Wisteria What To Do?

[pureheart]

Hi All,

I'm again in need of help and support... I've been growing this Wisteria for 2 years now and repotted it a couple of weeks ago as a Bonsai...
I'm not sure when and how should I style this plant.... to me it looks too tall so I'd like to cut back but I'm not sure how the Wisteria would react? would it shoot new buds easily? would it be now the time to cut? Or should I instead wire it? I tried to wire it before and I almost broke a branch.... when would be the best time to wire a Wisteria? Any help and comments highly appreciated!!!

Thanks

[kcpoole]

I repot mine after flowering and wire at any time. You can cut back and they will backshoot on old wood, but seasl all cuts as they rot really quickly.
They can be wired but bend carefully, they are brittle and will easily break. Use a thicker wire that you would normally do and bend a little each week then let rest.
You cannot get sharp bends at all unless doing so before the shoots lignify.

When styling wisteria, we do so to create a platform to allow the flowers to drape down. Big flattish branches work well.
Trunks do not thicken much unless in the ground so do not count on s hort stocky tree unless collecting one.
have a search as there are quire a few pics to use as ideas

Ken

[CraigM]

Cool tree.

With current slant and movement, the thick branch growing straight up is very strong and breaks the flow. If this were mine would look at two options.
1) tilt tree up and play around to see if the main branch can be used with a more upright design taking into account suggestions from Ken around design approach. Would still need general prune.
2) if happy with planted angle would look to reduce the thick trunk and try wire the thinner branches to re-enforce the movement.

For now would enjoy the flowers and consider options once flowering done. Please keep us posted.

[pureheart]

Thank you all I'll check more pics to give me an idea on what to do! I'll keep you posted!

What kind of thickness wire do you think I should be using?


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[treeman]

Forget wire. After flowering, you will need to cut it back very hard and slowly build new branches from the resulting shoots. There really is no other option.
Seal cuts with bitumen paint.

wistpru.PNG

[kcpoole]

What kind of thickness wire do you think I should be using?

Depends on branch thickness, when I wire wisteria, I use 1 size larger than i would normally use.
Depending on the trunk angle you go with, Treemans hard cutback and redevelop might be the way forward with this tree. The upward growth is the problem to over come


Ken

[pureheart]

Forget wire. After flowering, you will need to cut it back very hard and slowly build new branches from the resulting shoots. There really is no other option.
Seal cuts with bitumen paint.

wistpru.PNG

Thanks Treeman after flowering I will cut back then but do you think I should be, later on, replanting in an Upright position? or maybe I should keep it as is and try a cascade/semi-cascade style?

[treeman]

Forget wire. After flowering, you will need to cut it back very hard and slowly build new branches from the resulting shoots. There really is no other option.
Seal cuts with bitumen paint.

wistpru.PNG

Thanks Treeman after flowering I will cut back then but do you think I should be, later on, replanting in an Upright position? or maybe I should keep it as is and try a cascade/semi-cascade style?

Your tree has good movement and I quite like it as is but you could just as well make it more upright...but not too much. As Ken mentioned, you want the flowers to hang away from the trunk and branches if possible.
If you decide to heavy prune it, select about 3 buds from the new ones and rub off what you think are in the wrong positions, then let these grow away without pruning regardless of how untidy it looks. You will want the diameter at the base of the new branches to be 3 or 4 mm thick by the end of the season. (feed!) After that, you cut back to 2 or 3 buds and you're on your way. I've developed quite a few Wisterias this way and you will end up with very interesting movement in the branches if you repeat this for a few years. If you need to wire, do it on thin branches to direct them in autumn, not to try to put movement in them.

Cheers,
Mike

[pureheart]

Thanks!

Mike I will definitely follow your suggestion! i will prune and grow the selected branches! I guess I have to cut back in Winter June/July? Do you have any photos of your wisterias to share as inspiration? What do you think of the nebari of this tree? to me it doesn't look that good? should I try to improve it somehow?

[treeman]

Thanks!

Mike I will definitely follow your suggestion! i will prune and grow the selected branches! I guess I have to cut back in Winter June/July? Do you have any photos of your wisterias to share as inspiration? What do you think of the nebari of this tree? to me it doesn't look that good? should I try to improve it somehow?

Cut it as soon as the flowers start fading!(don't forget to seal!)

[pureheart]

Thanks!

Mike I will definitely follow your suggestion! i will prune and grow the selected branches! I guess I have to cut back in Winter June/July? Do you have any photos of your wisterias to share as inspiration? What do you think of the nebari of this tree? to me it doesn't look that good? should I try to improve it somehow?

Cut it as soon as the flowers start fading!(don't forget to seal!)

I will but I use a plant sealer I bought from bunnings, would that be good enough?


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[pureheart]

Hello I'm getting ready to cut but should I leave the two branches highlighted?



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[kcpoole]

Nope
the one hanging down is out of character, and the other heads the wrong direction to the movement of the tree

[pureheart]

Cool thanks


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[pureheart]

And it is done!

Before cut:



After cut:



Did I do it right? Any comments is highly appreciated good and bad!!


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