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Do I have a Wisteria here or a weed?

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Lilcottageshoppe  Send Lilcottageshoppe a private message!


My Weather
Posted on Sunday, October 30, 2005 - 04:15 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Another one that came with the house, out of control, but could it be Wisteria?



Thanks! Arlene

Lilcottageshoppe - Illinois, Zone "5"
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Dahlianut  Send Dahlianut a private message!




My Weather
Posted on Sunday, October 30, 2005 - 06:59 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Arlene- It sure is a Wisteria. I have one on our split rail fence and it is getting out of control also. Any branches that are on the ground send out roots and then more branches. Good luck !!

Linda Washington State Zone 8
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~spring~j~  Send ~spring~j~ a private message!




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Posted on Sunday, October 30, 2005 - 09:16 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

May be you'll be lucky and it will be Amethyst Falls, which isn't quite so invasive. But either way, I would definitely think twice before letting it climb up on my house. Since they can get very heavy with branches. Just a thought.
Good luck
Spring

~spring~j~ - West Virginia, Zone "6"
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Lilcottageshoppe  Send Lilcottageshoppe a private message!


My Weather
Posted on Sunday, October 30, 2005 - 10:18 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Thank you, I was hoping it was wisteria. Actually, today I went out to clean it up a bit, and found a metal rod underneath that it was growing on. Couldn't figure out why whoever planted it wouldn't have trained it to grow on an arbor. Crawled underneath it and sure enough, it was a metal arched arbor that had fallen under the weight. I put the arch back up temporarily till I get a stronger one, pulled on the branches, tied them to try to get it to grow in that direction, and I am gonna cut off the part by the house, I fear my gutters will come down if I don't. Now the arch makes a nice entry to the backyard, if I luck out and this flowers next year. Wish me luck!

Arlene

Lilcottageshoppe - Illinois, Zone "5"
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Gardenfiend  Send Gardenfiend a private message!




My Weather
Posted on Monday, October 31, 2005 - 03:25 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

If it isn't too late in your zone, you should cut back the side branches to a few leaves from main stems. The more you cut wisterias, the better they flower. That will also help prevent it from strangling your house...

Gardenfiend - Germany, Zone "7a"
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My Weather
Posted on Monday, October 31, 2005 - 06:30 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Thank you, I have been looking all over the web, trying to figure out how to prune this without killing it. It is strangling the house and need to make it behave!

Lilcottageshoppe - Illinois, Zone "5"
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Gardenfiend  Send Gardenfiend a private message!




My Weather
Posted on Tuesday, November 01, 2005 - 01:28 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

I think you can be pretty ruthless pruning wisterias. The only thing I'm worried about is that you may be at the northern edge of its hardiness, so cutting it right before winter might be dangerous. Maybe someone in your zone can help out.

Gardenfiend - Germany, Zone "7a"
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Deanneart  Send Deanneart a private message!




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Posted on Tuesday, November 01, 2005 - 06:31 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Gardenfiend wrote on Monday, October 31, 2005 - 11:28 pm:

I think you can be pretty ruthless pruning wisterias. The only thing I'm worried about is that you may be at the northern edge of its hardiness, so cutting it right before winter might be dangerous. Maybe someone in your zone can help out.



I 'hack and wack' at mine all season long, all during the summer I prune the heck out of it, then I give it a good trimming in the fall and again in the spring. I'm a zone 5 and it never seems to have problems from the pruning. In fact if I don't keep up with the pruning it never blooms well. The more I cut it back the better it blooms. Mine is trained to a standard and is white. A pain in the neck but worth all the trouble when it blooms.



Deanne New Hampshire Zone 5
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My Weather
Posted on Wednesday, November 02, 2005 - 10:09 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Thank you all....looks like I will be getting out the pruners!

Arlene

Lilcottageshoppe - Illinois, Zone "5"
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Posted on Monday, November 07, 2005 - 03:19 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

We share one with our next door neighbor. It is now about 40 feet long and very bushy on top of our two fences. We found out that if it is cut back right after it blooms in spring, and then left alone, it will be loaded with blooms the next spring. The whole neighborhood smells heavenly!

One year it had to be cut to the ground, it quickly recovered and again loaded with flowers the next spring. }

Mojo - Texas, Zone "zone 7"
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Lilcottageshoppe  Send Lilcottageshoppe a private message!




My Weather
Posted on Wednesday, April 12, 2006 - 08:05 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Well, that was then, this is now....how do I make sense out of this? What should I be wacking????
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Lilcottageshoppe - Illinois, Zone "5"
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My Weather
Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 06:31 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Ok, I wacked it as advised, today I see these, do I dare hope it might bloom?



Yes, that is a cheap trellis underneath it, I have a new stronger one being delivered tomorrow, and hope to be able to get this baby to grow over it, away from the house?

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Lilcottageshoppe - Illinois, Zone "5"
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Monique  Send Monique a private message!




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Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 06:51 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

I envy Wisteria Laners.

Deanne..is it that you are just great great w/ plants? they don't bloom here:(

Monique Quebec Zone 5
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Zephirine  Send Zephirine a private message!


Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 10:18 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

I'm afraid you'll have to be very patient, Arlene, and have to be lucky...Various reports say that wisteria from seed may take 10 to 20 years before they bloom...
But it's not a perfect rule, so I do hope the best for you and your wisteria !
And I second the necessity of being pruno-maniac with it ! I did prune mine severely twice a year (february and july/august) , plus nearly weekly haircuts to keep it nice-looking !
The rule I had been given was to leave only two (maximum 3) eyes on each shoot when pruning...and it did work !

Zephirine France zone 8
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Lilcottageshoppe  Send Lilcottageshoppe a private message!




My Weather
Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 10:53 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Thanks Zepherine, this was here when I moved here last fall, see the first pic, so I am sure it is quite old. I just chopped the heck out of it this year. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed though.

Lilcottageshoppe - Illinois, Zone "5"
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Greth  Send Greth a private message!


Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 10:54 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

The rule for climbers - prune them back to about 6" from their support. Be brutal, the new growth is the best..

Greth - South Australia, Zone "?"
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Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 11:40 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Lol! I thought you meant the birds (the main culprits for out-of-control seedlings!) had brought it there!

Zephirine France zone 8
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My Weather
Posted on Wednesday, April 26, 2006 - 01:23 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

If it were going to bloom this year, you would see the buds now. I'm afraid the green things are leaves.

Gardenfiend - Germany, Zone "7a"
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Lilcottageshoppe  Send Lilcottageshoppe a private message!




My Weather
Posted on Monday, May 08, 2006 - 06:37 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Well, this is it today, I am thrilled. I bought a trellis we will put up this weekend to take it up and away from the house. As you can see, it was down on the ground with a cheap tin trellis tangled beneath its weight. The previous owners had this place such a mess, I have a ton to do yet. This should be interesting, trying to get it up and over a new trellis, but I think it will be worth it.
Is this Amethyst Falls? I was thrilled to see blooms.


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Lilcottageshoppe - Illinois, Zone "5"
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My Weather
Posted on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - 05:11 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Well, in cleaning up this tangled mess, I think I killed the blooms, but I am now trying to train her up and over the arbor, and away from the house, it was tough, her branches were growing horizontal with the ground since she has been left untended for so many years, do you think I will be successful next year? She was tearing down my gutters, siding, and going toward the air conditioning unit, so I thought I better get her in line before its too late.
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Lilcottageshoppe - Illinois, Zone "5"
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Cactus_joe  Send Cactus_joe a private message!


Posted on Saturday, June 03, 2006 - 01:15 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

From the appearance of the wood of your wisteria in your pictures, they look mature enough to start having good flowering cycles in the coming years. In fact once it starts to produce a few blooms, it can only get better from here on, so long as you prune correctly and don't fertilise. It does look too lush and overfed, which can inhibit flowering.

There is never a time that calls for more discipline than when pruning a wisteria. A wisteria is only invasive if you allow it to. In my opinion, you have too many stems arising from low down. Select just 2, or 3 at the most to keep, forming the backbone of the main frame work. Prune away all the rest. When you do this, you are bound to get lots of new shoots sprouting from the remaining vines over the next few months. Keep a close eye on these. Only allow a few to grow so you can train these along. For all the rest, shorten to 3-6 leaves. You have to do this all season long. The idea is to have a structure with just 2-3 main trunks, from which laterals ending in "spurs" arise. The spurs are mature wood, built over the years by repeatedly pruning and shortening new laterals that gets thrown out on a regular basis. These are the laterals that can be relied on to produce blooms consistently.

I have not come across a better article on wisteria pruning than that written by Cass Turnbull, available on PlantAmnesty.org

Cactus_joe
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