Here in central Michigan we have lots of heavy clay and the wisteria is invasive and hard to control. Beautiful for 1-2 weeks, and then watch your back 'cause the wisteria might just wrap you, your house, and your car up. So...I'd just let it struggle along -- maybe thick mulch in a wider than normal circle, and see if that is enough to get it going well, but not enough that I'd regret my choice.

Sunny

Sink or swim. I've moved wisteria a couple times and here in PA it seems to take a couple years afterward to put out much new growth. Especially since the plant is already stressed I think it would need a lot of TLC for too long to become established in its new home. Then again I'm sometimes rough with the roots when I move things so maybe my transplants would have taken off quicker if I were more careful.

Sorry I am in the group of Wisteria haters sorry we have had Wisteria coming up in our lawn in my planting beds it just is very very invasive here in Oregon . So where I would move it straight to the trash can good luck with yours though lol

It sounds like it won't get invasive in your area like it did for me, so I'd go for it if it's requiring too much care in its current position. This is one plant I'd expect to fend for itself.

P.S. Your link is bad.

I on the other hand love wisteria: it's beautiful in all seasons and requires only a major pruning in the winter, which is a job, but worth it. Ours grow on a pergola in front of our house where they provide much-needed shade. Ours do fine, though I must add that one of our original three keeled over on me after several years and from an apparently thriving state. Like you, I don't water wisteria, or anything else, after the first year. However the pot ghetto lives under its pergola, so it may be getting some water and nutrients from them; also, it's partly shaded by a persimmon tree which gives it some protection from sun and wind, and it grows in what was orignally mainly rubble with organic matter, rather than in our usual dense clay. If you're tempted to keep it, I think moving it to an area with better soil is a reasonable idea. If it was ever going to settle in, it ought to have done so by now. Or if that's too much labor (a consideration I know), heavy mulching with something that won't compact. N.b. could it possibly be suffering from a too alkaline soil?

In your situation, bart, and with the physical challenges I know you face, I would take it out. Its blooming period is so short that I wouldn't consider it worth the trouble to relocate it, especially since you have no guarantee it will survive in our ever hotter and drier climate, even in a better location.

I love wisteria and have moved some in my time. They are pretty hearty as far as making it, they sit there and sulk for a year then take back off. With a japanese I would chance it, the American natives grow so slowly for me I don't know if I would risk moving one of them. It all depends how much you like wisteria, For me it is one of those plants that make Spring Spring and I require at least seeing and smelling some in bloom. There is one at the local nursery that brings the Wow factor home, It is all the way to the top of a 100 foot pine tree and the pine looks purple when it blooms. I don't know what variety it is. I have one in one yard and have planted three recently in this yard. One is heading to the skies on a cedar tree. :)

Is there another location in your garden where the wisteria would serve an aesthetic or shade purpose? If so, I think I'd move it in cooler times, water it as needed for one year and then let it fend for itself. If it establishes, it will be fragrant and gorgeous! Since your climate is not one that's prone to invasion, you won't have that worry to spoil the fun. Carol

My first thought was, sink or swim. You need to be extra careful with your hip problems so that you can continue gardening. (DH had some hip problems but they turned out to be back problems and much more serious). Is the wisteria in a critical location for your aesthetic plan? If so, I would coddle it for awhile, but not forever. If not, I would layer it so that I would have only that small rooted cutting to move. I would still leave the mother plant in place (without coddling) to allow it more opportunity to establish just in case it would. All this takes time so I am hoping that is not an issue for you.

Cath

First I want to apologize for my carelessness about the un-intended link. It seems that Houzz does this automatically when un-knowingly I type in certain combinations of letters; I can't see any editing option on the post so I can't take it out now,but I will try to be more careful in the future. Secondly I'm really glad I posted this on THIS forum as well as on "Vines" because the responses you are all giving me is what I was really hoping for...that is, I was hoping to "discuss" the question with fellow gardeners. So thank you all so much!!!

I love wisteria, but am very confused. Back when I put in my first wisteria plant (Chinese one, Prolific), I read that it was "suitable for xeriscaping",extremely vigourous and even invasive, etc, etc. So I planted it on a hill with shallow, rocky soil,that was covered with broom, wild clematis and blackberries, thinking that the wisteria would be macho enough to compete. Not so! Eight years later, that plant is still only about 7-8 feet tall. Last year it almost lost all of it's leaves; I saved it by cutting away all the invading weeds, mulching, and watering. It's a bit better this year, though didn't flower much of course, due to the stress,but still seems to be struggling. This one has been very beautiful in the past,but I'm not considering moving this one, since I have other "Prolifics" elsewhere,planted in deeper soil, which are thriving (though one refuses to bloom so far...) Now, this Macrobotrys is a different story. I only have the one plant. It has produced a few flowers, so I know for sure it's not a "mule". These are 2 good reasons for trying to save it actively. The cons: mainly,I've got to face up to my physical limitations : digging it up would be a LOT of work. Also, it's never yet done anything to make me fall in love with it,though this may well be due to the bad conditions. I guess I think/thought that moving it to deeper soil would be the surest way to "save it actively",since that seems to be the most effective course to take with roses, but Cassandra's comment gives me something to consider (that little dryad is SO beautiful, btw!!!) I so long to obtain the effect that Anne is talking about,but haven't done so yet, not even with the better-placed wisteria...Cath, your post sounds very sensible,but why do you suggest layering this older plant instead of just buying a new one? Would a layerd baby from this one be a guarenteed "non-mule", perhaps? or is it just for economic reasons?

Bart, it would be for economic reasons. Also, once a plant is "under my protection" I tend to care for it as long as it will live. I guess I consider a clone still the same plant. Recently I have become a little more ruthless. I actually SPed a rose, Neptune.

Cath

With hips to consider, I'd follow Cath's advice, Bart. No wisteria relocation! Our bodies are more precious than any (replaceable) garden plant. Layering is a great idea if you don't have another wisteria in your budget or if you want a back-up of a correct variety when ordering another from a nursery. Whatever you do, health first! Carol

Wimpy and wisteria don't look to me like they belong in the same sentence. At our house we wage war on wisteria, and will never win. It is horribly invasive here. I wonder if it's the humidity that makes it so troublesome?

I agree with Cath and Carol- don't try to move the existing plant... either buy another (which might be a better clone), or root some of the existing plant. Just don't send me any!

Virginia

bart, like Carol, if you are going to move it, I'd leave it till it's cooler. A method I've found improves the chance of survival (though have never moved wisteria, that I remember), is to spade around the plant weeks or months before moving it. That way, new roots form at the cut. Could you have it in a large pot at your house? Good luck.

O, never fear, any moving of plants has got to be put off until fall;I've learned the hard way that spring and summer are definitely NOT gardening seasons in Tuscany.

Buying a new one on-line would cost about 17 euros,I think; not a fortune by any means. But I think deep down I sort of feel like Cath. " once a plant is "under my protection" I tend to care for it as long as it will live." But I think I am going to have to start being more "ruthless" ,too; much more ruthless.

Bart, I was thinking of you and this thread last night as I was pulling wisteria starts out of my lawn and my altromeria.

LOL!!!

I know some varieties aren't invasive. That sounds like what you have. It's the same with Heavenly Bamboo. I love it but, some of it pops up everywhere . But, the kind I get doesnt. Unfortunately the previous owner planted all kinds of vines and bulbs

Don't even get me started on those bulbs. Lol

Well, the plant got a reprieve thanks to a much, much needed rain. I'm definitely leaning to the "sink or swim" idea,though I do hope to mulch it properly,maybe cut it back a bit more, too, so there's less plant for the roots to heve to hydrate. I suspect that the yearly summer drought is what prevents wisteria from being enthusiastic in my garden, though I did have one Amethyst Falls that died at the graft and now I have sprouts from the rootstock in the area in which it grew. But considering all the other uber-aggressive weeds that plague my land (blackberries, wild clematis,etc) , I can't get very upset about these little guys.