Wisteria is a plant that grows in almost any soil type and does not require very fertile soil. However, if you want to get abundant blooms on your Wisteria, applying a fertilizer suitable for this beautiful and fragrant plant will be necessary. Continue reading to learn all about Wisteria fertilizer.
Wisteria absorbs nitrogen from the air, just like clovers. That is why nitrogen-free or low-nitrogen fertilizers are recommended for Wisteria. In this article, you will learn how and when to fertilize Wisteria correctly and why it is necessary to use a low-nitrogen fertilizer to obtain spectacular blooms.
Table of Contents
What Kind of Fertilizer for Wisteria
Wisteria adapts to a wide range of soil conditions. The pH for a Wisteria to develop and grow properly should be between 6 and 7. It is imperative to measure the pH of the soil before fertilizing Wisteria. If the pH is correct, the Wisteria will take much better advantage of the nutrients provided by fertilization.
As I mentioned earlier, Wisteria gets its nitrogen from the air, so it is unnecessary to use a nitrogen fertilizer. Too much nitrogen in the Wisteria will cause it to grow too much foliage and not as many flowers. Of course, you will want lots of flowers on your Wisteria and not too much foliage.
An NPK 0-44-0 fertilizer with high phosphorus is an excellent choice for fertilizing Wisteria. NPK stands for Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. For example, in the Wisteria fertilizer, which is 0-44-0, the fertilizer contains 0% nitrogen, 44% phosphorus, and 0% potassium. The rest of the fertilizer components are other minerals and nutrients such as iron, zinc, etc.
According to the University of Utah, Wisteria may suffer from iron chlorosis if the soil pH is too high. To avoid this problem, monitor soil pH conditions and observe Wisteria leaves for symptoms of iron chlorosis, such as yellow leaves. I recommend you read our article on nutrient deficiency in plants.
Best Fertilizer for Wisteria
As I mentioned earlier, the best fertilizer for Wisteria will have a high phosphorus content. An NPK fertilizer 0-44-0 or 0-45-0 will be an excellent choice to fertilize your Wisteria and get a magnificent bloom. Remember that Wisteria gets its nitrogen from the air, and nitrogen fertilizer will not be necessary.
If, for some reason, you cannot get a nitrogen-free fertilizer, choose the one with the lowest nitrogen values. Too much nitrogen will encourage foliage growth and not flower growth. That is why it is important not to overdo it with nitrogen to have an excellent flowering, Wisteria.
However, if your Wisteria is a young plant (1 or 2 years old), you can provide it with a fertilizer with some nitrogen to help it in the first stage of growth until it becomes established where you planted it. In that case, you could use a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer. But remember that if your Wisteria is an adult plant, using a nitrogen fertilizer will no longer be necessary.
For the fertilizer to be effective on the Wisteria, be sure to measure the pH of the soil. A Wisteria that has the proper pH (6 and 7) will absorb nutrients better than a Wisteria that has a different soil pH. It is best to fertilize Wisteria with a slow-release granular fertilizer.
- PHOSPHORUS FERTILIZER SAFE FOR ALL PLANTS 0-46-0
- GREAT PHOSPHORUS NUTRIENT SOURCE FOR GARDENS, LAWNS, INDOOR AND OUTDOOR PLANTS
- GRANULAR PHOSPHATE FERTILIZER IS PERFECT FOR ALL TREES INCLUDING FRUIT TREES TO ENCOURAGE MORE AND LARGER BLOOMS
When to Fertilize Wisteria
The best time to fertilize Wisteria is early spring. That is when you should apply a fertilizer with a high phosphorus content. It is best to use a slow-release granular fertilizer. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for application to Wisteria.
If you cannot fertilize your Wisteria in the spring, you can apply a non-nitrogen fertilizer during the summer. When the Wisteria is a young plant, and you use a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer, you can also apply it in late summer to prepare the Wisteria for winter, but this should only be done when the plant is young.
How Often Do You Need to Fertilize Wisteria
An adult Wisteria does not need to be fertilized more than once a year in early spring. Apply a slow-release fertilizer with high phosphorus content. That will be more than enough to feed an adult Wisteria.
On the other hand, if your Wisteria is a young plant (under two years old), it is best to apply a 10-10-10 fertilizer in early spring and then again in late summer to prepare the plant for winter.
Once the Wisteria is an adult plant, it will no longer be necessary to fertilize with nitrogen fertilizers because the Wisteria obtains the essential nitrogen from the air on its own.
How to Fertilize Wisteria
You should always read the fertilizer manufacturer’s instructions because each manufacturer has instructions that may vary a bit. Still, I will explain how to fertilize Wisteria with slow-release granular fertilizer.
Apply fertilizer uniformly around the Wisteria (in a circle). You should apply the fertilizer as far as the roots extend around the Wisteria. Usually, spreading the fertilizer in a 6 ft (1.8 m) radius will be more than enough.
After applying the fertilizer, water promotes the absorption of the fertilizer. These steps are for a slow-release granular fertilizer, but other fertilizers do not need to be watered after application. Read the manufacturer’s instructions to properly apply the fertilizer so the Wisteria can take advantage of the nutrients.
Final Conclusions
Fertilizing a young Wisteria will help the plant establish itself more quickly and grow properly. Once established the Wisteria, it will not be necessary to fertilize it more than once a year in early spring with a high phosphorus fertilizer.
With this article, I hope to answer all your questions about how and when to fertilize Wisteria correctly. I recommend you to read our article about passion fruit fertilizer: how and when to fertilize.
