Wisteria

The history of Wisteria begins in China (some call it Wisteria of China), from where it was brought to Europe in the 18th century, and from Europe at the beginning of the 19th century it came to America. In America, this plant received its present name "Wisteria" - in honor of the scientist K. Wister.
Currently, the popularity of Wisteria is constantly growing both among gardeners and among professional designers. Due to the decorative properties of this climbing plant, it is actively used in decorating the walls of houses, gazebos, and fences. Wisteria does not require complex care and with a little effort you can admire this beautiful plant every year.

Wisteria description

Wisteria belongs to the Legume family, it is a climbing plant with treelike shoots that can grow up to twenty meters. If you weighed a large specimen during the flowering period, then with foliage and inflorescences at this time, the mass of Wisteria can be more than thirty kilograms.
The long stems of Wisteria curl around the support in a clockwise direction.

Of course, the plant is striking in its size and power, but the main beauty is still in its inflorescences - these are long brushes of flowers, which, depending on the type of plant, can have white, purple, yellow, pink or some other color. The flowers themselves are medium-sized, no more than 2.5 cm, but the size of the inflorescences can reach 35 cm. All the buds bloom immediately, so the inflorescence becomes beautiful, lush, but at the same time quite heavy. Inflorescences are laid in the leaf axils or on the apical shoots of the last year, so you need to be careful when pruning the plant, otherwise you can deprive yourself of the opportunity to admire the flowering.

Depending on the type of Wisteria, flowering occurs from April to June, but with proper care it can repeat itself at the end of summer, although it will no longer be as lush as the first time. Flowers have a delicate pleasant scent.

The foliage of the plant is not as beautiful and decorative as its flowers. The leaves are as long as the inflorescences, the plate is assembled from several narrow oval-shaped fragments.

After the end of flowering, a pod is formed in place of the flower, like all legumes, in Wisteria it is yellowish-gray in color and is poisonous.

Wisteria planting and growing

In order for any plant to feel comfortable, to please you with its flowering and beautiful appearance, you must first of all plant it correctly, choosing a place that meets certain requirements. Only in the most comfortable conditions will the plant actively grow, bloom and need minimal care.

Wisteria loves warmth and light, but you shouldn't place it in direct sunlight. It is better if it is scattered sunlight and light partial shade during the hottest daytime hours. In natural conditions, the root of the plant is usually in the shade, and the vine grows and reaches for the light - if possible, it is necessary to create just such conditions for the plant.

We have already talked about how hard Wisteria can be during the flowering period. Like any liana, it needs support, but this support must be extremely strong, wooden pegs or stretched cords will not be enough. The best solution would be metal supports, concreted in the base.

If you place Wisteria near the wall of the house, then make sure of the strength of the roof, since the branches of the plant are capable of destroying insufficiently strong obstacles that meet in their path.
The support must be installed so that during the flowering period the inflorescences remain in sight, drooping with brushes, since all the beauty of the plant lies in them.In Japan, in the flower garden there is a whole tunnel braided by Wisteria - the stems twine around the roof of the tunnel, and the inflorescences hang down in lush clusters, it is stunningly beautiful.

Wisteria does not have any special requirements for the soil, but during the planting process it is imperative to take care of the drainage layer, like most plants, it does not like stagnant moisture. The soil should be nutritious, light and loose - special attention should be paid to lightness and friability, since it will be possible to compensate for the lack of nutrients with the help of dressings.

Plant propagation

Wisteria seeds ripen in pods that form in place of flowers. Reproduction of a plant using seeds brings excellent results, as with all plants of the "Legumes" family. Sowing seeds should be in early December. Lay a drainage layer at the bottom of the container, then fill in specially prepared soil: four parts of leafy soil, one part of turf and sand. Moisten the soil, and then slightly bury the seeds in it, cover the container with a transparent material (glass, film, bag), constructing a greenhouse, and put it in a dark corner. Remember to water the soil periodically and remove the shelter daily for ventilation. The first sprouts should appear in a month, after that you no longer need shelter, and the container can be moved to a bright place. After a while, spread the sprouts into individual pots. In the spring, your Wisteria will already look like small bushes, at this time they should be transplanted into a greenhouse so that they finally get stronger. After the bush begins to actively grow, it can be transplanted to a permanent place.
Germinated cuttings of Wisteria at the age of one or two years can be purchased at a garden center or flower shop - such planting material can be immediately planted in a permanent place. But if you already have an adult plant growing, you can do the rooting of cuttings yourself. Prepared cuttings should be cut in about half and planted in nutritious, pre-moistened soil just to the depth of the cut. Do not forget to water the plantings, and after a while you will find the appearance of lateral layers. If you carry out the procedure in the spring, then at the end of summer you will have ready-made young plants that can be planted in a permanent place.
The most magnificent flowering of Wisteria occurs around the third and fourth years.

Wisteria care

If you have chosen the right place for Wisteria, prepared a good support for it and took care of good moisture permeability of the soil, then in the future, caring for the plant will be minimal, and it will not cause you any trouble.

Pruning is a very important step in caring for any plant. In the first year, the main stem should be cut just above the strongest growth bud. In addition, all side shoots should be cut off. During the growth process, the main stem should be attached to the support. In the second year, the main stem is also cut off, and the horizontal shoots are not cut off at all, but only shortened. Starting from the third year, in addition to the main stem, other leading branches will appear, which are cut and tied up according to his example. Side shoots should be tied diagonally, and root shoots should be completely removed. When tying the vines, make sure that the fasteners do not overtighten or injure the branches.

Wisteria is fed during planting, and then annually in the spring. Use a compound fertilizer with a high potassium and phosphorus content, but with a minimum amount of nitrogen. With an excess of nitrogen, Wisteria will not bloom, and the foliage will lose its green color and fade.

Wisteria is a thermophilic plant. In the southern regions of our country, you do not need to worry about shelter, but in the rest of the territory it is recommended to remove Wisteria from the support and lay it on the ground, on pre-prepared wooden shields.Cover the vine from above with spruce branches, then geotextile, and secure it around the perimeter. It is not recommended to use plastic wrap for shelter, as the plant can rot under it.

As you can see, caring for Wisteria is not so difficult, you just need to choose the right place and take care of a stable support. And its large, heavy and bright inflorescences can become the main decoration and hallmark of your garden.