Wisteria advice

[apexmusic420]

So I got this wisteria, said it was japanese, up in new mexico at a nursery, it had weeds growing in the container, so I plucked em out by the roots. It has these small shiny beetles and it had like grass ontop. Are the beetles pests? And any advice, like repotting, and fertilizer.
Thanks

 

[gooeytek]

They like free-draining soil, lots of water, lots of sun.
That said, it looks like it'll be fine in the spot you have it in.
The soil looks dense, just make sure it drains freely.
Not sure about the beetles, do you have a good pic of them?

 

[Shibui]

Repot in spring as for most other deciduous species. Roots can be pruned quite hard if necessary. 3/4 off should be no problem.
Fertilise with any fertiliser while in the grow phase. When it gets to flowering stage I switch to a lower N, higher K 'flowering' fertiliser from mid summer through to leaf drop to assist with flowers. Normal fertiliser through spring and early summer.

Looks like it is potted in garden soil. Not ideal but should be OK in that deeper pot until spring repotting time.

 

[apexmusic420]

And transition from new mexico mountains to Texas plains, will the sun be different? I noticed in full sun the leaves closed up a little bit. Does that mean too much light?

 

[Shibui]

Your sun will be different but any change of location will bring on a change of sun depending whether the original grower had trees nearby or shade cloth, etc.
Leaves develop hardiness to the sun they are exposed to. Change from shade to full sun even in the same yard can cause sunburn but leaves can change tolerance just like our skin adjusts to increased sun exposure. The key is to make the change gradual so err on the side of caution and start off with half shade? and gradually build up to whatever your normal sun exposure is over maybe 2 - 3 weeks.
My wisteria leaves tend to close up during the day here and they've lived in the same spot for nearly 20 years. I assume that's an adaptation to save on water rather than sun exposure though they are both related.

 

[rockm]

Wisteria does NOT like free draining soil, particularly in a desert. They like rich, organic soil. They do best when their roots are in deep forest soil and their tops spread out and over surrounding trees. That is how they grow in the wild, overtopping trees with rampant growth with roots deep in the cool moist understory soil.

Regular bonsai soil with an added third of potting soil should work pretty well. They are thirsty plants and don't like soil drying out. I'd let it alone for now and make sure it gets enough water in the soil/pot it's in. You can submerge the bottom third to sixth of the pot in a shallow dish with water. Place the pot in a place that is shade and allow the top sun exposure for at least four hours--preferably in the morning. You can do that by simply covering the pot with something that provides a shadow to shield the pot from direct sun. Next spring, before bud break, pull it out of the container, bare root it and repot in a container with that soil mix.

FWIW, DO NOT place the pot directly on the ground. Depending on how much the plant likes where it is, that runs the danger of "root escape" into the ground. When the roots emerge from the pot into the ground, wisteria will send out runners, sometime dozens of feet long and try to colonize the entire area. It can become quite nuisance, even damaging structures and landscape plants with it rampant growth. I don't know how vigorous it will be in Amarillo, given the heat and relative dryness, but it's worth noting this tendency.

 

[apexmusic420]

Wisteria does NOT like free draining soil, particularly in a desert. They like rich, organic soil. They do best when their roots are in deep forest soil and their tops spread out and over surrounding trees. That is how they grow in the wild, overtopping trees with rampant growth with roots deep in the cool moist understory soil.

Regular bonsai soil with an added third of potting soil should work pretty well. They are thirsty plants and don't like soil drying out. I'd let it alone for now and make sure it gets enough water in the soil/pot it's in. You can submerge the bottom third to sixth of the pot in a shallow dish with water. Place the pot in a place that is shade and allow the top sun exposure for at least four hours--preferably in the morning. You can do that by simply covering the pot with something that provides a shadow to shield the pot from direct sun. Next spring, before bud break, pull it out of the container, bare root it and repot in a container with that soil mix.

FWIW, DO NOT place the pot directly on the ground. Depending on how much the plant likes where it is, that runs the danger of "root escape" into the ground. When the roots emerge from the pot into the ground, wisteria will send out runners, sometime dozens of feet long and try to colonize the entire area. It can become quite nuisance, even damaging structures and landscape plants with it rampant growth. I don't know how vigorous it will be in Amarillo, given the heat and relative dryness, but it's worth noting this tendency.

Thank you!