Why is my wisteria not producing flowers?

Credit: nlamore

Q: Last fall i planted a wisteria, hoping that it would wind itself around an arbor. This spring it started out nicely but the ends that wrap around the post have started dying back about 4″. The general health of the plant looks good – it did not produce any flowers. It receives about 4-5 hours of sun and appears to be in well draining soil. Any idea why the ends keep dying?

There is insufficient information to do a proper diagnosis. I have a couple questions. Was the wisteria purchased from a container, dug out root ball (like Ball & Burlap), or transplanted from another location? If the plants were dug out of the ground, there may be some root damage that may cause dieback. How was the wisteria planted properly? Was any fertilizer used, and if so what type? What was the location like before the wisteria was planted? Generally, wisteria do not require any special soil conditions other than a sunny, well drained soil. These plants are quite hardy and unsusceptible to insects and diseases. No special fertilizer is required, other than some transplant fertilizer. If you like, bone meal and other general all purpose fertilizer can be used when plants are well established. However, avoid using excessive fertilizer, which may promote growth at the expense of flowers or cause dieback due to burning. This would only occur under circumstances like using 6-8-6 directly in the planting hole. During the summer, it’s a good idea to prune new growth on established wisteria back to five to six buds from the general framework. In the winter months, recut the growth back to two to three buds from the general framework. Pruning should help develop flower spurs.