Wisteria design options

bonsai barry

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One year ago, I bought a scraggly wisteria from a local nursery. It had been there a while with escape roots deep in the ground (I couldn't budge the pot without a shovel). I gently trimmed it up and it responded nicely. It is now about three feet high and three feet wide. The branches seem to be in nice position to show the flowers, but it is rather boring in shape.

My Question: Should I keep the basic shape so it is a showpiece for the flowers or should I eliminate some of the branches to give some more interesting lines but less opportunity to flower.
 

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BrianBay9

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Wisteria are shown to emphasize the dramatic, weeping flowers. It this were mine, I'd consider removing the left-hand portion of the Y, and using the nice curve on the right, letting the flowers hang down into that negative space.

Brian
 

paddles

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I'd leave it as is for the most part, to my mind, wisteria is a plant that only really looks good as a bonsai when in flower, and should be left alone to grow the rest of the year. (with just enough pruning to keep it under control.
 

John Hill

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Hi Barry,
I would tilt the tree to the right 20-25 degrees and use that right trunk as a right branch. Then remove the branch that runs straight up off that trunk where I have marked in red.
Then take the branches on the main trunk (left) and spread them out to fill in the negative space that was made from the removal of the branch.
Just what I am seeing Barry. I have to get me one of these plants for sure. Always wanted one but could never find a nice one. This one you have has great potential for sure.

A Friend in bonsai
John
 

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Malik

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Hey John are you using photoshop to desing this wisteria? If I want to take a pic of my trees with this black background do i place an actual black back drop or do it on the computer?
 

BrianBay9

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OK, I like John's idea better than mine.....:)

Brian
 

Bonsai Nut

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If I want to take a pic of my trees with this black background do i place an actual black back drop or do it on the computer?

It is much easier to work with the tree on photoshop if you shoot the tree against a contrasting background (like blue or red) because you can use a photoshop tool to select a color range, and then delete it, so that all you have left is the tree. Your other option is the select the tree, and then paste it as a layer against a black background. However selecting the tree is much easier if the original photo is against a flat contrasting background.

Just wanted to add - if you shoot it against a black background, when you use the "select color range" tool in photoshop you will end up selecting some of the black that is present in every tree. I use Photoshop CS2, so I can't really comment on other graphic tools.
 

bonsai barry

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Whoah, Great Ideas. I'm so glad I made this post. Frankly, I was trying to generate some more action on the board, but there were some great visual ideas. John, a special thank you for the virtual!
 

John Hill

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Hey John are you using photoshop to desing this wisteria? If I want to take a pic of my trees with this black background do i place an actual black back drop or do it on the computer?
Hi Milak,
I use paintshop pro, I also have photoshop CS but have not messed with it enough to figure it out yet. CS does have a magneticlasso tool that makes selecting area for moving alot easier but I need to play with it more. Lord I am still trying to figure out paintshop but getting better at and faster at it.

Yes it is much, much easier if you take pics of your trees with a solid background, any color will do. I know there is an easier way to get backgrounds for each tree but I have not figured it out yet. I just use the eye dropper tool and pick the background of the pic and open a new blank layer with that color and go from there. So when you cut something from the pic it will leave the same color background as you made with the eyedropper.

But I use paintshop. Don't want to hi jack Barrys thread her so you will have to excuse me.

A Friend in bonsai
John
 

bonsai barry

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Hi Barry,
I have to get me one of these plants for sure. Always wanted one but could never find a nice one. This one you have has great potential for sure.

A Friend in bonsai
John

John, This spring I'll air layer the branch that you suggest eliminating. If you want it, it's yours. I'm very pleased with this tree considering it cost less than $10.
 

paddles

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I was reading this article about joining multiple trees together to make a thick trunk, and was thinking, would that work for wisteria?

One section used a wire frame and seedlings were arranged around it, looked effective?
 

John Hill

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Pad,
I really couldn't tell, as I have no (where you've been) knowledge of westeria, never watered one, never pruned one, if you get my drift ;-) matter of fact never owned one. But that does not mean that I won't try!! Man this is bonsai to me!!Take that tree or in this case trees and do something that knocks your socks off!! Try and fuse them together,,if it works who better knows then you? Try these things and see if it works ,,If it does GREAT!!! If it doesn't,,lesson learned!

Bonsai is so cool, because you can take a plant and raise it and make something that is so pleasing to the eye that you could just set out in the back yard and chill..!! It gives you that Ahhhh!!

So Paddles if you want to try and fuse them together I truly beleave that you can.
A Friend in bonsai
John
 

Bonsai Nut

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One section used a wire frame and seedlings were arranged around it, looked effective?

I read the same article. I can't remember where - but I know it was for rapid development of big trident maples.

I am not aware of any reason why it couldn't work. You would just need to be able to bind the trunks together for several years until they grew together. I don't know if you are familiar with some of the ficus that you see in garden centers - they take small trees, weave the trunks together, and eventually the trees grow together.
 

darrellw

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I'm pretty sure you could fuse wisteria, as we had some growing on a trellis at our old house. The vines were wound up some 4x4 posts, and after a few years you could not see the post anymore, it was encased in wisteria "trunks".

-Darrell
 

M. Dias

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Wistaria

I've two wistarias 12 cm diameter reclaimed from a old garden under reconstruction in September 2004, Summer here in Portugal. Both covered the roof of a high cottage. I chopped off the long trunk keeping only 50 cm and planted them on the ground. Next Spring the wistarias recovered their canopy by budding abundantly and flowering promisingly. Wistaria is a easy tree to work on.
 
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Attila Soos

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Hi Barry,
I would tilt the tree to the right 20-25 degrees and use that right trunk as a right branch. Then remove the branch that runs straight up off that trunk where I have marked in red.
Then take the branches on the main trunk (left) and spread them out to fill in the negative space that was made from the removal of the branch.
Just what I am seeing Barry. I have to get me one of these plants for sure. Always wanted one but could never find a nice one. This one you have has great potential for sure.

A Friend in bonsai
John

Excellent idea!
 

Ang3lfir3

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Am I the only one that noticed that until the local necromancer M. Dias came and posted... no one had posted on this thread for 2 yrs?
 
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