Growing Wisteria from seeds

[applestar]

This one deserves/needs its own thread

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

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.

[tomc]

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

[applestar]

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.

[tomc]

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

[applestar]

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....

[applestar]

Subject: Vine For Chain Link Fence

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.

[AnnaIkona]

Wow! never seen a Westiria so big!

[applestar]

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.

[tomc]

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.

[applestar]

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...

[catgrass]

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!

[applestar]

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

image.jpeg (42.59 KiB) Viewed 2944 times

[Mr green]

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

[applestar]

[Susan W]

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)

[applestar]

...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.

[tomc]

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

[Susan W]

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.