How to buy Wisteria?

Hi,

I've got a corner where I think is idea for a Wisteria, as it faces south west. I'll need it to be in a pot, as my back garden in blocked paving.

I've been looking on the internet for a tree and they range between £12 - £80, but the only with that is you won't know you'll be sent. I've seen the seeds for sale, but I read it takes 20 years for a tree to flower if grown by seed, so forget that.

Today I went to my local garden centre and found they sell a range of Wisterias. The cheapest was £19.99, which was about 85cm high. The next size up was about 1.5m high and they were £40. Then they have a very nice shape one with a thickish trunk and that was £150, too much for me.

Is there anything I need to consider or look for when buying a Wisteria, i.e. age, branches, top been nipped out, etc? Any idea of the age the garden centres will start sell Wisterias at, because I don't want to be waiting 10 years before it flowers I do have a trellis for it to climb, but I'd to train it as a tree.

Cheers,

Calum

 

Dont think I'd consider a wisteria in a pot.

 

I've never bought a wisteria myself, but i recall an episode of GQT when they suggested you buy one that is in flower, that way you can be sure it is of a suitable age to flower. As i understand it they can take years to reach flowering stage. As i say I'm no expert, I inherited both my three with the house, one of which has flowered every year (white), one is just budding up for the first time this year (looks like it will be blue) and one that has never flowered. I'm sure there will be better informed people on here to advise further.

P.S. Just remembered my brother bought a potted one last year, it looked lovely and was in flower and started to grow over the house wall, but it looks like the cold got to it this winter and looks more like a twisty stick now, maybe it didn't get enough time to establish it self?

 

According to the RHS, you can grow wisteria in pots - they suggest using John Innes No.3 and putting it in a pot only slightly larger than its current one then gradually increasing the size as the plant grows to fill it. I suspect you could end up with a very large container doing this though.

Just about the only way to ensure that the wisteria you're buying is likely to flower is to buy one which is already in flower, I would certainly never buy one via the internet.

Just as a BTW - I want a third for my garden, I've been to 3 garden centres all of which are selling wisteria but since none of them are in flower I'm not even tempted.

 

Thanks for your replies. After reading them and what I have seen myself, I'll take my time going around other garden centres and seeing what's available before making a purchase.

Cheers

 

There was an article in The Garden (RHS magazine) last month about Wisteria - photos and descriptions of all the available cultivars, which might help with choosing which one would suit you best.

 

First rule of buying wisteria is to buy it in flower

 

Still dont think I'd grow one in a pot.
You can grow a giant redwood in a pot, I've done it, but it aint a good idea

The feeding and watering in summer once the plant reaches a decent size would be a nightmare.
You'd never be able to go away for more than a couple of days in the summer months.

The RHS make all kinds of crazy statements, but then they have an army of volunteers to look after things.

 

You can grow a Wisteria in a pot but it needs to be a biiiiig pot. If you can`t find a plant in flower then go for one which has been grafted as they flower soonest. I would be looking to pay around the £20 mark for a 3ft to 4ft plant.