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ture. If a young plant appears to be slowing up, and the young leaves 
are turning brown and appear to be scorched or shrivelled, it is an indi¬ 
cation that it needs water, and plenty of it. Supply the water and the 
plant will register a rapid growth even if the soil is rather poor. 
It is more difficult to get rapidly growing vines into production of 
flowers. For several years I have conducted an extensive study of this 
problem, and have finally discovered the reason for the existence of non¬ 
flowering vines. Wistaria vines, young or old, produce a vigorous, thrifty, 
spring growth because there is ample moisture in the soil after the winter. 
Therefore, the vine carries on vigorously until the 15th of June in the 
vicinity of Philadelphia, or forty-five days from the time it begins to grow 
in the spring. While the growth is not exactly finished for the season, 
there is generally a dry period with intensive heat on or about this time 
which causes the ripening of growth. Then early in July or later the 
weather changes, with copious showers weekly, and even daily, causing 
new growth. On this new growth, if there has been a stoppage of growth 
in June, a liberal supply of auxiliary flowers will be produced and con¬ 
tinued production assured. 
In sandy and comparatively poor soil the response to liberal irriga¬ 
tion, whether it be natural or artificial, is immediate and the production 
of flowers on three to five year old vines is practically 100 per cent. In 
more fertile soil of a heavier texture, the production of bloom is not so 
certain, but it can be artificially brought about if the vines are grown 
in pots. You can withhold excessive watering after the 15th of June, for 
twenty days, thereby producing similar conditions as were produced in 
the sandy soil under normal weather conditions. 
If your vine is growing in fertile soil, such as is generally found in 
Pennsylvania, the greater portion of New York, Maryland and Delaware, 
you can produce such conditions artificially by severely root pruning 
your vine the 20th of June, or fifty days after the vine started growing in 
the spring. Dig around the vine, severing all the roots, 12 to 24 inches 
away from the trunk, making a complete circle, all depending on the age 
of the vine. Cut off the roots going into the sub-soil. Fill back the hole 
with fertile soil, or part old manure, tamping in well, and watering freely. 
Then you have reproduced artificially the natural conditions which bring 
about production of dormant flower buds and flowers. 
It is well to keep in mind that after all it is desirable to get rapid 
growth and a sizable vine before you look for flowers. 
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Copyright A. E. Wohlert, 1936 
