Putting "wisteria" in the ground.

paddles

Yamadori
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Now following all your excellent advice, I culled my plants and put 20 or so in the ground. (Tachici, I'll send Hubby after those tubes, and next winter, lift the trees and do as you recommend, sounds brilliant to me, I was thinking of laying something to restrain the roots, but atm, don't have anything suitable. Everything that I put in is very young. Now the question is, I have 9 wisteria's and would love to put them in the ground, but I am concerned about the invasiveness of wisteria, and how large (Long?) should I let it grow? I do not have a lot of room in the yard at present.
 

Gnome

Mame
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Paddles,

Now the question is, I have 9 wisteria's and would love to put them in the ground, but I am concerned about the invasiveness of wisteria, and how large (Long?) should I let it grow?

From what I understand about the invasiveness of Wisteria is that here in the U.S. they are much more invasive in the south than the north. I have some locally and while they have indeed taken over a large White Pine the vine is decades old. I have heard horror stories about their growth habits in the south but I don't have nearly that much trouble in PA. Don't forget you will be cutting them back every few years anyway.

Being vines they like to climb and you could take advantage of what space you have by providing some sort of trellis for them to climb on. I have one in my growing bed that climbs on a larger Zelkova that I am growing out. The more foliage that the vine supports the quicker it will put on girth so allowing it to climb may accelerate thickening.

By the way I have read somewhere that Wisterias like to "have their heads in the sun and their feet in the shade"

Norm
 

paddles

Yamadori
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They're considered noxious weeds in some parts of Australia, I got round the invasive problem by putting them into wine barrels, 4 to a barrel, I made a frame in the middle for them to climb. Since flowering isn't a problem, thus there are no seed heads.
 

Graydon

Chumono
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Remember - you have the pruners so you are in charge. There is no such thing as a vine getting out of control unless you plant it and never go back to look at it. Even then you simply saw that trunk off a foot above the ground and everything above the cut is dead.

As far as it blooming and forming seed pods - well... that could happen. But it you do some seasonal pruning so all of the vine is reachable from the ground or a ladder again you can use the pruners. Chop off the spent flower racemes and you will never have seed pods.

Wisteria will be fine in cut off wine barrels. I have 2 growing out that way but I did one plant per barrel. I would be concerned that the roots of 4 plants would become such a mess you will never be able to separate them, you may even get root grafting that way. Don't forget to give them something to climb up. It doesn't need to be special or pretty. Mine climb up a section of pipe just fine.

Wisteria roots can be severely reduced in pot culture in the off season. Cut paste the wounds if you like, I didn't and everything seemed fine.
 

paddles

Yamadori
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Thank you all, I made a bamboo frame for them to climb, ultimately as long as one survives, I'll be happy.
 
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