AusBonsai

hey people,

i have a 12 yr old wisteria. i hear they can be troublsome in regards to getting them to flower. the best advice i have recieved to get around this issue is to prune back after floweing and once again during winter. any thoughts on this?

dan

Dan,

I've had a wisteria for twenty odd years that was old when I collected it from a garden. I've never had any problems in getting it to flower. That said, it is a Chinese wisteria and an old cultivar at that. (it even tried to flower after a very severe root prune to repot it, I nipped the flowers off to direct energy into shoot development) Some newer cultivars may be more difficult. Wisteria grown from seed can take a long time to flower, so is the thought that floats around forums.

Wisterias put a lot of energy into flowers, and need to store that energy over winter in their roots, so obviously the more roots you have the better they will flower, so let them get a bit pot bound, it doesn't seem to bother them too much. How big a pot you put them in depends on how many flowers you want. I've counted over eighty racemes one spring on my tree (it was way over potted and hadn't been repotted in 20 years) but if you have a bunjin only a few would suffice, so pot accordingly to how many you want. Feed well in autumn and winter. I only prune in late winter, but I cut off vigorous new climbing growth in established branches. If you find under branches being shaded out by the big foliage, remove 2/3 of the leaf, leaving two leaves on the stalk, letting light into the tree. This won't stimulate new shoot growth in summer, where as defoliation can.

Hope this helps

Paul

hey thanks for your advice. i will be sure to follow it. what do you feed your wisteria. i have had to for 2 months now and have yet to see it as anything other then a few sticks so i am looking forward to spring

I have just got flowers on mine for the first time. I was advised to prune back at least twice a year or better still three times. I have fed with a formulation designed for tomatoes.
I also found that they are thirsty and must be kept thoroughly damp at the roots.

Not sure what i did right but i have9 flowers buda swelling, two of which look about to po. how exciting!! will post pics when i can

There are many articles in Bonsai today on getting your wisteria to flower..
I have been told that my wisteria is starting to flower, I wont however, get to see it.

how come you wont see it?

i am freaking out a bit too as i fly overseas on friday and all of my fruit trees and my wisteria are about to pop!

Cos I am about 900 odd KM away from where my tree is....

ok that sucks. why you so far away? travelling with work?