Re: Getting Wisteria to bloom
- Subject: Re: Getting Wisteria to bloom
- From: S* H*
- Date: Wed, 02 May 2001 12:14:59 -0400
If all else fails, try banging on the trunk and up and down with a hammer. Don't
shatter the thing, but do stress it. It has worked for me. I forget where I read
that, but it did the trick.
Steve Hatch
Marshfield, MA
zone 6
Vinata Gangolli wrote:
> 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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