Taking a Cutting from Wisteria

My neighbor has a beautiful wisteria vine growing on their arbor and offered me a cutting to put on our newly constructed arbor, but I do not know how to take a proper cutting without affecting their vine.

Make sure this is the best vine for your situation.  Most of the oriental wisterias are hardy plants in zones 4 or 5 but fail to bloom when their flower buds are killed by cold winter temperatures.

The Kentucky Wisteria (Wisteria macrostachys) does bloom reliably in zones 4 and 5 after becoming established in 5 to 7 years.  In warmer regions these plants can be very aggressive and require regular severe pruning to keep them contained.  

Make sure you have a strong enough support and space for this rampant grower.   Start new plants by taking six inch cuttings in June or July.  Root the cutting in moist vermiculite, sand or a well drained potting mix.  Plant rooted cuttings directly in the ground next to the arbor and water often enough to keep the soil moist but not soggy.  Reduce watering frequency as the plant becomes established. 

Or grow the rooted cuttings in a container for one or two seasons until a larger root system develops.   Northern gardeners should bury the pot in a protected location during the winter. 

Or increase your chance for success by layering the vine.   Carefully remove one of the stems from the trellis.  Notch the stem 9 inches below the growing tip.  Bury this portion of the stem leaving the top 6 inches above the ground.   You can root it in the surrounding soil or in a container of well-drained soil set next to the parent plant.  Leave the stem attached to the parent plant during the rooting process.  Keep the soil moist while the buried stem forms its own root system over the summer.  Disconnect the newly rooted plant from the parent vine.   You can move the newly rooted vine to its new location.

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