Why Isn't My Wisteria Blooming?

Question: Why Isn't My Wisteria Blooming?

"Why doesn't my wisteria bloom? How can I ensure that I'll enjoy wisteria flowers at some point in this lifetime?" These are questions I hear often. But the answer may depend on which type of wisteria vine you're talking about, and where you live....

Answer:

American Wisteria

If you live in North America, you may want to buy American wisteria vines. Not only are they less invasive than Chinese wisteria vines, but they also bloom faster, too. American wisteria plants are less frost-sensitive, as well.

Chinese Wisteria Not Blooming

Of course, if you've already bought Chinese wisteria (and don't feel like replacing it), that advice won't do much good: you'll want to learn how to induce Chinese wisteria to bloom. First of all, try applying a fertilizer high in phosphorus (the middle number in the NPK sequence on fertilizer bags) in early spring. Also try pruning a couple of times each year (in early summer after blooming, and during dormancy in winter) to stimulate budding for next year.

Root pruning in late fall is sometimes suggested, too, as a stimulant for stubborn vines that just seem to refuse to blossom! Reader, Brenda Childers writes:

I have a Chinese Wisteria, didn't bloom for two years. Someone told me it takes a couple years for it to bloom, but if it dosen't after a couple years,take a spade shovel and make a 3-ft. circle about 12 in.deep, so it will shock the roots.

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