Talkback: The strange case of the wilting wisteria - Talkback

01/07/2009 at 08:48

I hope you both remembered to take off the plant lables or any close fitting ties on the main stem. I heard this problem on a GQT session and despite years of experience the gardener had still left a tie so tight it choked the plant to death. Commonly happens just after as summer growth surge kiks in. Always check the plug.

Gardeners' World Web User

04/07/2009 at 22:13

I am having a problem with my young (4yrs.)pleached lime hedge. One of the trees is having a problem that does not affect the others. Last summer all of its leaves suddenly went brown and crispy and fell off. It kept its buds and this spring although later than the others it did spring back to life. However the same thing has happened again. Within a couple of days the leaves go brown and the tree defoliates itself. I have checked for insects, none. A fungal disease would surely affect the others in the hedge. So I had a look at the roots. Moles have made runs directly under the tree which is preventing the roots from taking up water. Should I dig around the roots to try and settle the earth back round them or will this make matters worse?

Gardeners' World Web User

05/07/2009 at 04:19

I am having trouble with some of the leaves turning yellow and falling off. I have sprayed for insects (saw japanese beetles before) but no sign now and still continues on. Any ideals?

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06/07/2009 at 11:18

I also lost my Wisteria after 6 healthy years of growth the flowers appeared but did not open then shivelled up and died the leaves then fell off. cutting some of the stems back they had also died and I do not have any explanation

Gardeners' World Web User

09/07/2009 at 19:29

I planted my wisteria against a fence. Unfortunately, it was a shady damp area of my garden. Obviously it didn't flower/ Once I realised my mistake I transplanted it into a pot and all of the 'buds' became brances with leaves. However, they are all drooping, I know the cause but does anyone know what I can do. I was surprised that started growing any at all and now I am a little disappointed. Cany anything be done to save it? Any help would be appreciated.

Gardeners' World Web User

09/07/2009 at 21:20

This is getting more and more mysterious. I asked Helen Yemm (who has a fabulous advice column in the Telegraph) about the Mysterious Case of the Wilting Wisteria and she has received lots of letters so we are not alone. However, she is also stumped and so, at the moment is the RHS. I will keep an eye on things on your behalf.

Gardeners' World Web User

12/07/2009 at 09:22

WE HAVE HAD A WISTERIA FOR 15 YEARS AND HAS BEEN FANTASTIC.LOTS OF FLOWERS AND NEW GROWTH WHICH I PRUNE. THIS YEAR THE FLOWERS DID NOT OPEN AND THERE IS NO NEW GROWTH.ALSO WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE WHICH HIS ONLY ABOUT 5YEARS OLD AND THERE ARE NO LEAVES AT ALL ON IT ONLY BUDS BUT THE PLANT IS STILL SHOWING GREEN UNDER BARK. I NEED SOME SUGESTIONS.

Gardeners' World Web User

12/07/2009 at 19:19

I have the same wilting problem with a four year old wisteria against a wall in a sunny position. It's about 8ft tall and has grown well up to now.

Gardeners' World Web User

15/07/2009 at 09:58

I have a similar wilting problem on a seven year old dwarf cherry tree - Compact Stella. It has been planted in the ground for about five years. It flowered well this year as usual and produced a good crop, however in the last ten days the leaves have wilted and turned brown and crispy. I cannot find any sign of pest or disease. Other plants in the same bed are all fine.

Gardeners' World Web User

15/07/2009 at 18:03

I have two wisteria growing against a sunny wall, one blue one and one white one (japanese?) anyway, the white one has just suddenly wilted and looks like it died whilst the other one, only 6 feet away looks fine. very odd.

Gardeners' World Web User

22/07/2009 at 18:11

after 13 years of correct pruning and supreme flowering, our wisteria has produced flowers and just died. How bizarre! What can have happened this year? Is it really dead or if I leave til next year will it return to normal?(that's me , ever hopeful) I have noticed a large number of small black slugs(or slug like creatures around the base of the plant). Any thoughts anyone? I am surprised at the number of losses of well established wisteria this year. Elaine

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24/07/2009 at 12:53

I have had a lovely mauve wisteria for about 10 years and noticed exactly the same thing happening. At first I put it down to the very heavy rain knocking the leaves off but it just hasn't stopped and now the branches are looking bare. I will see if there is a mushroomy smell as I didn't know about that. It is very curious that it is happening to so many people.

Gardeners' World Web User

27/07/2009 at 15:29

I planted two wisteria plants this spring.They were both doing great until a month ago when one started turning yellow and now it is dying.They are about twenty feet apart.The other one is fine.Any ideas what I can do ?

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29/07/2009 at 15:36

I planted a new wisteria in the spring it has flowered and now, this last week the leaves have gone brown and fallen off, I don't know what to do. I live in France and the weather has been really hot could this be the problem? There is no sign of bugs.

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11/08/2009 at 19:31

I have a very old 20ft high wisteria spread across the front of our house. In the last few weeks it is turning from green to yellow to almost white. It was producing new growth up until then. Has anyone heard of any new from the RHS on this subject?

Gardeners' World Web User

12/08/2009 at 18:35

I've had a healthy wisteria for about 6 years. The flowers were a bit smaller than usual this year but it now appears to be completely dead: all the leaves have shrivelled up and died.

Gardeners' World Web User

13/08/2009 at 15:47

I can only add to the depressing list of wisteria news by reporting that my 8/9 year old Wisteria started turning yellow a few weeks ago. Most of the leaves have now fallen off and I fear the worst. It had only begun to flower in the last couple of years so I am most upset. As it's been an unusually wet july/August in England, could it be waterlogging? I think there's different problems here. Some peoples W's are turning Brown and shrivelled (eg Amanda in France) whereas my leaves went yellow, then fell off.

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13/08/2009 at 17:33

Our wisteria was planted in a sunny spot and trained to grow up the outside wall of the house about 11 years ago. It has successfully grown without trouble. In the spring 2009 it produced its flowers in abundance followed by the leaves. The leaves started to wilt around June. The whole of the shrub is now completely dead. No local environmental changes. We would appreciate some advice.

Gardeners' World Web User

18/08/2009 at 17:52

It sounds like we need to look for common themes here. On another site, I read something about Wisteria's turning yellow if they do not have adequate drainage. Since this summer has been cooler and wetter than most in a long, long time, I wonder if this is the reason? In circumstances where one plant is doing fine and the other failing, are the failing plants in a wetter location (at least at the root level)?

Gardeners' World Web User

20/08/2009 at 08:12

Sadly our nine year old Wisteria has also succumb, the leaves started to turn yellow bit by bit after typically vigorous growth up until late June. It now only has a sprinkling of pale dying leaves left and the garden looks more like Autumn with dried leaves blowing all over. I do wonder about waterlogged roots in July as this is when it really went downhill ... here's to next spring!!