Wisteria Vines: Killers With A Cause

Many gardeners make the common mistake of growing plants in close proximity to each other, and soon regret it, especially if it involves Wisteria vines. Despite having a sweet fragrance, and having violet, blue or lavender blooms in mid-late spring, it’s a vine for the brave. Wisteria grows rapidly, and without proper care, it can quickly overtake everything in your garden, including your precious trees.
Wisteria is a twining vine that requires sturdy support. Since it can grow up to three feet or more per year, it also needs regular pruning to keep it under control. Otherwise, Wisteria vines can become an enemy rather than a beautiful addition to your garden. This is why it’s recommended to grow it on its own trellis, which helps keep it a safe distance from other plants.
Many gardeners still decide to grow Wisteria vines on compromising places, such as trees, but it’s not a wise decision. Even if they prune it, the vine could still kill the tree. The vines twine tightly around the tree trunks and branches, cut through the bark, and girdle the tree to death. The reason they do this, is so they can better their environment. By eliminating the competition, the vine can get all the light, nutrients, and water to itself.
This being said, keep in mind that trees are generally large, and therefore, take up plenty of light, nutrients, and more. This makes it the perfect candidate for elimination. At the end of the day, the heavy bark and size of the tree don’t matter. Once the vine takes hold of the tree, it can kill it to meet its own needs. By growing it on a trellis, the vine won’t have the need to kill anything in your garden because it will have everything necessary to survive.
So, next time you decide to make the bold decision of buying a Wisteria vine, make sure you buy a trellis with it. Select an open area, where it gets direct sunlight, and train it by removing the side shoots (the secondary vines) as it grows upward. You can leave some side shoots, but remember you will have to train those too, just like the main vine, so try not to leave too many side shoots. Once it reaches the desired height, cut the main vine to stunt its growth.

 

 

How To Properly Plant A Peony

The Paeonia hybrids, more commonly known as Peonies, are beautiful flowers, available in deep red, pink, white, and pastels. This perennial, which blooms in spring to early summer, is actually easy to take care of, and doesn’t require too much maintenance.

Before doing anything, make sure you select a place where you get full sun to partial shade. Too much shade isn’t good for Peonies, and your hard work could go in vain.

Once your place is selected, make sure you have well-drained soil, meaning there should be no dampness in the soil when you’re getting ready to plant. This helps prevent the root from rotting, and your plant from dying.

Once you’ve prepared, dig a hole 12 to 15 inches deep and 15 inches across. Peony’s grow to be fairly large, so the more space you have, the better. Next, add about three inches of compost and a half of a cup of fertilizer to the bottom of the hole. Mix it thoroughly into the soil. Types of fertilizer vary by store, so it’s best to talk to someone who works in the perennial department and ask what works best for your Peony. When you’ve finished with this, plant the Peony.

Water your Peony immediately after planting. Make sure to water at least every two weeks (it’s best to do so once a week), during the summer. Also, cover the surrounding soil with mulch to protect the soil, plants, and prevent weeds.