Questions about Wisteria?

I have always wanted to grow Wisteria on my Victorian wrap-around porch, but all the good planting spots are taken. However, there is a rarely-used sidewalk next to one side of my porch. Since taking up the sidewalk isn't an option, would it do well in a huge pot? The location is in full sun most of the day. I live in hardiness zone 6a, if this makes any difference.





Also, I'm looking for a Wisteria variety that has showy blooms, dense foliage and is highly fragrant. Any suggestions?

Questions about Wisteria?
Yes, you can grow them in containers (although they need to be suitably pruned to stay in one and reliably bloom each year)





American W. frutescens is supposedly not as rampant growing as other species like Chinese or sweet wisteria W.


sinensis and it has much shorter racemes of flowers that are mostly unscented. One cultivar 'Longwood Purple' has plump 5-6" racemes of musky-scented stunning deep-purple





Asian species root pretty easily, but you can easily wait 10 years or more for flowers from cutting so you must buy an established grafted plant for instant bloom.


Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribund) has 8- to 20-inch-long violet clusters. This one is hardier and more fragrant than the Chinese.


Why they do not bloom readily may be due to; to much nitrogen, to little phosphorus, to much water, to young, or to much shade as they need a minimum of six hours full sun with a slightly acid soil of pH of 6.0-7.0.


Root pruning, extra phosphorus, and rigorous pruning of the shoots may promote flowering.


Wisteria produces its flowers on last year's wood in mid- to late May, so wait until late spring or early summer to prune the vine. Some experts recommend severe pruning, back to three or four buds, to keep the plant manageable and renewed.





A co-poster from the Garden Forum printed this "I live near Seattle but in zone 5. I bought a potted Japanese Wiseria. Transplanted to what was probably a 10 gallon container (the foam type, good for insulating in winter).





For 3 years it grew well but didn't bloom. It is now about 15 feet long, and covers about half the arbor with leaves. Never expected it to bloom, but darn, this year it did!





I did transplant it last year to a slightly larger container, probably 15 gallon. Added just a little bead type fertilizer, but other than that did nothing special to disturb the roots. Did populate the tub with pansies, combined with other weeds, growth sprouted to give the tub good soil cover, perhaps protecting from too much evaporation this year."


http://www.forestfarm.com/search/plant.a...


http://www.thepottedgarden.co.uk/plantsc...





* 'Alba'-white flowers


* 'Carnea'-flesh-pink flowers


* 'Longissima'-light purple flowers, clusters very long


* 'Longissima Alba'-white flowers, clusters 15 inches long


* 'Macrobotrys'-flower clusters to 3 feet or longer, reddish-violet to violet


* 'Praecox'-more dwarf, blue-purple flowers


* 'Purpurea'-purple flowers


* 'Rosea'-pale rose, tipped purple, 18 inches long


* 'Rubra'-deep pink to red flowers


* 'Violacea Plena'-reddish violet flowers, double





"The most fragrant type is the Silky wisteria (Wisteria venusta)" says Don Shor of the Redwood Barn Nursery.
Reply:i have potted wisteria. if in a pot it needs to be protected in winter. contact Bezac nursery in milford ohio. they have very nice plants, that is where i get plants for my landcape jobs.
Reply:My wisteria now climbs over the front of my house and up two trees. They like to climb so the size of plot they are in isn't really an issue. Mine is in a spot of dirt 2' x 2' and is thriving It has sun all day.They do well in pots but MUST have water weekly if they aren't in the ground. I don't know of a wisteria that has different colors of blooms on it. I know there are pink, white, and the traditional lavender ones. They all smelll awesome.


With age the all have dense foliage. I deep slow water mine once a month. Trickle water over night and it blooms from Mid March to November. I do trim is back after the seed pods have split and the first frost had come.


Good Luck.
Reply:Wisteria is a very beautiful - but a VERY evasive plant! ! ! so if you don't mind it taking over your entire yard and the yards of your whole neighbor - go for it! Sometimes it is difficult to get a new plant to flower - you have to keep cutting it back - sometimes for a number of years before blooms appear. But patient and it will bring breautiful results!