How To Plant Wisteria

Do Wisteria Have Seed Pods

These pods show up a few weeks after the vine has finished blooming and contain seeds that, if left alone, will burst out to self-seed as they dry.The long, dangling pods appear on Wisteria vines in the late summer or fall.Once the pods dry out in the late autumn, they explode, spreading seeds to start the next generation of Wisteria.As the scented flowers eventually fade, they give way to long pods that hold the seeds that then, quite literally, explode to the ground and grow into new Wisteria plants.Late summer or early fall is usually when you’ll notice pods that resemble oversized green beans or snow peas appearing on your Wisteria.You should never allow children or pets (or any animal) to eat any part of the Wisteria plant, especially the seed pods.Wisteria seed pods start out green and then turn brown as they dry out in the fall.You may notice a sound like popcorn popping, the seeds flying through the air, or your dog or cat going nuts at the window.If they just dropped straight to the ground, the new seedlings would be in competition with each other (and the parent vine) and wouldn’t be able to reach new places to grow.Some plants, such as Maple Trees, Cottonwoods, and Dandelions, have seeds designed to blow away in the wind.So, Wisteria pods pop, and the seeds shoot out into the air, landing a few feet from where they would have fallen had they just dropped straight down.On the one hand, the seed pods have aesthetic appeal, the popping is fun, and you save time by not removing them.Some gardeners like to leave Wisteria seed pods on the vine because they add visual interest in the late summer, fall, and winter.The seeds ping against nearby windows and walls, and they can also make a bit of a mess underfoot if the Wisteria is growing above a porch, patio, or sidewalk.Unless you want a Wisteria forest, preventing self-seeding is a good reason to remove the seed pods before they pop.If you have small children or animals of any kind sharing your yard, it’s a good idea to get rid of your Wisteria’s seed pods so that nobody tries to eat one.The whole Wisteria plant is poisonous, but the pods and seeds are the most potent part, and kids and pets sometimes make themselves sick by eating them.Also, Wisteria takes a long time to mature, which is important to know if you want to try your hand at starting a new plant from seed.If you start your seeds inside in the fall, they’ll be ready to plant outside as soon as it’s warm enough come spring.Either way is fine as long as the seedlings have at least a month and a half to get established in the ground before the first frost day.To help the seeds sprout, start by either nicking the hull with a sharp blade or scraping it with a nail file.Once your seedlings have two sets of true leaves and are about five inches tall, it’s time to transplant them to give them more space to grow.If you planted them in a seed starting medium, they’d also need to be transplanted to soil in order to get the nutrients they need to keep growing.Gradually increase exposure to outdoor conditions until your seedlings are used to being outside all day and exposed to wind and direct sun.To plant seeds directly outside in the fall, simply push each one an inch deep into the ground and cover it with soil.Getting the pods out of the way now will provide extra room for next year’s buds to grow in and give you a better view of their cascading petals.If you want to plant Wisteria seeds, the best time to collect them is in the fall, after the pods dry up and turn brown but before they pop.