Japanese Wisteria Bonsai and Winter Dormancy Questions

[Tony R]

Hello Friends,
Long Island, New York USDA 7a
I was gifted a Japanese Wisteria by my significant other to celebrate an anniversary. I'm very familiar with plants in general but Bonsai is elusive to me. Suddenly this tree holds a tremendous amount of sentimental value to me, and I feel criminally unprepared to be caring for it. As Ned Stark would say, winter is coming. I've read for days and hours how to undergo the winter dormancy practices, all are conflicting. I beg for correct information of how to over winter my bonsai. I feel as if someone has dropped a crying baby on my doorstep.

The plant is starting to lose it's leaves at the moment. It is being kept inside out of sunlight. That seemed like the right thing to do from what I gathered from different sources.

In summary:
Where should I place my tree this winter?
How many hours of sunlight does it need?
How much water does it need?
And why do some people say to place them in a dish of water?

 

[JoeR]

Take it outside immediately.... It needs to stay outside. The only time it should be inside is for displaying it, which is only a few days at most. Or if you keep it in an unheated garage.


I recommend just placing it on the ground outside. If or when the temperature reaches 25°F or below I would mulch it in. This means to use leaves, pine needles, pine chips, anything really and pile them around the pot (on the ground) up to the first branch. This is sufficient for all winter likely in done 7b. If it gets really cold, I would water it before the temperature drops.

Snow is a good insulator btw.


Or you can mulch it in now and not have to worry about it until spring.


It doesn't need any light until spring.

 

[Dav4]

Wisteria are very winter hardy so, I would get it outside, but I'd be very cautious letting it freeze solid for at least the next 3-4 weeks. Plants approach dormancy slowly, over a period of months. Taking a tree out of a heated room and placing it outside in potentially sub freezing weather could be disastrous. The plant needs to be eased into it's winter sleep slowly. Leave it outside, but keep it from freezing temps until December at the earliest. At that point, I'd mulch it with wood chips up to the top of the pot somewhere out of the sun and wind and forget it until next spring

 

[Cadillactaste]

You place them in a fresh shallow dish of water during the hottest parts of spring/summer only. This is to help this water loving tree/vine keep its foliage lush and green. It is a tree that needs cold rest dormancy. To keep it indoors you will be surly marking its days...by weakening it.

I agree your going to need to wean this tree into winter dormancy...as the temps falls outdoors is how it would normally fall into dormancy. That you've kept it in doors to this point...the advise above sounds like a good plan of action. Wishing you the best of luck.

I myself have a controlled area for my dormant trees. I can say that an early frost will tend to ruin it's blooms. So something to watch as spring arrives. To cover if they call for an early frost. Then uncover once the threat has passed. If wintering outdoors. My neighbor has one in their yard they protect so to see the blooms.

Your wisteria does not need a high dose of nitrogen since it produces it in its roots. To offer it won't harm the tree...but will hinder its blooming. Very hardy tree...that does need a cold rest dormancy for its overall health.

Would love to see your wisteria...mine has dropped its leaves awhile back and is now barren heading into dormancy ...found on the top left shelf... the bonsai at the end on the right is my wisteria tree.



When in bloom they are quite lovely...(brought in doors briefly to enjoy its blooms/racemes)

 

[Andrew Robson]

I saw a beautiful wisteria in Michael Hagedorn's yard a couple months ago. He has some great posts about wisteria, check them out: http://crataegus.com/tag/wisteria/

 

[sorce]

When Did you get it?
How long has it been outside?
Inside?

If it been inside all summer........

Are the leaves falling. ......death or dormancy ?

I don't think you'll kill it. People TRY, and fail!

Sorce

 

[butlern]

Here in zone 7b, under the suggestion and guidance of local club members, I just placed my trees on the ground (atop of some mulch to ensure open drainage) and then pine bark mulched around everything up to first branch.

Wind/sun break also installed around the planting area.

 

[Paradox]

Watch out, us Long Islanders are taking over!

Welcome Tony.
I know nothing about wisteria so I cant be much help on this one.