I guess I'll try a Wisteria...

[Appliance Guy]

Ran across this at the club auction last night. Price was right and I've wanted a wisteria, so what the hell- it's for the club right? I know, I know, pita bench hog for two weeks of bloom- if it blooms at all. But I have space in my yard for it.

Tree has good nebari and trunk, which is what attracts me, but it has an awful medusa crown. My idea is to let it run this summer, pick the best leader that is 1) healthy and robust, 2) in the most ideal location for what will be the apex. Ideally all five branches will have vigor and I can choose any one of the five and whack the others. I suspect they are all live based on the fact that the previous owner cared for them and used cut paste on them.

I pulled out of pot to inspect roots and there are some roots at bottom but not much on sides. The top looks dry while the bottom was very wet. Kinda wondering if in the wrong media, dry top with wet bottom seems like a good way to get root rot- but I don't know. Looks like some akedama was used near the top, while the bottom looks more basic garden soil. Perhaps the prev owner did a partial repot or maybe top dressing. I guess I'll let it ride this summer unless any specific advice can be given.

Thinking I should use a stake to support my new leader apex, shade the pot in my Florida sun and let it suck up as much water as it needs. Let the apex grow for taper.

Any suggestions or comments welcome.

 

[sorce]

Damn.

I'd keep it so compact it fits within the first pic frame. Use the flower bracrs draped down to frame that little house complete with path leading to the door.

Penjing all day.

Maybe it's a dragons cave..

Dope.

But hey ...

I hope you don't do your sex life like Bonsai!
Lol! I guess I'll try a Rhinoceros. Lol!

Sorce

 

[rockm]

Pretty nice start. If this were mine, I'd choose one leader and let it grow as much as possible, training it horizontally. This would make a pretty good semicascade wisty down the road.

the fact you have four leaders coming from different parts of the trunk is good. Collected wisteria (and this one looks collected) tend to die back substantially on the trunk after being collected. Wet soil is fine. Wisteria like it that way--they grow best when their tops grow over larger trees while their roots remain shaded in the forest floor below. the soil yours is in could actually be a bit to coarse and free draining. I grow mine in 70/30 potting soil/bonsai soil.

you've got some leader development to do before you go with blooms (blooms on wisteria can be iffy at best, would be helpful to know if this one has blossomed for the seller in the past). Anyway, you've got to develop a clip and grow extension to match that nice nebari. DON'T make the mistake of wiring one of those leaders into a "rainbow" extension all on its own. You should allow a lot of growth on it--like eight or nine feet, or as much as it can push, to increase diameter, then clip it back to an inch or a bit more next winter. Repeat for a few years. That will give the extension character and possibly stimulate blooms...

 

[Shibui]

Flower racemes, when they come, will be a foot or more long so you need to grow a tree that can show those flowers. Tiny wisteria do not make sense.
Choose 1 or 2 of those new shoots to grow the trunk and branch. Too many trunks is not a good look.
The rockm approach is also what I do with wisteria. Good to see the cut has been sealed. Wisteria do not heal over cuts well and soft wood rots easily leading to hollow trunks and big scars.