African Wisteria Bonsai Care

Location

• Although African wisteria tolerates partial shade, lack of sunlight causes scanty blooms. The shrub blooms best with at least six hours of full sunlight every day. Because a bonsai tends to be top heavy, it should be planted where it is protected from possible damage caused by strong winds. Like most bonsai, African wisteria is an outdoor plant and won't do well indoors.

Water

• An African wisteria bonsai requires more water than most bonsai shrubs. Check the plant often, especially during warm weather. Water whenever the top of the soil feels dry, or if the plant begins to look wilted. African wisteria may require watering twice daily during the hot days of summer. However, don't allow the plant to stand in water. Although African wisteria likes moist soil, it may rot if the soil is allowed to become soggy.

Food

• The wrong fertilizer may cause African wisteria to develop lush, green leaves but few blooms. Wisteria needs a low-nitrogen fertilizer because wisteria draws nitrogen from the air. The best choice is a liquid or granular fertilizer formulated especially for wisteria because the fertilizer is mixed with the best proportions for the plant. Apply the fertilizer during spring and summer, but withhold fertilizer during fall and winter. The package label provides specific information regarding use and rates of application.

Pruning After Flowering

• Pruning depends on the style and shape you prefer for your African wisteria bonsai, and may differ depending on the size and age of the plant. In general, the plant is often pruned about three times between the end of flowering and autumn. Cut each shoot carefully to a length of about 6 inches, ensuring that each shoot has five or six leaves.

Winter Pruning

• Bonsai is often pruned more severely in mid-winter by cutting the shoots to about 4 inches, so that each one has three buds. The bonsai is shaped as desired and poorly placed or damaged branches are removed to improve the appearance of the plant and to encourage blooming.

Repotting

• African wisteria bonsai benefits from repotting every two to three years, using a potting soil formulated especially for bonsai. Repotting in early spring is best, before vigorous growth emerges. Move the plant to a clay bonsai pot just one size larger.