Wisteria
Common name: Wisteria
Position: Full Sun,Partial Shade
Soils: Well-drained/light, Moist Soil
Flowers:
Features:
Hardiness: Hardy
Height: 900cm
Spread: 300cm
Propogate:
Companion Plants:
If you like Wisteria but you're concerned about roots damaging foundations or you've a small garden, or it just doesnt fit your plan, why not train it up a wooden post. It can be treated and pruned exactly the same as any other trained Wisteria.
Echinacea Purpurea plants and seeds for sale at Amazon.co.uk
How To Encourage Wisteria to Flower
Some Wisteria do take 15 - 20 years to flower, however grafted wisteria can flower in the first year. Choose a named variety and check for the graft at the base of the plant.Feed with a high potash fertiliser in the summer as potash feeds the flower buds. Dont feed with nitrogen as this encourages green growth.
Pruning to encourage flowering is done two steps.
- Summer Pruning [The summer haircut] - During the summer months cut back the long, vigorous growth to six buds from the old wood, cutting just above the bud. Although this may seem harsh it will encourage the flower buds to develop. This may need repeated through the summer as the long growth develops during summer.
- Winter Pruning [Getting Tough] - In late January, early February, cut back those same shoots you cut in the summer back to only 2 buds.
Echinacea Purpurea is available over the counter as a dietery supplmement in capsule and liquid format and can also be found in soap and even beer! Although essentially non-toxic side effects can occur and should be avoided, or treated with caution, if you are allergic to plants in the daisy family.