Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => General Gardening => Topic started by: tetley on February 07, 2007, 09:17
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I planted a few wisterias last autumn, we have some grape vines growing up the house, they have a really thick 'trunk' and then go out and along, above the doors and windows (that make sense?). I would like to train the wisteria like this, how do I go about it?
I can see there is alot of growth happening on the wisteria, they are only about 2 ft tall. Do I just pinch off the growth all up the stem, or do you let it get a certain height first?
I have also seen some with twisted stems that are shaped like trees, and I think they look really attractive, but is that quite complicated? As you can tell, not very experienced! I am from the bung it in, if it will it will, if it won't it won't mould :oops:
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use thin galvanised wire to let it wind up shape the wire in a fan and then go off at right angles and up to the guttering etc , hope that helps .i love the blue flowers
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thanks muntjac.....sorry, to be so thick...so, do I take off all the new buds that are forming all down the stem and leave the ones near the top? or should I let it grow for a couple of years first?
I might have a go with the wire and try to get one of them twisted, but the other two, I'd like to get them to grow straight up and then out.
Yep, I love the colours too....have planted a white one on a barn opposite our house, the other two are blue, and I have put one against the side of a small cottage (sounds grand doesn't it!! the cottage is for when the inlaws come to stay, but it has only got a portaloo and only one room, was probably once a farmworkers cottage, but it is great cos when the rellies come to stay they aren't in the house with us :tongue2: ), this is northwest facing, and the other on the front of the cottage, south facing. Will be interesting to see how they go as they were all planted on the same day.
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let it do its own thing , the south facing one wil go off like a rocket :wink:
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When it comes to Wisteria you have to be patient. The first few years of care are down to preparation and training. If you are planning to grow them up the house bear in mind that the branches will get extremely heavy and must have substantial support. (Do not do this but you should be able to hang yourself safely from that bit of wire.)
Initially I would recommend that you let just one shoot run up vertically and cut all others off. As side shoots develop higher up, select any that are in the right place to grow out laterally to cover new wall space and tie these in. Remove all others.
That should keep you busy for 2-3 years.
Once a fair amount of wall space is covered and the plant is developing well, the multitude of side shoots have to be pruned with more care throughout the summer months to provide flowering spurs.
For more details and pictures try here Pruning Wisteria (http://www.bluewisteria.co.uk/tools/wisteria_care.html)
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wow, thankyou for the link...really simple...just like me 8)