Subject: Re: [A] Wisteria trained as a tree

From: [email-masked] (Richard Campbell)
Date: 31 Mar 1995 22:22:29 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, Don Martinson <[email-masked]> writes:
|> [email-masked] (Brad Atwater) wrote:
|> >
|> > 
|> > The wisteria that I had in NJ was trained by the previous 
|> > owner, though I continued the process on the established tree.
|> > 
|> > I heard he did it by a very unconventional method. He place an
|> > iron pipe over the young vine...
|> 
|> The pipe trick sounds real neat, although my fear would be that the
|> pipe would girdle the vine/tree before it rusted away.  This problem
|> could be easily solved by using PVC or other plastic pipe and perhaps
|> even scoring it so that the stem would break out of its own accord when
|> it got big enough or at least the pipe could be more easily cut away  
|> without damaging the stem.
|> >

  Or you could cut the PVC in half before placing it around the plant and strap
the two halves together over the trunk.  Never done this just following
the thread.  ;^)

-- 
Rich Campbell
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Brad Atwater)
Date: 31 Mar 1995 14:22:33 GMT

The wisteria that I had in NJ was trained by the previous 
owner, though I continued the process on the established tree.

I heard he did it by a very unconventional method. He place an
iron pipe over the young vine and had the plant grow up though 
the pipe, I believe the pipe had an internal diameter of about 
3 inches. The pipe was left sticking out of the ground about 
two feet.

I believe the pipe was left until it rusted away. In addition
he trimed all but the top shoots, off the main trunk, which I 
continued to do.

The pipe story seems to fit because the main trunk had a scar where
above the scar the trunk was thicker than below. In addition below
the scar the trunk had a spiral look.  It was a very old vine, the
original owners bought the house in the '20s and I moved in in the
late 80s.

I have seen other vines trained as trees. None have compared to this
one though. You can also buy them pretrained from some nurseries.

Good luck and thanks for the advice on how to grow these beauties
from seeds.

Brad

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From: Don Martinson <[email-masked]>
Date: 31 Mar 1995 15:56:19 GMT

[email-masked] (Brad Atwater) wrote:
> iron pipe over the young vine...

The pipe trick sounds real neat, although my fear would be that the
pipe would girdle the vine/tree before it rusted away.  This problem
could be easily solved by using PVC or other plastic pipe and perhaps
even scoring it so that the stem would break out of its own accord when
it got big enough or at least the pipe could be more easily cut away  
without damaging the stem.