RE: Getting Wisteria to bloom

I've seen all the posts about wisteria and been amazed.  For what it is
worth (I know we all live in garden in different areas), 10 years ago I
bought a Chinese wisteria, 'Cooke's Chinese' and it bloomed within 2 years
from a one gallon pot, and is huge and a prolific bloomer to this day with a
powerful (almost too powerful) scent.  It will also rebloom to a much lesser
degree in late summer, which is a wonderful bonus.

My mom bought to Japanese wisterias and they have never bloomed.  1/2 mile
from me, same location (facing south and west).  Is it possible the Chinese
are just better bloomers?  

In any case I wanted to pass on the particular cultivar I have because it
has been completely reliable and bloomed very early.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: vinatag@hotmail.com [v*@hotmail.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2001 9:04 AM
> To: perennials@mallorn.com
> Subject: Re: Getting Wisteria to bloom
> > > Thanks to everybody who has contributed to this thread so far > and may be doing so in the next few days. It is is good to > get all that information about this plant with wonderful > flowers. -- Vinata
> > >From: "Christopher P. Lindsey" <lindsey@mallorn.com>
> >Reply-To: perennials@mallorn.com
> >To: perennials@mallorn.com
> >Subject: Re: Getting Wisteria to bloom
> >Date: Tue, 1 May 2001 21:33:14 -0500
> >
> > > ===>I've read of wisterias that have exhausted their > owners' patience by
> > > never blooming, even in 20 years, and they fell to the > chain saw.  The >best
> > > advice I've read is to buy a plant that you have seen > bloom in the >nursery
> > > with your own eyes to be sure you've got one that will > bloom.  I had one >for
> > > a number of years and the root pruning didn't help, nor did the
> > > superphosphate.  I did encourage some bloom with frequent > pruning, as >often
> > > as weekly when growth was very active, to create those > spurs--that seems >to
> > > be where the flower buds form.
> >
> >Hi Bill,
> >
> >    OK, this thread got me curious enough to drag out my > copy of >'Wisterias',
> >    by Peter Valder [1].
> >
> >    He says
> >
> >      "One frequently hears the complaint 'I can't get my wisteria
> >       to flower.  Well there are various possible > explanations for this
> >       irksome state of affairs.  Firstly, wisterias usually > do not flower
> >       when young.  Three to five years may pass before they > commence.
> >       Secondly, they should be grown in full sun.  Under natural
> >       conditions their growth habit ensures that they > sprawl over trees,
> >       shrubs, or rocks with their leaves in  bright light, > which seems
> >       to be a requirement for the abundant development of > flower buds.
> >       Thirdly, if they are given lots of water and > fertilizer, they may
> >       devote their energy to growth rather than to the > development of
> >       flower buds so, as mentioned before, once a plant is > established
> >       it is best to do nothing to it unless it shows signs > of distress.
> >       Finally, it is most important to prune correctly as described
> >       in the next section, as heavy pruning, particularly > late in the
> >       growing season or in winter, is likely to remove > those parts of
> >       the plant which would produce the next season's flowers.
> >
> >       ...
> >
> >       After planting, the season's long shoots should be > tied back in
> >       the positions desired and unwanted shoots removed as > they appear.
> >       Removal of the tips of the long shoots when they have reached
> >       the desired length with encourage the development of > side shoots,
> >       which may then be treated similarly.  Once the plant > has reached
> >       the preferred size size and shape, all new shoots > should be cut
> >       back to two or three leaves at the base, rather than > removing them
> >       altogether, as this encourages short spurs on which > many of the
> >       flower buds appear."
> >
> >    So Bill, it sounds like you were right about the spurs!
> >
> >Chris
> >
> >hort.net plant image gallery (1562 online photos and growing!)
> >http://www.hort.net/gallery/
> >
> >[1] Valder, Peter.  Wisterias:  A Comprehensive Guide.  > Portland:  Timber
> >     Press, 1995.
> >
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