You will be receiving 3 Wisteria vine seeds. Wisteria is a colorful, versatile, fast growing, easy to care for vine. The hanging clusters of flowers provide quite a show in the late spring. It can be grown as a vine, a tree or a shrub. It is an ideal vine to use against a wall, privacy fence, trellis or arbor. With a little special training it can be coaxed into a tree. With pruning it can be maintained as a shrub. Your Wisteria seeds will root and grow vine quickly. The beautiful flower may not appear for 5-6 years, but it is well worth the wait! And, in the meantime, you have a beautiful leafy and sturdy vine.

There are two species of W. floribunda,(the Japanese one) and W. sinensis, (the Chinese one). This is the Chinese species (Wisteria sinensis) which flowers before the vine begins to leaf-out. Flowers are a bit smaller, ranging from 9 to 12 inches in length. Most have a mild sweet fragance. The white and violet-blue varieties are the most popular. This type tends to bloom at an earlier age and most open at the same time creating quite a flowering display in May.

LOCATION AND PLANTING:
Wisteria will grow ANYWHERE. Wisteria loves a bright sunny spot in the garden. However, they will do well in part sun and shade. Wisteria is one plant that seems to thrive on a certain amount of neglect. When planting, mix generous amounts of compost, peat moss or processed manure with your existing soil. Provide good drainage and just a little bit of transplanting fertilizer. Be certain to provide staking support. Otherwise, the weight of the vines could cause them to break from the main stem as the plant grows.

TREE WISTERIA
To train a young vine into a tree, simply prune back all vines, except the strongest, sturdiest one. Stake it and train it upright, supporting it so it will grow as a tree trunk. Then when it reaches the desired height simply prune out the tip growth. From this point it should branch out and form a tree. Use a husky pipe or 4 X4" post to secure the trunk and keep it from wind whipping or breaking. As you are training the trunk upright, you may find a few shoots trying to form on the trunk, keep them pinched off, or they will form side shoots and the tree effect will be lost.

PRUNING
Severe pruning, if needed, is done during the winter dormant season months of November, December, January and February. Some July pruning can be done, to help control the rampant growth of the vines. Otherwise, you end up with a tangled mess of intertwined vines. The dormant season pruning is the severe pruning, when one should cut the leader vines back to the desired height. Then prune the side shoots (those growing from the main leaders) back to the second or third dormant bud. This is where good judgment must be used, because the flower buds form the previous summer, and if you prune too severely, of course you will be cutting off all the potential new flower buds. The most important consideration is proper pruning at the correct time. If allowed to grow unattended the vines may reach 50 feet or more.

FERTILIZING AND WATERING
If you over-water or over-fertilize wisteria vines, your chance of getting them to flower is greatly reduced. As mentioned earlier, wisteria thrives on a certain amount of neglect. The prettiest wisteria and grapevines can often be seen around abandoned houses, where they exist on what 'Mother Nature' provids in moisture, sun and nutrients. However, if the vines are off-color or obviously in need of feeding, feed them with a 'Rose type' plant food. The best time to feed them is in either late winter or mid-spring.

Water sparingly throughout the summer. If there's a prolonged warm (or hot) spell, they obviously will need watering attention. If a few leaves show signs of wilting, then be certain they get the moisture they need. The roots are quite robust and over a period of time may find their own source of moisture.

PROPAGATION OF WISTERIA
If you want to start additional vines from your own plant, layering the lower side shoots is the best procedure to follow. Do this in the spring. Actually lower growing vines will often come into contact with the soil and root on their own. Simply cut those rooted vines away from the mother plant and you have a new vine. Best time to do this is in Spring.

A 12 to 18 inch tip of the vine can also often be started in water alone. If you add a little rooting hormone to the water, it may help speed up the rooting process. Smaller cuttings 6 to 9 inches long can also be started in soil. Whether you do it in soil or water, the best time is to take these cuttings in the late winter, just before the new growth starts.

INSECT AND DISEASES
Wisteria is a trouble free vine and is seldom bothered by insects and only occasionally by problems like mildew. Should problems occur, consult your local Certified Nursery-person for specific recommendations.