How do you shape a wisteria bonsai so it looks beautiful?

Wisteria is a large deciduous climbing and twining woody vine. When it blooms, it looks like a purple waterfall pouring straight down, with extremely high ornamental value that leaves people overwhelmed by its beauty. Many flower lovers are very fond of it, and quite a few people plant wisteria in their home courtyards to add a romantic touch to the house. Now let's follow the editor and learn how to make it into a bonsai.

How to make a wisteria bonsai

1. Seedling source

Any method of selecting seedlings will do, but most households basically buy mature seedlings directly from flower shops, as this gives a higher survival rate. However, a small number of people like to start growing from seed. The editor first bows to you in respect; for the detailed method, please see another article the editor compiled, "What are the propagation methods of wisteria flowers!"

2. Potting

Once the seedling is ready, it should be potted. This is usually done in February to March, and it is better to plant before the wisteria leafs out. For the potting soil, usually fertile, well-draining leaf mold mixed with ordinary soil is used; of course, you can also buy professional potting soil for flowers. Choose a relatively deep purple clay pot, available in many shapes, selected according to personal preference.

3. Shaping

This is the most important step; everything before was just preparation. In short, pruning should stick to one principle: simple and natural. The branches should be staggered high and low, but the layers should be few rather than many, while avoiding monotony; the plant should look as full as possible.

There are many bonsai forms: such as the curved-trunk style or slanting-trunk style (the main trunk of the bonsai grows leaning to one side), the weeping-branch style (the main trunk is short and grows vertically), and the rock-attached style (the main trunk grows clinging to a small rockery). In the editor's personal view, the slanting-trunk style looks better, costs less, and is easy to maintain!

How to shape a potted wisteria so it looks beautiful

1. Straight-trunk style

This type of tree bonsai is best made into a towering "vertical scroll" composition, with branches kept short. When the wisteria trunk grows to 3-5 cm thick, cut off 25-45 cm as needed, pot it according to the growth of the roots, and place it with a suitable tilt, either to the left or to the right.

2. Curved-trunk style

The main trunk of a bonsai tree is required to have a certain degree of bending variation, but the bends should not be many; one or two bends are enough. The bends should avoid overly monotonous repetition, otherwise there will be traces of artificial contrivance. The value of the bend lies in its liveliness, and that liveliness lies in the variation of the main trunk line, having both hardness and softness, combining hardness and softness, with a line that is both smooth and graceful and upright and vigorous. When the trunk grows to 1-2 cm thick, wrap it with metal wire and twist it into the desired shape; the bending height of the trunk should be between 30-45 cm. After half a year or a year of growth, when the metal wire begins to sink into the bark, untie it.

3. Slanting-trunk style

The key point of making it is how to keep the tree from losing its center of gravity and achieve balance. The methods are: making use of thick roots in the opposite direction, making use of branches in the opposite direction, and letting a large branch growing in the same direction as the leaning trunk droop down, giving the feeling of support. To strengthen the leaning force of the potted tree and make the composition lively, let the leaning trunk or branches extend beyond the pot.

4. Rock-attached style

When the trunk grows to 2 cm thick, cut the trunk short, remove it from the pot, remove the potting soil, and keep only the roots. Carefully wrap the roots around a shaped stone; for the stone, generally sandstone, sea-mother stone, reed-pipe stone, Yingde stone, stalactite, etc. are chosen. After wrapping, tie the tree roots and stone with a plastic bag so that the roots grow attached to the stone. After 2-3 years of growth, the roots will tightly clasp the stone, forming the rock-attached style.

How to fertilize wisteria

Step one: in early autumn, apply base fertilizer, preferably organic fertilizer, around the base of the plant's stem. After fertilizing, water an appropriate amount to promote dilution and absorption of the fertilizer.

Step two: in early spring, when wisteria sprouts, apply a nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium agricultural compound fertilizer. Keep the frequency at once every half month, for a total of two applications.

Step three: when the wisteria is about to form buds and bloom, apply one topdressing of fertilizer to the soil. This topdressing should be mainly phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, mixed with a small amount of nitrogen fertilizer. Note that if nitrogen fertilizer is excessive, it will cause lush branches and leaves but sparse flowering, or even no flowering at all.

Step four: after the wisteria blooms, promptly cut off surplus stems and branches, and apply one topdressing. This topdressing needs to be distinguished from the previous step; a mixed fertilizer with nitrogen fertilizer as the main component is best, followed by base fertilizer.

How to water wisteria

1. Better dry than wet

Watering wisteria should uphold the principle of allowing dryness but not wetness; too much water is not good for its flowering. When watering, you can observe the soil and water only when the soil is completely dry; each watering must be thorough, letting the water penetrate deep into the soil.

2. Withholding water in August

August is the season when wisteria differentiates flower buds; too much water will cause wisteria to bloom too little, so watering should be appropriately reduced, then return to normal in September.

3. Withholding water in late autumn

In late autumn, when other plants begin to drop their leaves, water for wisteria should be strictly limited to prevent autumn shoots from appearing and to preserve its "strength" for opening more flowers the following year.

4. More water in spring and summer

Spring and summer are the seasons when wisteria gathers strength to grow, so sufficient water must be ensured, so that the plant can grow lushly.

The method for making a wisteria bonsai is actually quite simple, and wisteria has very strong vitality and strong adaptability to the environment; it can be easily kept alive anywhere. With such a wonderful and romantic plant placed in the home, why not do it?