A Forgotten Seedling

[Haines' Trees]

We’re nearing autumn in my area, and since it’s that time of year to start thinking about seeds for next year I thought I’d share one of the neglected ones I planted last spring. This Japanese Wisteria (W floribunda) was planted in April, then stuck on the back of the seedling bench and pretty much left alone since then, save for occasional fertilizing.

I have three others, but they’ve all been ignored and this is the only that’s had decent growth. The pot is too small, even after 5 months since planting. Roots growing out the bottom and a lot of roots creeping up to the surface of the soil.... If I ever do more I might start them in a slightly larger pot.

A fun little species, fast growing for sure. I recommend for newbies who want to grow something from seed. No pretreatment apart from soaking, tough to kill too apparently.

 

[leatherback]

And now.. Off into the ground and grow for a decade to get a trunk

 

[Haines' Trees]

100% lol. Not the right time to stick in the ground though right? Wait till spring similar to a repot or do it now since I won’t be messing with roots?

 

[penumbra]

100% lol. Not the right time to stick in the ground though right? Wait till spring similar to a repot or do it now since I won’t be messing with roots?

Sure, now is a great time to put it in the ground. I will be planting about 40- 50 plants in the next few weeks.
Just don't be aggressive with the roots.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

You can also sink the pots to the rim in the ground, without repotting. The clay pots will likely crack. Be sure to dig it up in spring, so you can either repot to a larger pot, or you can site it into a grow bed where it can be left for a few years.

Note, I had a Chinese wisteria in the ground. It grew rapidly. At 10 years it had a nice fat trunk, I traded it it away, Digging it out was a horrendous job. Many pieces of roots got left behind. I am still cutting down, mowing down and applying round up to sprouts that keep popping up from old roots. It was dug up over 5 years ago, and I still have not gotten rid of all of the shoots. Lawn mower keeps them short.

So planting in the ground, the warning is, you may end up with a permanent wisteria patch. Even if you dig your trunk out after 5 years.

 

[Haines' Trees]

Oof, good warning as always Leo.

You figure these pots will crack?? I was planning on sinking a lot of these sort of pots into the ground to overwinter a fair number of seedlings. I figured that would be a better way to go but if these things are just gonna shatter I’ll need a new method.

 

[leatherback]

You figure these pots will crack

I find these clay pots are hit and miss. Very much depends on who made them. Some fall apart when the first icing appears in fall. Others go a decade without a problem..

 

[Haines' Trees]

I find these clay pots are hit and miss. Very much depends on who made them. Some fall apart when the first icing appears in fall. Others go a decade without a problem..

A few of them went through last winter, albeit not buried. They were huddled up against one side of my house. Hopefully that means they can take cold. It’ll be disappointing and expensive if I need to repot or abandon everything I’ve grown from seed this coming spring lmao

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

A few of them went through last winter, albeit not buried. They were huddled up against one side of my house. Hopefully that means they can take cold. It’ll be disappointing and expensive if I need to repot or abandon everything I’ve grown from seed this coming spring lmao

I don't know for certain. Terra Cotta, by definition is a low temperature fired clay that remains porous. Water in the pores freezes, expands and cracks. But if your Terra Cotta is "good terra cotta", it won't have that many pores, It may pull through without cracking. I've had terra cotta last 5 winters, I've had terra cotta turn to red gravel after 2 winters. I had one terra cotta pot, with a wrap of duct tape last a good 10 years or more. Terra cotta is just not designed to last forever. Besides, compared to "good high temperature bonsai pots" terra cotta is cheap. Plastic is the best for wintering seedlings.

I am cautious even about which good ceramic pots I let freeze - thaw. I had a nice YiXing pot and a good Tokonome pot fall apart after one winter of freeze thaw. A Dale Cochoy pot fell apart on me too. On the other hand, an unsigned, unstamped, generic Japanese or maybe even Korean tray, has weathered 10 winters without a crack. Much depends on shape of pot, also the coarseness of the potting media and the quality of the clay and the temperature fired. Too many variables to look at a photo and say this will work, or this will not work.

Potting media with a lot of fines, and relatively poor air voids, will hold a lot of water - that water will freeze and expand and crack the pot. Same pot with a coarse pumice mix, with lots of air voids even during a rainstorm, that pot when it freezes, the ice backs up into the air voids. Pot will be fine all winter. So even the potting media matters.

 

[Haines' Trees]

I’ve got some with good porous media and some with not great media so we’ll see. If they crack but the trees make it I guess that’s fine. I’ve got a fair number of plastic pots I can transfer them into if need be.

 

[Potawatomi13]

"Generally" Italian, German terra cotta is better. Mexican is cheap junk.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I’ve got some with good porous media and some with not great media so we’ll see. If they crack but the trees make it I guess that’s fine. I’ve got a fair number of plastic pots I can transfer them into if need be.

Yes, if your trees are normally hardy in a Chicago winter, whether the pot cracks or not will not affect the tree's winter survival. You can always repot the "cracked pots" as you find them in spring. And if you don't have time, a little duct tape and the "cracked pots" can last a few more years.