Ben's Introduction And Another Wisteria Fertilization Question

[Bonsai Nut]

That is, unfortunately, kind of goes with big collected wisteria. Since it's a vine, wisteria wood is soft and prone to rot anyway.

Since we've been talking a lot about bougainvillea, the exact same thing can be said of it.

 

[BigBen]

Thanks again for the input.

Yes, these DO have an odd scent, THAT'S for sure. Well actually, a VERY ODD scent!
To me, not quite like cat pee, but certainly NOT like the other versions of Wisteria either. Not even CLOSE to the others. LOL...
When I first took a whiff, I was like WTF??? LOL...

 

[BigBen]

Thanks again everyone!
All input is appreciated.

OK, so I decided to repot my Amethyst Falls Wisteria (and some other material) into "big-ass" pots and let them grow freely, but while keeping in control of the branches that will most likely be kept during the styling stages.

So anyway, I started looking for big pots and we decided to go back to the nursery around the block to ask I he has any large pots he'd like to sell.
He said "No problem, just take all you want! As you can see, I have pots coming out-of... well from everywhere". LOL.. He and I selected about 30 pots in assorted sizes.

He offered to just give them to me, and I told him I appreciate it but I can't do that, you have a business to run.
So I basically forced him to take $20 to buy some Lunch. He really didn't want to take the money, but did after a discussion. LOL...
I guess the moral of this story is: "It never hurts to ask". LOL...

I already cleaned the pots, so I can begin repotting some trees.

I do have a couple of questions though:
What do you think about putting the trees into a rich compost soil, so they'll hopefully grow in a nourished mix???
What do you think about also adding some 0-50-30 or the like to the compost (IF we go that route)???


The only things that I WON'T put into these pots are my Fig trees (or anything else edible of course).
Because I have no idea what chemicals were used (if any), on whatever had originally been in these pots.

Thanks Again,
BigBen

Here's some of the posts...

 

[BigBen]

Just a quick question...
Goal is to thicken the trunk.
Do you feel it'd be OK to repot my Amethyst Falls Wisteria into these big pots now and add a bunch of compost & "regular" soil (without touching the root structure), or am I better-off waiting???
I guess it's called "slip-potting"???

Thanks again for all the help!
BB

 

[Victorim]

If that's what you want then yes you can slip, up pot any time.

 

[sorce]

better-off waiting??

I heard these are hard to kill.

I'd leave em now and tear into the root structure when you can get in and do it right.

Sounds like you're learning and getting it fast!

Just stop wasting money on giant tubs of advertisement!

I like that you bought dude lunch as a favor for those pots he Probly would have paid you to take!

No telling what he'll have set aside for you next time you visit! Keep that connect!

Sorce

 

[rockm]

Thanks again everyone!
All input is appreciated.

OK, so I decided to repot my Amethyst Falls Wisteria (and some other material) into "big-ass" pots and let them grow freely, but while keeping in control of the branches that will most likely be kept during the styling stages.

So anyway, I started looking for big pots and we decided to go back to the nursery around the block to ask I he has any large pots he'd like to sell.
He said "No problem, just take all you want! As you can see, I have pots coming out-of... well from everywhere". LOL.. He and I selected about 30 pots in assorted sizes.

He offered to just give them to me, and I told him I appreciate it but I can't do that, you have a business to run.
So I basically forced him to take $20 to buy some Lunch. He really didn't want to take the money, but did after a discussion. LOL...
I guess the moral of this story is: "It never hurts to ask". LOL...

I already cleaned the pots, so I can begin repotting some trees.

I do have a couple of questions though:
What do you think about putting the trees into a rich compost soil, so they'll hopefully grow in a nourished mix???
What do you think about also adding some 0-50-30 or the like to the compost (IF we go that route)???


The only things that I WON'T put into these pots are my Fig trees (or anything else edible of course).
Because I have no idea what chemicals were used (if any), on whatever had originally been in these pots.

Thanks Again,
BigBen

Here's some of the posts...

View attachment 160178 View attachment 160179

FWIW, you're not going to get any appreciable size increase in a reasonable amount of time (if ever) using containers. Bulking up a wisteria trunk requires it be in the ground and given room for its roots to run and for the top to extend. You cannot "control the branches" and bulk up the trunk at the same time if that control involves pruning. If these were mine, I'd find a place in the yard, next to something sturdy that can support the plant for five or more years (like a tree that you're not all that fond of or a structure, like a pergola or fence. I'd plant them next to that and train them to grow on the structure. Let them go for a few years. Don't worry about branch placement or anything to do with branching. You will remove all of that at collection and grow a completely new set (takes only a year or three to get that new set of branches after the plant has been collected and containerized.

 

[LanceMac10]

Got some surprising trunk growth while containerized, maybe a little more than an inch increase. Over seven years or so.....





Planted out in the right spot, well....look out!!!! It will eat small humans!!!!!




Get to mistin' son!!!!

 

[BigBen]

Cools beans, thanks again.
The pots I'm considering are 10-20 gallons.
Then again, I might just plant 'em as discussed.

 

[rockm]

Got some surprising trunk growth while containerized, maybe a little more than an inch increase. Over seven years or so.....

View attachment 160790

View attachment 160791

Planted out in the right spot, well....look out!!!! It will eat small humans!!!!!
View attachment 160793



Get to mistin' son!!!!

Your inground wisteria is kind of spindly ;-) down here, that plant would have grabbed the boy and grown over him in a couple of hours and planting it that close to the house down here is asking for trouble.

I've seen in-ground wild wisteria in the woods behind my house put on two to three inches of trunk diameter in a summer, if conditions are right. I've also seen wisteria here growing over an old house actually shift the entire building on its foundation. My bonsai nursery friends have a huge collected wisteria with a 15 inch trunk that pulled off the house it was devouring near central Va. We have BEAST wisteria in these parts and south.

 

[rockm]

I stole these photos of some of the wisteria growing on a wall near the Smithsonian American History Museum on the national mall in D.C. I've been admiring these trunks for a very long time. They're huge, over 15 inches across each. The wall is about 100 yards long...

 

[BigBen]

Madonna Mia!!!
VERY cool!

 

[LanceMac10]

grabbed the boy

No errant Stride-Rights but does have a "body count"......

 

[BigBen]

So after reading more & pondering even more... Friggin' OCD just doesn't stop now, does it?!?!?!?! LOL...

My goal is to thicken the trunks...
I ended-up getting a bunch of compost on Saturday, and I'm going to slip the 8 Amethyst Falls Wisteria into much larger pots (they're in 3 - 3.5 gallon pots now, going to 10-15 gallon pots).

Instead of putting them into my enclosed racecar trailer over the Winter (and possibly making a huge mess), and being that I weeded the veggie garden yesterday (I'll rototill it next), I'll place the Wisteria into the backyard garden for the Winter and foreseeable future & let 'em grow (it's fenced-in, so the dogs won't go near them).
A little Beastie Bloomz will be added to help aid the bottom growth.
I'll still keep track and lightly prune where needed though, as well as water them.
Or I can always put them into my workshop or the shed (they both have concrete floors). Friggin' OCD again! LOL...

My other trees which are in smaller pots, I can fit in the garage around the hot-rods though.

That should work...

Thanks Again!!!!
BB

 

[Cadillactaste]

"Amethyst Falls" is definitely not as vigorous as the standard Chinese or Japanese wisteria, but it will gradually and relentlessly expand its territory over time. I picked one up a few years ago, probably similar in size to the ones in this thread. After growing it for a year or so I decided to just plant it in the ground as a landscape specimen (that could potentially be harvested for bonsai later). Why...I just don't find it nearly as attractive as the regular wisterias. The flower clusters are short/more compact and don't flow as beautifully as the other wisterias. And they don't have that wonderful fragrance...to me, they smell a bit like cat pee. On the plus side, the growth is more manageable and they do re-bloom periodically throughout the summer.

I'm not saying they can't make an attractive bonsai specimen, I've seen some...just for me, with limited time/space and too many plants already, I'd rather go for a plant that has features I really like/appreciate (long flowing flower clusters and fragrance).

I wonder if it's the PH level in the ground. I've one in ground and it's quite fragrant and smells lovely! Blooms like crazy. First flush is always heavy...then blooms through the season as well. All the neighbors at the lake love the tree.

I found when I decided to train a sucker in ground and root another of the same size in a pot. The one in ground did far better beefing up. They don't get thick trunks like the Chinese...but it's halfway to the mother plant by having it in the ground a few years. I leave running vines to thicken trunk. But was advised by Bill V. Not to let them run longer than a year or they won't heal well when removed. Thinking bonsai...I think the smaller blooms look more in size as one would want on a tree. I've both Chinese and the American variety. I've not had the Chinese bloom since the first year it arrived in the pot. This year I went the neglect direction to see what next year brings.

 

[BigBen]

I wonder if it's the PH level in the ground. I've one in ground and it's quite fragrant and smells lovely! Blooms like crazy. First flush is always heavy...then blooms through the season as well. All the neighbors at the lake love the tree.

Thank you for the reply.
Since you mentioned the soil's PH level & fragrance I've been researching it, as that also makes sense to me. Unfortunately, I haven't found any direct information on the subject. (YET). LOL...

Does anyone here happen have information with respect to PH levels of soil and its effect on the fragrance of flowers, that they are willing to share?

All input/feedback/and help is always much appreciated, and thanks again.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Thank you for the reply.
Since you mentioned the soil's PH level & fragrance I've been researching it, as that also makes sense to me. Unfortunately, I haven't found any direct information on the subject. (YET). LOL...

Does anyone here happen have information with respect to PH levels of soil and its effect on the fragrance of flowers, that they are willing to share?

All input/feedback/and help is always much appreciated, and thanks again.

Oh I have nothing to base my assumption. Only I know so,e on the garden website have lovely fragrant trees such as I. The neighbors love the smell when it's in bloom...then others claim it smells like a musky cat pee. Night and day difference. PH factors in on bloom colors to some plants...so maybe scent? It boggles the mind how many can smell nasty when mine smells so pretty!

 

[BigBen]

I agree with you 100%.

Makes sense (or should I say scents), to me. LOL...

 

[rockm]

Thank you for the reply.
Since you mentioned the soil's PH level & fragrance I've been researching it, as that also makes sense to me. Unfortunately, I haven't found any direct information on the subject. (YET). LOL...

Does anyone here happen have information with respect to PH levels of soil and its effect on the fragrance of flowers, that they are willing to share?

All input/feedback/and help is always much appreciated, and thanks again.

I don't think there's any correlation. Some varieties just smell stronger than others. Japanese honeysuckle vines that also grow rampantly have wildly divergent aromas. Some smell like old ladies from 100 yards off, others have no smell at all.

 

[BigBen]

Thanks everyone for your help!

OK here's an update on my Wisteria.
I finished slip-potting all 8 of them today, into much larger pots than they were in.
I'll just let them grow now, in hope of things meaning tbeit trunks more than they already are.
When the shoots get too long, I'll trim them a bit.
A few of 'em seem to have reasonably nice starts.
Here's a few pics: