Wisteria trunk chop

[Jpane]

Having my first experience with a Chinese Wysteria. My question is; will the wysteria back bud on old wood. The only one I could find is currently 5 feet tall with about a foot long (old wood) trunk. It is as straight as a bean pole and I would like to put some movement into its base.

 

[Shibui]

Wisteria will bud on old wood. Even from the roots if you cut low enough.
I found that you do need to prune all the tree though. If a branch or branches are left all the energy will go to those rather than to new buds but I guess if yours is 5' tall you will be cutting the whole top off so it should go OK..

 

[HorseloverFat]

Ceremonial tribal drum cadence at the heels of your arrival, traveler. Cool your roots upon the banks of the Tiny Forest.

I enjoy the aesthetics of wisteria, and highly recommend checking out ANYTHING that @William N. Valavanis has written/documented about them. It needs not be said how wonderful said writing/documentations are.. considering the source.

I do not know of Wisteria..

But there are many here who do.. and this place is a wonderful crossroads of shared knowledge and arts.

Pics will ALWAYS help.

Also, to ensure the advice you are receiving is accurate to your climate zone, you could go ahead and update your profile information to reflect your location. (It can be vague and mystic if you like ((Mine just says, NorthEastern Wisconsin.. and thats a pretty large chunk of earth)))

Pleasure to make your acquaintance.

 

[Jpane]

Wisteria will bud on old wood. Even from the roots if you cut low enough.
I found that you do need to prune all the tree though. If a branch or branches are left all the energy will go to those rather than to new buds but I guess if yours is 5' tall you will be cutting the whole top off so it should go OK..

Thanks, I was hoping that was the case. I’ll plan on doing that this fall

 

[rockm]

I would NOT trunk chop it in the fall. You will likely get dieback on the trunk because it won't be able to heal over the winter. Wisteria is NOT a tree. It doesn't make durable wood. The wood it does create rots extremely fast. This complicates working with it. I would chop in in the spring and let it grow unhindered all next summer to heal the wound.

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[Cadillactaste]

Sounds like a nursery pot tree...They do back bud on old wood...but, remember...it doesn't hurt to hold out for better material. Not all trees need to be bonsai. Is there any taper in the section that is straight? You mention pole...You will be spending a long time creating something from nothing. I just pruned mine back mid June because I seen Jonas on Bonsai Tonight doing it on a blog earlier than July, because of strength. Mine was strong and taking over the section of landing it was sitting on. So I pruned back hard...and this is how it's recovered from that hard pruning.

I will say, many say they hide their wisteria during the year out of bloom. I don't do that. I embrace it. It sits here on the landing where it can grow wild...and not be in the way of anything. But now, it's lovely! It greets guests as they visit. (Of course we are on covid no one in the house. But we have had neighbors visit 6 ft. away. This one was just admired the other day by guests...the trunk line pulled them in. ) *Sitting in a commissioned Sonny Boggs pot.


A few of his blogs may be helpful...

Developing branches on Chinese wisteria - Bonsai Tonight

Cutting into old wood on wisteria bonsai to create a more compact silhouette.

bonsaitonight.com

This was why I trimmed mine back earlier this year...

Leaf pruning Chinese wisteria - Bonsai Tonight

Photos showing spring cutback and leaf pruning on a Chinese wisteria.

bonsaitonight.com

As you see mine was growing quite strong...


Hard prune back to how he explained of the compound leaves. (That really was a first that I have done to that extreme...and it rewarded me.)

 

[Cadillactaste]

I would NOT trunk chop it in the fall. You will likely get dieback on the trunk because it won't be able to heal over the winter. Wisteria is NOT a tree. It doesn't make durable wood. The wood it does create rots extremely fast. This complicates working with it. I would chop in in the spring and let it grow unhindered all next summer to heal the wound.

THIS!

 

[rockm]

Sounds like a nursery pot tree...They do back bud on old wood...but, remember...it doesn't hurt to hold out for better material. Not all trees need to be bonsai. Is there any taper in the section that is straight? You mention pole...You will be spending a long time creating something from nothing. I just pruned mine back mid June because I seen Jonas on Bonsai Tonight doing it on a blog earlier than July, because of strength. Mine was strong and taking over the section of landing it was sitting on. So I pruned back hard...and this is how it's recovered from that hard pruning.

I will say, many say they hide their wisteria during the year out of bloom. I don't do that. I embrace it. It sits here on the landing where it can grow wild...and not be in the way of anything. But now, it's lovely! It greets guests as they visit. (Of course we are on covid no one in the house. But we have had neighbors visit 6 ft. away. This one was just admired the other day by guests...the trunk line pulled them in. ) *Sitting in a commissioned Sonny Boggs pot.


A few of his blogs may be helpful...

Developing branches on Chinese wisteria - Bonsai Tonight

Cutting into old wood on wisteria bonsai to create a more compact silhouette.

bonsaitonight.com

This was why I trimmed mine back earlier this year...

Leaf pruning Chinese wisteria - Bonsai Tonight

Photos showing spring cutback and leaf pruning on a Chinese wisteria.

bonsaitonight.com

As you see mine was growing quite strong...
View attachment 314282

Hard prune back to how he explained of the compound leaves. (That really was a first that I have done to that extreme...and it rewarded me.)
View attachment 314283

View attachment 314281

Strong is relative. Down here in Va. mid-July growth on all the wisteria I have collected had 10-15 foot extension growth and were pulling the fence down and smothering all the other trees in the backyard. I didn't embrace those habits, they embraced me if I stood still too long. Local climate is key to developing this species, as it slows in colder climates, as also in extremely hot climates. ;-)

 

[HorseloverFat]

Strong is relative. Down here in Va. mid-July growth on all the wisteria I have collected had 10-15 foot extension growth and were pulling the fence down and smothering all the other trees in the backyard. I didn't embrace those habits, they embraced me if I stood still too long. Local climate is key to developing this species, as it slows in colder climates, as also in extremely hot climates. ;-)

This is priceless information... thank you.

Also... 10–15’ long???? Holey Buckets!!!

(PS. If i ever start selling pots.. i should use the name Holey Buckets)

Haha!!

 

[Cadillactaste]

Strong is relative. Down here in Va. mid-July growth on all the wisteria I have collected had 10-15 foot extension growth and were pulling the fence down and smothering all the other trees in the backyard. I didn't embrace those habits, they embraced me if I stood still too long. Local climate is key to developing this species, as it slows in colder climates, as also in extremely hot climates. ;-)

For sure the growth in grown verses pot would be different. I twine my extensions together if you look closely to keep them more compact. But...Mine sure was further along than Jonas's. But for sure...I have an American variety which is to be less invassive...and those extensions can go crazy too. I always pruned back early July. (Guidance from Boon) But this pruning in June, was really needed. We had a week of severe storms rolling in...with a pruned wisteria, I no longer had to leave it on the bench outside. But in the protection of the greenhouse. We had some who lost power for four days...We were fortunate not to be in that group. But...we spent hours cleaning up the yard from those storms. I feel really blessed to have a place to tuck them from such things. But, had I not pruned back...the wisteria would have sat in the storm...Jonas's post made me jump early on the task...and I was glad to have gotten his email.

But I've heard that the Chinese wisteria has been known to tear down structures. Your personal experience with them...I can see how that can happen.

 

[rockm]

This is what can happen if you plant a wisteria too close to the house in the South. This is in N.C. ALL of that vegetation is wisteria. It's probably also inside. This plant can be a monster even if left too long next to an exterior wall outside in a container--it will grow up under siding, clapboard, etc. and eventually push it off, or pull it down if the homeowner is too hasty in trying to move it...If you have one don't let the pot touch the ground --it can "escape" sending runners through the drain holes-those runners can go 20 feet just under the surface and sprout elsewhere. Once that happens, good luck controlling it.--.

 

[Mikecheck123]

If you are a total beginner, I would actually just pick a different species entirely. Wisteria are so odd in many ways. They grow incredibly quickly, but, since it's a vine, it thickens very slowly. I have one that's five years old that I've just let grow like crazy, and it's still looks like a young sapling.

As one point of comparison, I have a birch tree that I grew from seed last year (so it's roughly 15 months old from seed) that is already thicker than any of my wisteria.

Secondly, the only redeeming quality they have (the flowers) lasts 2-3 weeks tops. And it does NOT flower reliably every year unless you really know what you're doing. In contrast, the other 50 weeks of the year, the plant is trying to annoy you and succeeding, and that's a guarantee.

Lastly, I don't think you have this problem, but others might find this information useful, scamming is RAMPANT online for Wisteria. It's common to advertise cuttings and seeds as some fancy variety, but there's no way of actually knowing until it flowers, which will be years down the road. By the time you figure out that it was just regular old stock wisteria, the seller will be long gone.

The only way I would ever pick up another Wisteria is if I have a chance at getting a very old collected specimen where the thickening is already done and I don't have to worry about it being old enough to flower.

 

[tinusje]

View attachment 314350

This is what can happen if you plant a wisteria too close to the house in the South. This is in N.C. ALL of that vegetation is wisteria. It's probably also inside. This plant can be a monster even if left too long next to an exterior wall outside in a container--it will grow up under siding, clapboard, etc. and eventually push it off, or pull it down if the homeowner is too hasty in trying to move it...If you have one don't let the pot touch the ground --it can "escape" sending runners through the drain holes-those runners can go 20 feet just under the surface and sprout elsewhere. Once that happens, good luck controlling it.--.

But it looks nice 3 weeks a year.

 

[rockm]

If you are a total beginner, I would actually just pick a different species entirely. Wisteria are so odd in many ways. They grow incredibly quickly, but, since it's a vine, it thickens very slowly. I have one that's five years old that I've just let grow like crazy, and it's still looks like a young sapling.

As one point of comparison, I have a birch tree that I grew from seed last year (so it's roughly 15 months old from seed) that is already thicker than any of my wisteria.

Secondly, the only redeeming quality they have (the flowers) lasts 2-3 weeks tops. And it does NOT flower reliably every year unless you really know what you're doing. In contrast, the other 50 weeks of the year, the plant is trying to annoy you and succeeding, and that's a guarantee.

Lastly, I don't think you have this problem, but others might find this information useful, scamming is RAMPANT online for Wisteria. It's common to advertise cuttings and seeds as some fancy variety, but there's no way of actually knowing until it flowers, which will be years down the road. By the time you figure out that it was just regular old stock wisteria, the seller will be long gone.

The only way I would ever pick up another Wisteria is if I have a chance at getting a very old collected specimen where the thickening is already done and I don't have to worry about it being old enough to flower.

Wisteria are only worth it if they have substantial, expressive trunks to start out. I'm lucky around here as this stuff grow wild in the woods around me. SOME of those trunks are worth collecting, but they have to be special to require all that work once they're in a pot. I've dug many, but have kept none. They wear out their welcome...This is a trunk I've got my eye on. It has to be air layered as the first three feet are arrow straight. After that, this old knotted trunk would be great...a lot of work to get out though. The trunk is thicker than my arm and even has some taper...

 

[Jpane]

Thanks everyone for the help. I got much more than expected. I am located near the south shore of Lake Ontario between Buffalo and Rochester. This is my first Wysteria but not my first bonsai. I have about 50 of various species and age. I also plan to be more of a regular on the Bonsai Nut . Thanks again!