Japanese wisteria 'Nana Richens'

Excellent for container culture.

Pruning is done in late June or early July; about a month or so after flowering.The summer pruning opens the wood to sunlight to allow it to ripen for the production of good flowers. First tie in any growth that is required to complete or continue the formal shaping. The plant will have produced a profusion of whippy growth, this is reduced to five buds only, on each stem.
In winter further pruning can be done. Wait until the leaves have dropped and the plant is dormant, cut back each branch to two buds, to encourage the formation of flowering spurs.

At each prune take the chance to inspect the graft area. It should be well above the soil surface, dry and firm. Remove any suckers to potential suckers by pulling off shoots from soil level to 30cm up the main stem. Careful pulling rather than cutting will discourage further growth the unwanted root stock stems
Be aware that frost may damage flowers.¹

Plant in a location that enjoys full sun and remember to water moderately. Keep in mind when planting that Nana Richens is thought of as hardy, so it can be safe to leave outdoors for the majority of winter (although if in doubt, using a row cover is often a good idea). Ideally plant in loamy, clay and potting mix soil and try to keep the ph of your soil between the range of 5.6 and 6.0 as Nana Richens likes to be in weakly acidic soil.

Wisteria can be grown from seed, but they may not come true to type. They take a long time to flower when raised from seed, seven years or more
Usually wisteria are grafted onto rootstock. This gives true to type flowers and fragrance produced on younger plants

For the home gardner, semi time cuttings taken in mid summer or hardwood cuttings taken in the winter are an option. Also layering a lateral stem is an easier choice. Layering and cuttings have the added advantage that there is no graft to fail or produce suckers

To plant out remove the bamboo cane and loosen the roots from the plant pot. Dig a big hole but not too deep, as the graft must not be below the soil level. Add a handful of blood fish and bone and back fill, firming around the root ball. Water well. Tie in to the permanent support. Select branches that fit the desired shape and remove or reduce to two buds the branches that are not in the right place

Ensure that temperatures are mild and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Nana Richens is a hardy plant.

This is a long-lived plant which can be enjoyed for many years.

Richins

Purple Snake

¹ thelaurelsnursery.co.uk/WisteriaContent.htm