How do you start a wisteria tree from seed (which I already have but don’t want to start it until I know what to do). Please also include starting wisteria vines.
Thank you, and look forward to your news letters.
Charlie
Doug says
Wisteria seed isn’t hard to start. It doesn’t require any special treatment.
However! An important point at the bottom about wisteria trees and wisteria tree seed.
How To Start Your Own Wisteria Seed
With fresh wisteria seed you have two options.
Option One
- Simply sow it outdoors in a protected spot (where you can keep it weeded) and it will germinate the following spring.
- Grow all summer in this spot and move to final spot in fall when they go dormant.
- Some will germinate right away depending on how fresh it really is and how much each seed wants to live) 🙂 Allow these eager seedlings to overwinter in place and transplant in spring before growth starts.
Option Two
- Store seed cool and dry until 12-16 weeks before you want to plant it outdoors.
- Sow seed indoors in pots 12-16 weeks before outside planting date (barely cover the seed) and give it 70F soil temperatures.
- You can transplant the tender seedlings when they have at least 4 true leaves, after all danger of frost to their growing spot.
What About Old Seed
- Soak them in warm water for 24 hours before sowing.
- Then sow in pots or outdoors as above when you want it to germinate.
- Again, barely cover the seed.
- Overwintered seed will benefit from this treatment.
Why You Can’t Start A Wisteria Tree From Seed
Wisteria trees are grafted trees. This means a wisteria vine is grafted on top of a tree trunk.
The seed you’re getting from a wisteria tree is really a wisteria vine.
You have to take a vine and graft it to the specified tree trunk and this (unfortunately) isn’t something beginner gardeners are going to do.
You can read other posts about growing vines in the garden here
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