The wisteria, Latin Wisteria or wisteria, is a popular climbing plant that loves warm, sunny locations and is pleasing to the eye with its beautiful and impressive flowers. With its flower clusters, which are up to 30 centimeters long, it transforms every pergola, terrace and fence into a sea of flowers. With regular cutting, care and the right climbing aid for wisteria, the pretty plant thrives in the best possible way and impresses with its purple-blue flowers in summer.
Planting wisteria (Wisteria): What should you consider?
The wisteria is really impressive, but it needs intensive care. And this starts with choosing the right place. Howlots of climbing plants, it only thrives if the location is well chosen. It usually takes a few years for the first flowers to appear, but once it has established itself, you don't have to wait too long for the colors to appear. When planting wisteriaforward-looking garden planningvery important. You have to keep in mind that the plant produces an enormous amount of wood and leaf mass over the years, which means it develops a lot of weight. Therefore, the trellis for wisteria should be stable and of good quality so that it collapses after years under the increasing weight of the plants.
The wisteria loves sunny locations where it is as warm as possible. It can also thrive in partial shade, although it does not bloom as profusely there. The climbing plant feels comfortable on nutrient-rich, not too dry and loose soil and does not tolerate waterlogging. The typical growth is like a climbing bush and rarely like a tree. However, if cut correctly and with a climbing aid, for example in the form of a trellis, the wisteria can also grow as a tree and reach up to around 20 meters. Although the plants are frost hardy, they love warmthneed a protected location.
Hobby gardeners often want to green the house facade with wisteria and underestimate the fact that the plant is one of the so-called “stranglers” and can compress and bend rain pipes, gutters or railings with its winding, strong shoots. That's why stable pergolas,massive wall and fencessuitable. Loose masonry and wooden cladding can be blown apart by the long whip shoots. The climbing plant can also be grown as a trellis on a wall. A secure hold is also necessary.
The plant usually flowers twice a year. The first flowers appear before the flowers bloom in April. A second, slightly weaker flowering occurs in July or August. The flowering time can vary slightly from year to year or depending on the weather. In summer, the plant forms hanging clusters up to 30 centimeters long with blue-violet flowers. However, if the location is not optimal for the plant, this will be at the expense of flower formation. If the shoots lack light, they first grow upwards, then horizontally, striving for light and warmth. To shape and direct the plant, trimming is required twice or at least once a year. Hobby gardeners often underestimate this aspect.
The right cut is crucial
Cutting wisteria is a job that should not be underestimated. Because the plant grows at high altitudes, many areas are difficult to access. Pruning is necessary not only to restrict and rejuvenate the plant, but also to encourage as many flowering shoots as possible. Therefore, all long whip shoots that produce almost no flowers must be cut back to 30 to 50 centimeters. This means that the plant's power goes into the flowers and not into the long shoots.
The wisteria is heavily pruned twice a year. Once in the summer, around two months after flowering, the long shoots are cut back before they become woody. This slows down growth and stimulates the formation of new shoots, which form flower buds. It is recommended to repeat the process even in winter. The leaf mass is removed and the plant is prepared for the upcoming cold period. Now the short shoots should be shortened to two or three buds. The flower buds are larger and thicker than the leaf buds and are therefore easy to distinguish from one another.
It is a long-lived climbing plant and can live for over 20 years. It doesn't bloom for the first four years and that's completely normal. The plant's ability to flower is primarily influenced by its sunny location and regular pruning. Wisteria can also be grown successfully in containers, especially in the first few years. Partially shaded places should also be avoided, as the plant becomes very lazy when it comes to flowering.
Pergolas, very stable climbing trellises or the plant is grown as a trellis on a wall are particularly suitable as climbing aids for wisteria. It is also advisable to build a framework of a few plant shoots - main branches - that will last a lifetime. This is called a parenting cut and serves as a basis for the new shoots. These strong branches should fulfill a supporting function and provide support.
Wisteria is a perfect climber and is ideal for tall and representative greenery. The climbing aid for wisteria should be stable, as rod-like as possible, more linear and less flat. Wood is out of the question as a suitable material. The plant is like a giant constrictor and can crush the material. However, only heavy and solid constructions made of metal, steel or steel cables are a good solution. If you want the climbing plant to climb up a house wall, you should attach a stable wall fixture at a distance of at least 10 centimeters. Climbing ropes made of stainless steel can be distributed anywhere on the wall using spacers with dowels.
Any climbing aid should be 2 meters away from components such as downpipes, gutters, lightning dividers, etc., both sideways and upwards. It would be advantageous to purchase a specially shaped grille - rain pipe protection. In addition, it is worthwhile to trim the young shoots consistently right from the start.
Caution: toxicity
Last but not least, one should remember that all parts of the plant, especially the pods and seeds, are poisonous. In children, just 3 seeds fed can cause signs of illness. The toxins are wistarin and lectins and their content varies depending on the season and location. The plant is also poisonous to animals from mice to birds to horses. Usually there are stomach problems, vomiting, but also facial pallor and dilated pupils, and in severe cases even circulatory collapse.
