Re: "dead" wisteria

Caroline,

I would like to add to Moira's (always great) advice.
Some special cultivar wisterias in California are budded on to vigorous
wisteria rootstock much the same way modern roses are. You can usually look
down towards the plant's crown and see a swelling or knob above ground level
if that has been the case. If so, the wisteria that comes back will be the
vigorous understock plant. It will grow abundantly, but may not (or may)
bloom. Only time will tell.

I would suggest you note how far apart these two plants have been planted.
If any closer than 30 to 40 feet, you might pull out the one which has died
back and consider yourself lucky. Wisterias are huge plants as they get to
maturity and have been known to "swallow" whole houses :-)

But, of course, yours won't because you'll follow Moira's advice, guide and
prune it regularly; summer and winter.

Best of luck,  
Jan Smithen
Upland, CA   Sunset Zone 19

On 6/2/04 12:24 PM, ohcaroline@yahoo.com wrote

> I inherited two lovely, young wisteria in the backyard
> of my new home. Late last winter I did my best to
> prune the somewhat neglected plants, following advice
> culled from various internet articles (I'm a new
> gardener; this was my very first pruning session.)
> 
> Come spring, one plant flourished, producing abundant
> foliage and blooms. Alas, the other plant shows no
> signs of life, apart from several shoots which have
> sprouted at its base. A friendly neighbor suggests
> that I nurture these shoots, winding them around the
> plant's lifeless limbs for support as they grow.
> 
> Do you think this is the best strategy to follow, or
> should I consider replacing the plant? Any ideas as to
> what I did/didn't do to cause such damage to it in the
> first place?
> 
> Thanks for any and all suggestions,
> Caroline Frost
> Santa Barbara, California
>
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