two months earlier than in England.
- JanuaryWinter prune — cut the summer-shortened shoots back further to two or three buds. how ›
- MarchFeed with a potassium-rich (not high-nitrogen) fertiliser as flower buds form. how ›
- JulySummer prune — cut back long whippy shoots to five or six leaves. how ›
Months based on climate: UK. Your choice stays on this device.
- JanuaryWinter prune — cut the summer-shortened shoots back further to two or three buds. how ›
- MarchFeed with a potassium-rich (not high-nitrogen) fertiliser as flower buds form. how ›
- JulySummer prune — cut back long whippy shoots to five or six leaves. how ›
Months based on climate: Northern Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
- JanuaryWinter prune — cut the summer-shortened shoots back further to two or three buds. how ›
- FebruaryFeed with a potassium-rich (not high-nitrogen) fertiliser as flower buds form. how ›
- JulySummer prune — cut back long whippy shoots to five or six leaves. how ›
Months based on climate: Central Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
- JanuaryWinter prune — cut the summer-shortened shoots back further to two or three buds. how ›
- FebruaryFeed with a potassium-rich (not high-nitrogen) fertiliser as flower buds form. how ›
- JulySummer prune — cut back long whippy shoots to five or six leaves. how ›
Months based on climate: Southern Italy and islands. Your choice stays on this device.
Common problems
How to spot it. No blooms despite healthy growth.
What to do. Usually too much nitrogen feed, too much shade, or a seed-grown plant — follow the two-stage prune and be patient.
How to spot it. To early flower buds in a late cold snap.
What to do. Site in a sheltered spot.
Popular varieties
Questions
Wisteria: is it hardy?
H6: Hardy in the vast majority of UK gardens. It survives down to −20 °C.
Can it grow in a pot?
A large, long-lived, vigorous climber that needs permanent, substantial support; unsuited to pot culture long-term.
Wisteria: when do you prune it?
Prune twice a year: cut back long whippy summer growth to five or six leaves in late summer, then cut those same shoots back further to two or three buds in winter. In the calendar for UK, pruning falls in January, July.
Wisteria: when does it flower?
In the climate of UK it flowers in May–June.
When do you feed it?
A high-potash feed in early spring and again after the summer prune; sulphate of potash is the traditional choice. Never use a nitrogen-rich lawn feed anywhere near a wisteria — it produces metres of growth and no flowers at all. Feeding months, UK: March, June.