Hey Folks,

I'm growing a bonsai from a Wisteria seed. The tree has been growing for about a year now and is already pretty tall.



I wouldn't want it to grow much taller but as it is a climbing tree I'm sure it will continue to grow tall. I would like for the branches to branch off a bit closer to the ground. So I guess at one point I'll have to cut it.
This is were I struggle a little here as the tree only has branches on the very top of the tree and the bottom is already woody.

I see two ways to get the branches a bit closer to the ground again. Either I cut off the top of the tree and hope the branches regrow or I bury the trunk in the pot and hope it grows new roots.

Does anyone have experience with Wisteria saplings?
Does the Wisteria trunk grow roots if buried?
Will new branches grow if I cut the tree below the green trunk?

Cheers and many thanks
Ben

Let it grow. It is still a baby in plant terms.
At the moment you only have 2 branches and a very thin trunk. It needs to bulk up.

(Do not mistake the compound leaves for branches).

Thanks for your answer.
I agree it is still very young but I do have a bigger wisteria in the ground which is 8 years old, around 6 to 7 meters long. For the first 1.5 meters there is not a single branch. I would like to prevent that on the bonsai.
But I guess I could give it a bit more time and hope it develops branches below the current two branches.

You let it grow big. Then you cut back. Then it will grow branches.

You cut back now, chances are it will just grow one new bud. It is young and weak still.

I think that now is the time to wire the trunk and give it some movement before it thickens, then you won´t be able to do it
In some 2 weeks I should have a quick guide to wisterias on my YouTube channel, I will post a link for you then

Mimo wrote: I think that now is the time to wire the trunk and give it some movement before it thickens, then you won´t be able to do it
In some 2 weeks I should have a quick guide to wisterias on my YouTube channel, I will post a link for you then

I look forward to this Mimo, I too have a couple of sapling wisterias underway this year.

For now you can check out my thread about my efforts with wisterias on this forum here:

www.bonsaiempire.com/forum/advanced-tech...airlayering-wisteria

I told a friend once you can't fish fast. Similarly, you can't grow bonsai fast. There is nothing you can do about it - it takes 20 years to produce a 20 year old tree.

The trunk thickens at its own speed. You can encourage thickness with sacrifice branches and by putting it in the ground - the largest bonsai pot in the world, and you get thickness fastest that way.

Let it grow in the ground with adequate water, sun, and fertilizer, and then when it is thick enough cut it back to the height you want during the winter before growing season. It will sprout branches like crazy.

Ivan Mann wrote: I told a friend once you can't fish fast. Similarly, you can't grow bonsai fast. There is nothing you can do about it - it takes 20 years to produce a 20 year old tree.

That is entiery correct.

But can you make a 10 year old tree look like it is 20? Or more relevant....can You make a 20 year old tree look like 100?

At least to me this is the goal. Creating a tree that looks old. Dont have time to wait 100 years and cant afford one that is.

For many species.. No. 20 years is for most just enough to develop proper bark. Getting bark that looks a century old will take longer.

To the ignorant observer, sure, you can make a tree look ancient. But those who know bonsai and plants can often tell