The MGS Forum

Gardening in mediterranean climates => Pests and diseases => Topic started by: Umbrian on June 01, 2015, 08:34:55 AM

Title: Die back of Wisteria
Post by: Umbrian on June 01, 2015, 08:34:55 AM
Not quite sure where to put this but am sure it will be read....
A friend made through membership of the MGS sent an e.mail today as her Wisteria appears to be dying.
It is 7 years old, planted against the house and with judicious pruning has started to afford valuable shade. This spring the early flowers were beautiful but subsequent ones failed to open properly and now the leaves at the ends of branches are withering. Her first thought was to water it - now 4 days but no improvement. We did in fact have some quite serious rain about a week ago and so now she is thinking it might in fact be suffering from an excess of water at its roots although its position would not seem to bear this out....
Any suggestions will be gratefully received and I am encouraging her to join the Forum so, please somebody come up with a "miraculous" solution to her problem😉
Title: Re: Die back of Wisteria
Post by: Alice on June 01, 2015, 04:30:55 PM
You don't say where your friend is based, Umbrian.
We had a wisteria in England which became waterlogged and rotted. The first signs of trouble were when the flowers failed to open and then wilted and died. When we dug the plant up the roots had quite an unpleasant smell.
Title: Re: Die back of Wisteria
Post by: Umbrian on June 03, 2015, 08:41:30 AM
Thanks for your interest Alice, my friend lives in Umbria, not far from me. We had a wet, cool summer last year by normal standards but the winter was relatively mild and not particularly wet. Hot temperatures came in early bursts this spring with cold wet conditions in between, many early flowering subjects were out early and over very quickly. Perhaps it has just not coped with the constant changes......