Wisteria

Family. Legumes.

Where grow? China.

Description. Wisteria is a perennial deciduous vine. The stems twine clockwise or counterclockwise, depending on the species, and can rise to a height of up to 20 m above the ground. The diameter of the base of the trunk can reach 40 cm. One of the attractive features is the white or light gray bark of the shoots.

The leaves are alternate, from 15 to 35 cm long, pinnate, consisting of 9-19 ovoid leaflets with wavy edges 4-8 cm long.

The flowers are about 2.5 cm in diameter, collected in large hanging brushes from 10 to 80 cm long, purple, pink, blue or white, bloom in spring or mid-to-late summer. The buds of some species are very fragrant, opening sequentially from the base of the brush to the tip - from top to bottom, flowering occurs on the shoots of the previous year.

Blooming specimens emit a sweet, intense aroma.

The seeds are formed in velvety, pubescent brown pods 10-15 cm long and are poisonous. The fruits are pods typical of the legume family.

With good care, this strong, fast-growing vine blooms tirelessly and abundantly - about three times a year from spring to autumn.

Height. Up to 20 m. In the natural environment, in culture, the height is regulated by pruning, the liana grows quickly and is capable of growing two-meter shoots in one year.

Cultivation

Planting and care in open ground

When choosing a suitable location, it is important to remember that for good growth and abundant flowering, the plant must develop in very nutritious soil and receive sufficient sunlight daily.

For planting, choose a site that will be protected from strong gusts of wind and where you can place an impressive vertical trellis or organize another support for wisteria.

A site where groundwater flows close to the surface is not suitable for planting.

When growing in open ground, it is necessary to constantly monitor the size, since adult bushes can easily break the support and simply crush neighboring cultivated plantings.

Wisteria will look great as a large green wall near a garden gazebo, it will shade and decorate such structures as terraces or verandas.

It is not recommended to plant in the immediate vicinity of the house, as it can destroy the walls, using them as a support for growth, clinging to the slightest crack in the wall.

Plant on the southern side of buildings - in this case, the plant will receive additional heat at night from the walls heated by the sun during the day.

At the first stages, wooden structures can be used as trellises, and then it is worth moving on to more reliable supports welded from iron.

For planting, the area is dug up and weeds are removed.

Planting holes are prepared with a depth and width of at least 50 - 60 cm, at the bottom of which a drainage layer is laid in the form of expanded clay or river pebbles. Simple river sand can also be used as drainage.

The soil is additionally enriched with organic matter in the form of well-rotted horse or cow manure, and humus can also be added to the soil. River sand is mixed into too heavy, clayey soil to improve drainage.

The most suitable time for planting is spring or autumn. Trees aged 3-4 years are suitable for planting in open ground.

Bushes are planted outside when the threat of spring night frosts has passed or in the autumn months in such a way that they have time to take root in a new place before the onset of winter.

If several plants are planted, then a distance of 3 to 5 meters is maintained between them.

When planting, maintain the same depth at which the plant was in the previous container - place the seedling so that its root collar is above the soil surface.

The root system is placed in the center of the planting hole and sprinkled with substrate.

After planting, the soil around the bush is thoroughly compacted to remove air pockets and thoroughly spilled with water. If the soil has subsided significantly after watering, add the required amount of soil.

The tree trunk circle can be mulched with straw, fallen leaves or sawdust to retard the development of weeds and prevent too rapid evaporation of moisture from the soil surface. The mulch layer can reach a thickness of 5 - 6 cm.

In autumn, they are hilled with mulch, thereby adding nutrients.

Further care will consist of timely watering, fertilizing and loosening the soil.

Watering is carried out in such a way that the soil has time to dry out to a depth of 3 - 5 cm.

To form a beautiful and lush bush, formative pruning is necessary.

The first wintering will be a real test for seedlings. If the plant is grown on an iron trellis, then the shoots must be removed from the support - they will freeze on harsh winter days.

Unfortunately, achieving decent flowering in a harsh climate is not at all easy - even slightly frost-damaged branches will not bloom.

Before the onset of frost, absolutely all young plants will need shelter - their shoots are bent to the surface of the soil and sprinkled with fallen leaves or insulated with spruce branches.

First, a wooden flooring is placed on the ground to which the branches are bent, or a good layer of foam is laid out.

As soon as snow falls, it is additionally thrown on top of such a shelter.

Mature specimens become the owners of strong, woody stems that can no longer be bent to the ground; the liana can now be left on the trellis even in the winter months.

Remove the shelter as soon as the snow melts.

When bloom? 

Buds are formed from spring to autumn, the flowering period is very long.

Only adult specimens aged 6 to 20 years bloom and only with the most careful care.

Many varieties bloom even before the formation of leaves.

The most abundant formation of brushes occurs in vines at the age of 13-15 years.

Soil 

Wisteria is a very hardy perennial. It can grow on fairly poor soils, but prefers fertile, moist, well-drained soils with a slightly alkaline pH.

When planting, it is best to use broken brick as drainage - due to its weight, it will give the pot stability.

The growing substrate should easily allow not only moisture but also air to pass to the root system.

Reproduction, cuttings

Wisteria is propagated at home by division during transplantation, cuttings or seeds. 

Seed propagation requires patience, as several years will pass before flowering occurs. For this reason, gardeners prefer plants obtained from cuttings or by grafting - they bloom at the age of 4-5 years.

Cuttings do not always take root and require careful care for successful rooting.

Stem cuttings 15 - 20 cm long are cut from one-year shoots during formative pruning so that a piece of stem 1 - 2 cm long remains below the leaf node, and the lower cut is made oblique.

1. The lower leaves are removed from the cuttings and their bases are dusted with growth hormones.
2. For rooting, soil is made from peat, leaf and turf soil.
3. To improve drainage, coarse river sand is added to the mixture - the substrate should be loose and sufficiently nutritious.
4. Moisten the soil using a fine spray bottle.
5. The cuttings are immersed in the ground to a depth of 4 - 5 cm and covered on top with a transparent plastic bag or glass.
6. The seedlings are placed in a warm place protected from direct sun.
7. Every day the cover is removed, the plantings are ventilated and the condensation accumulated on the glass or film is removed.

The appearance of young leaves can be noticed within 4 - 8 weeks, and this already indicates that the first roots have appeared in the substrate. 

The division of adult specimens is carried out in the spring, during transplantation, with the appearance of the first signs of new growth, but before the formation of buds.

The bush is dug out of the ground and divided into several parts using a sharp knife. The wound surface formed during division is sprinkled with crushed charcoal or ash.

As a result of such division, each part should receive its own, well-developed root system and above-ground part. 

Reproduction by layering of branches is also possible.

1. When propagating by air layering, another small pot is placed next to the container in which the mother tree is located.
2. Fill the pot with loose and nutritious substrate.
3. Take a one-year-old lateral shoot, make a small cut on it and bend it to the surface of the soil in the pot.
4. From above, the shoot is pinned to the soil with a metal staple and covered with a thin layer of soil.
5. The soil around the cuttings is kept evenly moist throughout the rooting period.

The successful completion of the process can be judged by the appearance of the first signs of growth - new young leaves and shoots that make their way through the leaf nodes.

The cuttings are separated from the mother bush 2-3 months after the emergence of new shoots.

For generative propagation, you can use seeds collected by hand.

The pods are collected only when they are ripe, but not dry. The pods are dried in a warm room - the seeds, completely ready for planting, can hatch on their own from dry spiral pods.

Fresh seeds have good germination and often self-seed under adult plants.

1. The seeds are pre-soaked for several days in gauze moistened with water at room temperature.
2. For sowing, take a plastic container with a lid and drainage holes at the bottom.
3. The first layer is drainage 1 - 2 cm high.
4. Fill the container with a nutritious and loose soil mixture.
5. Seeds are sown to a depth of about 1 cm.

At home, sowing can be done in late winter - in February, and planting in open ground is carried out in mid-April.

Planting can be done immediately in separate pots - in the latter case it will be possible to do without the first dive. 

The crops are covered with glass or transparent plastic on top to maintain a high level of humidity.

Germination occurs within 20 days or a month at a temperature of 22 - 25 °  C. During this entire period, the soil is kept evenly moist by thoroughly spraying it with a sprayer.

The seedlings are ventilated daily by removing the glass and removing condensation from it. With the appearance of the first shoots, the cover can be removed.

The bushes should not be exposed to direct sunlight.

When the first true leaves appear, the plants are planted in separate small pots.

The first feeding after picking is carried out after 10-14 days, using a very weak solution of flower fertilizer.

Lianas grown from seeds may not have all the positive qualities of the parent specimens.

Another method of propagation is dividing the rhizomes.

To do this, young bushes are dug out of the ground and the too long roots located near the surface of the substrate, at the root collar, are cut by a third of the length, and then transplanted into place.

The following year, similar manipulations are repeated in early spring.

In the fall, the flowers are dug up again, and as a result of such actions, long young roots appear in their root system, capable of producing an adventitious bud.

Segments of such roots at least 5-7 mm thick and 1 to 15 cm long are separated in the fall and planted in separate containers.

During the first year, such individuals are kept in warm conditions, in the house, and in the second year of life they can be taken outside.

Unfortunately, with this method of propagation, the root system suffers.

Grafted seedlings purchased in flower shops or on special farms bloom earliest and most abundantly.

Since frost-resistant varieties are often used as rootstocks, such trees are characterized by increased resistance to the harsh conditions of open ground.

Maintenance, pruning 

Growing vines requires adherence to certain agricultural practices.

With an excess of nitrogen fertilizers, wisteria refuses to bloom. It fixes nitrogen in root nodules, so adult specimens need additional feeding with potassium and phosphorus, but not nitrogen.

Flowers develop from buds at the base of the shoots of the previous year, so be sure to trim the side shoots after flowering to maintain a beautiful, compact shape.

Young specimens require proper crown formation.

1. In first year seedlings, the main shoot with 2 lateral shoots is left.
2. In the second year after planting, the main trunk is cut at a height of about 80 - 90 cm and 2 more side shoots are left, which, after regrowth, are cut to about 1/3 of the length.
3. In the third year of cultivation, we already fix the main trunk to the trellis, and we tie last year’s side shoots at an angle of 90 degrees and shorten the second-order branches on them to 20 cm in length.

Thus, we get a strong tree with horizontally extending tiers of side branches. 

If it is necessary to control the size of an adult plant, the side shoots can be shortened to 20 - 40 cm. length in mid-summer.

At the end of winter, formative pruning is done, during which last year's shoots are greatly shortened and only a few buds remain.

When sanitary pruning, also remove old and damaged stems. It is also necessary to trim off the flowering brushes - this way the plant will not have to devote its energy to forming pods with seeds, which will only spoil the appearance of this tree.

Proper formation of the crown will give this flowering shrub lushness; wisteria tolerates pruning easily. 

With the help of pruning, you can grow both a large, flowering vine and form a small flowering tree in the bonsai style. 

With this method of cultivation, not only the above-ground part is cut off, but also the root system is trimmed when replanting. Each time with such pruning, too long roots are removed, leaving approximately 2/3 of their length.

Pruning is always carried out only with a sharply sharpened and sterile instrument - a knife or pruning shears.

Bonsai trees are grown in small and wide bowls.

During warmer months, take the pot outside, sheltering it from strong winds, direct sunlight and rain. Remember to bring the plants indoors if night temperatures drop below freezing.

How to transplant 

Transplantation is carried out annually, in the spring, as they grow, into larger pots.

For planting, select a shallow and wide container - the root system of wisteria is small, and in addition, the plant can overturn a tall and light pot.

1. Before planting, a good drainage layer in the form of broken bricks and expanded clay is placed on the bottom of the pot, which should be purchased in advance at a flower shop.
2. Representatives of the species do not like damage to the root system - try to transship without destroying the earth lump - in this case, the roots will receive minimal trauma. When transshipping, the liana together with the root lump is simply placed in the center of the new container and sprinkled with fresh substrate along the perimeter.
3. After planting, the soil is compacted to remove air pockets and the surface is watered with room temperature water.

For large tub specimens, the replanting of which will be difficult due to their size, replace the top layer of soil 5 - 7 cm thick with fresh soil annually, in the spring.

Temperature

For the period of active growth, budding and flowering, normal room temperature ranging from 18 to 25 ° C is suitable.

In autumn, the shoots shed their leaves, during this period the room temperature should be within 6 - 8 ° C. A cool winter is necessary for the tree to get stronger and gain strength for subsequent flowering in the new season.

When grown in open ground, it tolerates short-term frosts.

Wisteria does not like sudden changes in temperature, so it is accustomed to any changes gradually.

Diseases and pests 

• Leaf spot, viral diseases. Plants damaged by viruses cannot be treated and must be destroyed.
• Powdery mildew and other fungal diseases occur when kept in a cool, damp environment without adequate air circulation.
• The leaf blades turn yellow, but the veins remain green; if the plant experiences chlorosis, add iron chelate to the water for irrigation.
• Wisteria does not bloom if there is no cool dormant period, flowering does not occur in very young specimens and if there is not enough sunlight.
• Bushes that regularly do not receive enough light develop weak and painful in appearance.
• Rot occurs when moisture stagnates at the roots - such specimens can be saved if they are replanted and the soil is completely replaced with fresh soil. When replanting, the root system is carefully shaken off from the old soil and inspected. Damaged and rotten roots are cut with pruning shears.
• In a large city where the air is heavily polluted, wisteria will develop and bloom poorly and will also look unhealthy.

When kept in open ground, harmful insects such as leaf rollers may appear; at home and outdoors, plants can be attacked by aphids and mealybugs, and nematodes settle in the ground.

Feeding 

Monthly during the growing season, feed with low-nitrogen fertilizers. Excessive nitrogen will cause the bushes to grow green mass abundantly to the detriment of flowering.

For feeding, choose fertilizers for flowering species with a high content of potassium and phosphorus.

Wisteria responds positively to both mineral and organic fertilizers. Well-rotted horse or cow manure, humus and humus can be added to the soil as organic matter, and watered with a weak solution of chicken manure.

Mineral fertilizers are added to the soil only after abundant watering, since too concentrated a solution getting on the root system in dry soil can cause a burn.

In the autumn months, the frequency of feeding and the content of nutrients in them are gradually reduced and the plant is put into a dormant period.

In winter, feeding is stopped and resumed only in the spring, with the appearance of the first signs of new growth.

Lighting

Bright lighting promotes abundant and long-lasting flowering.

Each plant should receive 3-4 hours of direct sunlight daily, in the morning and evening hours. In spring and summer, on hot days, shading is necessary.

In autumn and winter, you can place the tub or pot in the most illuminated place.

Every week, the pot should be rotated around its axis by a quarter of a turn so that the bushes do not lean towards the light source and develop densely and symmetrically.

Window sills facing east and west are considered the most suitable for growing wisteria. When placing on the south side, shade with a curtain.

Watering

Indoor wisteria needs a lot of water when it is actively growing and blooming. Keep the soil evenly moist in spring and summer by using well-settled water at room temperature for irrigation.

During the winter dormant period, watering is reduced in accordance with the room temperature - the flowers are kept in an almost dry substrate, protecting it only from complete drying out.

Young specimens will require regular watering, while adults may experience short periods of drought.

Be sure to drain any excess water that appears in the tray after watering.

Spraying 

Mist the trees periodically or place a room humidifier nearby. When spraying, make sure that droplets of moisture do not fall on the flowers and buds - this can dramatically reduce their attractiveness.

Spray in the morning, using bottled or filtered water at room temperature.

The moisture should have time to evaporate from the leaves and shoots before darkness falls.

To increase humidity, you can also use a tray with wet pebbles, but make sure that the bottom of the pot does not come into direct contact with water.

Placing several trees in a limited space helps to increase humidity.

Wisteria will appreciate being kept in constantly ventilated rooms with good air circulation.

Purpose

Unfortunately, the lush and long flowering of this capricious beauty can be achieved mainly in southern latitudes, and this can take several decades.

Wisteria can be grown as a stunningly flowering bonsai or as a beautiful standard tree.

The drooping inflorescences with numerous buds make the plant look like a continuously blooming waterfall.

Note

All parts are poisonous if ingested and can cause dizziness, speech problems, nausea and vomiting, and abdominal pain. The seeds are considered the most poisonous.

Interestingly, the stems of Chinese wisteria twist counterclockwise, while the stems of Japanese wisteria twist in the direction of its movement.

Representatives of the genus are known to be long-livers: in the natural environment, there are specimens whose age is estimated at 250 years.

A dye is obtained from the flowers, used to color fabrics.

The leaves contain useful substances that can suppress the growth of harmful microorganisms, that is, they can be used as antibiotics.

Houseplants can cleanse the atmosphere of living spaces from viruses.

 

Varieties:

Wisteria Blue moon

A plant with high resistance to frost - can withstand frosts down to - 40 ° C, and therefore is suitable for growing in open ground. This variety develops very quickly and blooms tirelessly with good care. The flowers are large, very fragrant, soft purple, collected in large, branched inflorescences - racemes, each up to 25 cm long. Flowering occurs up to 3 times a year, the flowering plant quickly fills the room with a unique sweetish aroma. The first flowering often occurs before the leaves appear and will also be the most abundant. The leaves are dark green, complex, large - up to 30 cm long.