This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

Re: propagating wistaria

Charlotte Strem wrote:
> 
> 8/4/97
> Dear Tony and Moira- et al
> Thanks for your info about wisteria for Elizabeth.  I have a wisteria - not
> exactly sure what kind since it was a gift from a neighbor of my parents -
> lavender blooms about 12 in/30 cm long which smell great to me, so I'll
> guess sinesis.  I would like to start a wisteria vine for my great aunt who
> is moving to the area.  I have about 5 seed pods on the vine now and also
> have tons of shoots coming from the base.  So- what is the best wat to
> start a new plant?  Seed or shoot?  How do you "layer" to start a new
> plant?  My great aunt is getting up there in years, so I should probably do
> what ever will bloom fastest.    Is this an OK time of year to do a start?
> (I'm in northern Calif.).

Dear Charlotte 

My propagating book says you can do serpentine layering which would
undoubtedly be the easiest and quickest method.

Slanting cuts about 5cm (2") long are made with a sharp knife behind
nodes* at convenient intervals along the shoot chosen for propagation.
These cuts are then pegged down into pots of sandy compost (or directly
into the ground), the intervening lengths of stem being left uncovered.
The pegged-down sections are covered with more compost and left to root.
Once rooted the plants can be separated and either grown on in the pots
or planted in their permanent position.

This method is suitable for almost any climber which produces lots of
bottom shoots. With some jasmines you would not even have to cut, I
think, they root anywhere the shoots touch the ground anyway.

As to timing, the book recommends midsummer for clematis, but doesn't
say when to do wistaria. I should imagine you should do it once the
bottom shoots have begun to harden(ie half -ripe cutting stage).

* I did not think myself that "behind nodes" was very clear, but it
looks from the accompanying diagram as though the cut starts about 2"
away from the node on the side closest to the main stem (or the opposite
side to the shoot tip if you prefer) and stops just before the node is
cut into. Pity I can't reproduce the diagram.

Moira
-- 
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata, New Zealand (Lat. 41.15'S Long. 174.58'E)
References:
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index