What’s the difference between Chinese Wisteria and Japanese Wisteria?

Wisteria is a wonderful, colourful climber which is very easy to grow and has hanging, fragrant clusters of flowers during May and June

Ideally Wisteria should be grown against a wall or fence with a sturdy support system in place. However, it can be grown as a tree or shrub if pruned correctly.

There are two main species of Wisteris; W. floribunda or Japanese Wisteria and W. sinensis or Chinese Wisteria.

Wisteria floribunda flowers in May and June with clusters of flowers reaching up to 46cm (18ins) in length. The flowers range in colour from white through pink to shades of blue and appear at the same time as the leaves begin to develop.

Wisteria sinensis flowers mainly during May and the clusters of flowers are slightly smaller at up to 31cm (12ins). They tend to be either white or lilac and the flowers open all at once before the leave appear.

Plant your Wisteria in a sunny, well drained position, add manure or compost to the planting hole to give it a good start and water it in well and keep well watered until established. Once established it will thrive on a certain amount of neglect so don’t water or fertilise it unless it is looking sorry for itself in which case a small amount of rose fertiliser during late winter should perk it up.

To ensure a good display of flowers Wisteria needs to be pruned twice a year. Make sure that your secateurs are sharp to avoid crushing or tearing the stems, which may lead to die-back.

Winter Pruning – Between October and mid March cut back this season’s growth to two or three buds from the base. Cut at an angle just above the bud. This will encourage the development of spurs which carry the flowers in spring.

Summer Pruning – Between late June and Mid August but ideally in April or May cut back the long vigorous shoots that have been produced during late spring and early summer. Cut just above a couple of buds from the base. If the plant is young and still being trained, select some of the stronger shoots to tie into the frame and cut back to this framework.

Buy Wisteria from Crocus.co.uk

Weedkiller

Question:

I recently got involved has a volunteer in creating a community garden for elderly people the area we have was very overgrown we have now hacked it all to the ground with strimmers etc. but I have a idea that the weeds etc. will soon shoot up again.

I would like some advice on a good economical weedkiller has its a large area somebody mentioned something called weed matting is this easy to lay and expensive or inexpensive and above all effective and would that enable a lawn to be laid on top.

Answer:

It looks like you’ve taken on a massive job here but I’m sure it will be worth while in the end.

There are a few ways to remove the weeds. The first, and the hardest, is to dig over the whole area and remove the weeds by hand. Don’t be tempted to use a rotavator because this will chop up and spread perennial weed roots far and wide, making the weed problem much worse.

Leave the land for a few weeks during which time any annual weed seeds left will germinate and these can be removed by hand. Don’t add them to the compost heap as perennial weed seeds will remain in the soil.

If you don’t fancy digging, wait until new weed shoots appear and apply weedkiller containing glyphosate. I’ve done a bit of research and found the following weedkillers which sound good. You should be able to get them at your local garden centre or DIY store:

• Weedol 2 – An economical weedkiller that can be used all round the garden except on lawns, unless you want to kill them. Weedol doesn’t harm the soil so seeding or planting can be carried out immediately after treatment. Young green suckers of roses, lilac and plums can also be killed without harming the rootstock. Effective at any time of the year, Weedol is rainproof in 10 minutes. Contains diquat. Keep away from children and pets. 12 sachet carton treats 204m.
• Roundup Weedkiller – will completely kill all weeds and roots. Children and pets don’t need to be excluded from treated areas as it is biodegradable and starts to break down as soon as it touches the soil. It contains the chemical glyphosate and includes measuring cap for easy measuring. Do not use on lawns or other wanted plants as it will kill everything plant it touches. 280ml treats 280m.

Here are a few general rules to bear in mind when using weedkiller:

• Read the manufacturer’s instructions to be sure you are using the right weedkiller for the job
• Keep weedkiller off plants that you want to keep
• Dissolve/dilute the weedkiller according to instructions on the packaging and apply weeds using a fine rose (sprinkler head) on a watering can which you only use for weedkiller
• Don’t apply on a windy day because weedkillers can drift onto other plants
• The most effective time to apply weedkillers is when weeds are leafy and growing actively, mid-spring to early summer is ideal
• Keep weedkillers in a safe place, out of reach from children and pets. When empty, dispose of them carefully.

Not all weeds will die so repeat applications may be needed.

The final method to control weeds is to cover the ground with sheets of black plastic or old carpet. Emerging weed shoots won’t get any light and will starve and die. This may take a couple of years to be 100 per cent effective. You will be able to lay your lawn over the area once all the weeds have died. You may need to weed and feed the lawn after the first year to ensure new weeds don’t take hold.

For areas which are not going to be lawned you will need to ensure the weeds don’t come back. To help keep them to a minimum add a mulch of bark, compost, manure, gravel or slate. In addition you can also use a weed-proof membrane which is made of woven polypropylene. Lay this on top of the soil and add the mulch on top of that. Plant through the membrane by cutting crosses in the material. Again, the membrane will be available at your local garden centre or DIY store.