How to Plant Trees & Wisteria Vines
Wisteria is a woody, deciduous flowering vine that can also be grown as a small ornamental tree. Native to the eastern United States and East Asia, wisteria can be grown in USDA plant hardiness zones 3 through 9, though the vines or trees may suffer from winter cold damage in zones 3 and 4. Wisteria is prized for its purple, purple-blue, lilac-blue, white or pink blossoms. Proper site selection and planting practices are essential to the successful growth of your wisteria vine or tree. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Shovel
- Spade
- Hand shovel
- Peat moss
- Aged manure
- Perlite
- Tiller
- Garden hose or watering can
- Wooden stakes
- Nylon strips
Instructions
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Select a full-sun location for your wisteria tree or vine to ensure prolific blooming. Choose a location that receives a minimum of six, but preferably eight, hours of direct sunlight per day for best results. Look for a planting location that also provides deep, fertile and well-draining soil. Select a planting location near a fence, arbor, trellis or pergola if you will be growing your wisteria as a vine.
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Remove all unwanted vegetation from your chosen planting location. Clear the entire area of grass, weeds or other plants that will try to compete with your wisteria tree or vine for moisture and nutrients. Dig out the entire root system of unwanted vegetation using a small hand shovel to prevent them from growing back.
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Work the soil at your planting location to improve aeration and drainage before planting your wisteria. Cover the surface of the soil in a 3-inch layer of equal parts peat moss, aged manure and perlite. Till the organic amendments into the soil at your planting location to a depth of 18 to 24 inches. Make sure that the organic amendments are distributed evenly throughout the soil.
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Dig the planting hole for your wisteria two to three times as wide as the roots. Dig the planting hole just deep enough to allow your wisteria tree or vine to sit at the same level it was growing in its nursery container.
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Place the wisteria in the center of its planting hole and carefully arrange its roots in the bottom. Backfill the planting hole with displaced, amended soil until the hole is completely filled. Pack down the surface of the soil with your hands to ensure that the wisteria is planted securely in the ground.
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Water your wisteria after planting to encourage it to form a strong root system in its new location. Provide enough irrigation to moisten the soil to a depth of at least 12 inches.
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Drive a wooden stake into the ground on each side of your wisteria if you are growing it as a small ornamental tree. Use strips of old nylon pantyhose to secure the wisteria to the stakes so that the plant grows in an upright formation. Tie wisteria vines loosely to your fence, arbor, trellis or pergola using nylon pantyhose strips to train the vines to grow to their support system.
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Tips & Warnings
If desired, gardening string or twine can be used in place of nylon pantyhose strips when staking or training your wisteria.
Wisteria is susceptible to damage by various insect pests. Consult your local agricultural extension office for advice on how to treat insect pests in your area.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit wisteria bee #4 image by Stormy Ward from Fotolia.com
