wisteria

Question

We have an established wisteria, which was on the house when we moved in 4 years ago. We suspect it was originally much bigger but had been cut back (don’t know when). We had the roof replaced 3 years ago and at that time the wisteria was cut back and the following year flowered profusely. Last year it was poor in terms of flowers but OK for growth and foliage. This year the main trunk and stems have a large amount of bud but that bud has stayed the same since it was formed and has neither turned into flowers/leaf or dropped off. It seems as if the whole mature trunk is dormant. However, there is lots of new growth coming from the bottom of the plant which is very vigorous, and suggests the plant is still alive. When scratched, the trunk is green under the outer bark which, again, suggests it is not dead. We had a severe frost in March when the buds were formed but I don’t know if that is what has caused the problem. Any advice or suggestions? Thanks Lesley

Answer 1

If you are having growth at the bottom, this indicates stress to the remaining portions of the plant, but it is still alive. You may need to just prune it all the way back (don’t worry these plants are very resilient). Also, you may need to feed it with a balanced fertilizer to encourage growth and flowering. Here is more information that may be helpful: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/vines/wisteria/wisteria-blooming-problems.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/vines/wisteria/wisteria-no-leaves.htm