HelpfulGardener.com

This one deserves/needs its own thread

Subject: 2016 -- starting seeds and cuttings for the new season

applestar wrote:

applestar wrote: Feb 26

Wisteria seeds from Mom 2015 -- pre-soaked for 36 hrs in plain water, then rolled into a wrap of moist paper towel and saranwrap inside a freezer zip bag.

I completely forgot about these, but happened to look at it today and thought I saw some green inside --- Look!

-- this quart freezer zip bagged roll has been sitting on the SE window-side stand, not on heat mat so night time temp of around 65-68°F and daytime ranging from about 70° up to maybe around 85°F when the sun is shining on the stand for a few hours.

Those have (mostly) all germinated. Get them to a pot and plant 'em.

Yep, I will! -- I'm thinking some for experimenting with fused trunk bonsai wannabe, and some for in-ground Wisteria trained into tree style... A few by themselves for back up or giving.

I need to cut up some milk cartons.

I am not the person who should be advising you. Wisteria is a noxious weed here. So I think I'll stop with that.

I can't believe it! So this is one tree (well, OK, vine) you -tomc- wouldn't grow from seeds?


...well, actually I can -- I've seen some areas overrun by volunteer wisteria, especially the non-native escaped ones. But that reminds me -- I have to find those wisteria covered barn photos....

Subject: Vine For Chain Link Fence

applestar wrote:Here's one that ate half of a barn and the attached silo....

Here's my mom standing next to it for scale comparison:

It's been torn down but it was quite a sight and gorgeous in flower each spring.

Wow! never seen a Westiria so big!

it really was amazing-looking and we enjoyed the show every spring when we drove by, so you could imagine our shock and disappointment when we saw that it had been demolished, though understandable -- I think it had been the last structure standing on the once-farm land that had been sold piece by piece to developers. I suspect that by the end, the barn was being held UP by the wisteria, rather than the other way around.

---

14 out of 17 seeds had germinated.

I planted them 4 to each milk carton, plus two more in the shallow berry container -- I want to see what happens if you stunt them from the beginning. If I can get to them before they get too big, I might separate the milk carton ones into groups of 2, but I don't have the room right now and I'm not sure if the weather is sufficiently warm to put them outside yet.

I had a N4Ser ask me for wisteria seeds. She had to keep at it for three years before I relented. I'm still sorry I sent them out.

Yep. I advocate growing native plants. That's another reason I'm going to be strictly controlling how these grow because I don't know what species they are.

I realize this will be a long-term project before these will bloom (if ever), but I like doing stuff like this just to see if I can.

I'd love to see some photos if anyone has wisteria trained and styled in standard / tree form. Any growing tips would be appreciated too. I haven't done this before but it's been a back burner project of mine for a long time.



You can find a lot of Wisteria bonsai photos on-line but hardly any relative size scale indications. Here are a couple.

Wisteria Bonsai Tree Flowers

This photograph of Warren Hill's wisteria bonsai, shown here with his wife Sharon, is one of my all time favorite bonsai

https://www.bonsaimary.com/bonsai-tree-flowers.html

Here's another one:


src=''https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/23 ... 81e3a3.jpg"

...obviously same bonsai at a different time...

src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/23 ... 0e03ee.jpg"

...no I don't know where I would put it if I can't keep it outside...

I call it "histeria"-it takes over completely. There was a small one along the fence between me and neighbor when I moved into my house 19 years ago-I'm still trying to kill it all off. The bonsai inside looks nice-outside it will escape and haunt you forever!

the little buggers are growing nicely. It sounds like I won't have to worry about this one much except to keep it pruned and not let it get out of hand

Amazing plant!, We have a tree that flowers in a similar fashion here, but with deep yellow flowers.

I figure anyone growing wisteria needs to buy stock in Roundup!
A couple of notes. It grows like a bad weed, only faster. It takes several, or is that many years to bloom. By that time you won't have a yard or shed left! The vines can travel just under ground, and leafy ends show up many feet away.

Now that is in bloom mode, other peoples yards, I have seen a couple of the 'tree' forms. That takes constant attention with clippers and more to keep it controlled. Apple, no snark intended. but if you wanted a tree form, you'd buy a start, as it is awhile yet to bloom.

I have it along the back fence of yard. I admit to being a bit lazy on my side. The house on other side is now 'in estate', so not sure of disposition. I'm paying good $$ to have the vines cut back that are traveling through my back yard. It is starting to leaf out, and I will be trying some direct application of Roundup. I have told the person staying in the 'estate' house I will share cost if they hire someone to clear out some stuff we share. (note, estate an odd term here. The house is small but OK, hasn't been maintained)

...but Susan, you have it wrong -- I don't WANT a tree form, I want to GROW one. Yeah call me crazy.

...who knows, I might get tired of waiting for it, or other projects might supersede this one and I might give up on it... But then again, I might not. For now, it's fun.

I'm glad you are happy with your wisteria. I wish you bountiful means to keep it trained. A light-saber maybe?

Apple, beware of a plain brown envelope, no return address. Not drugs or poison. Worse! Some nice new tips of W Vine! I haven't looked close enough, but am sure it will send out roots at the nodes.