Wisteria - where do I start?

[mumblechum]

We've just had a load of trees taken away from the front garden, leaving the house front looking a bit bare, so have decided to plant a wisteria against that part of the front of the house (about 20ft wide by 45 ft high)

Does anyone know:

1. Do I need to do anything special with the soil, other than mix in some compost/manure?
   
   
2. When do I put the wire supports in - now, or after it's got going? Dh has ordered a 9ft Wisteria which will arrive in a few days.
   
   
3. I think I get the pruning thing, having researched in the gardening books, but is there anything else peculiar to wisteria I need to know?
   
   Ta in advance

[Cammelia]

I've got a wisteria, it seems to survive all weathers very hardily. Mine clings onto the wall, windowsills, balcony, everywhere if you let it. We keep ours a nice shape by pruning it down every year.

It used to have loads of flowers but hasn't had any since we let our gardener prune it a few years ago.

[TuttiFrutti]

I love them but they will take over if you let them. Prune them hard back in January and July every year, and make sure it isn't getting behind your drainpipes or onto your roof because it can take off roof tile/dislodge drainpipes from walls. You can't overprune a wisteria.

I have never given ours any compost/manure, although you'd want some for a new plant. I don't think the mature wisterias need any.

[winestein]

I can't answer any of your questions, but can give you a tip - invest in a mature as you can afford wisteria. They take absolutely ages to get going - and by that I mean years - I have it in mind that you won't see a flower for 10 years or something

[toomanyballs]

I think gardeners world magazine did a thing on wisteria a couple of months ago. Might be on the web site.

[Callmemadam]

Cammelia - if yours isn't flowering you are still pruning it wrong! Ours is 35' high by about 30' wide and covered in blooms for weeks. If you tell me what you are currently doing to it I may be able to help. Mumblechum - there is no harm in putting wires in now, 2' apart up the wall, on strong eyelet bolts (wisteria is very strong once established). Plant it up before the soil gets cold, and if it has some nice long leader spread them out against the wire framework. Don't prune leaders you need to establish the shape. Then leave it: you should see very small buds developing against the stem along the leaders. These will develop into flower trusses and you will not usually need to prune in January on a new plant. Give it lots of hummus when planting as wisteria are mountain plants which like their roots down deep into leaf mould and their head in the sun.

Above all don't think you have failed if it doesn't flower for 1-3 years. Sometimes wisteria likes to establish itself first.