Something to play with (Virginia Climber as Bonsai)

I found this little guy today at a job I was doing. Funny thing is that I was there to paint, not look at plants Anyways, I know that it is a virginia climber/creeper/whateveryouwannacallit vine. I had previously posted about some wisteria seeds that I acquired, but I wanna play with this vine until I get enough plant from the seeds to do something with. So I figured this would be good practice since it is at a young age and is also a vine.

Here it is in the coffee cup that I used to transport it over a lot of Northern VA today (I dug it up around 9 in the morning, and just finished potting and watering it around 5)


And now it is planted in a plastic pot (got it from some cheap P. Nana plant that I planted in ground to thicken)


Finally, I wired it with some very thin, low-voltage wire that I got out of an electric job many moons ago. I left the wire a little long so that the vine can follow it (hopefully)


So, how did I do? This is the first plant that I have wired, and really didn't have a clue what I was doing, but I think it looks (halfway) decent. The two trunks are actually part of 1 piece of root that is about twice as thick as the trunks and has some smaller roots coming off of it. Any pointers for the future (or now) would be appreciated. Like I said, I am just practicing for when my wisteria seeds grow up to be something else to play with.

Virginia creeper can make very appealing bonsai mate. They have lovely autumn and spring colours. It is probably a bit early to pass judgement on what you have done as the plant is so young, but at least you have enthusiasm, and that can only be a good thing! Think about dropping the soil level to the point where the two branches come from. You could make a twin trunk. It may be a bit early to wire it, as you really want to plant it out and let it grow grow grow a bit to thicken it up.

Cheers,

Andrew

Heck, why wait for this one to grow? Go out and find something decent to work with. Virginia creepers are EVERYWHERE crawling up trees, walls and fences. If you stand still long enough one will start up your leg. I'm constantly cutting and spraying herbicide on stuff way better than that all the time. Wisteria seeds? Nothing wrong with seeds - but how much real bonsai practice is that?

This is the kind of stuff that's free for the asking and taking - and in sizes that actually let you do something.

Russell Coker wrote:

If you stand still long enough one will start up your leg.

The autumn colours of Parthenocissus quinquefolia are beautiful. I had a small cascading one that I kept in a 5-6 cm high pot, but it died. The leaves were well reduced.

Last year, I made a cutting of one that is climbing on the wall of our local police station. It's a pity I don't have photos before it leafed out: I had cut it back, leaving only two buds, it was half the height of the pot.

Today:

Russell Coker wrote:

Heck, why wait for this one to grow? Go out and find something decent to work with. Virginia creepers are EVERYWHERE crawling up trees, walls and fences. If you stand still long enough one will start up your leg. I'm constantly cutting and spraying herbicide on stuff way better than that all the time. Wisteria seeds? Nothing wrong with seeds - but how much real bonsai practice is that?

This is the kind of stuff that's free for the asking and taking - and in sizes that actually let you do something.

Russell is correct.

You can root any size cutting of creepervine and it will sprout above soil, and root below. Look for any thick vine on the ground or up a tree, cut a section out of it that looks interesting (no need for digging it up, just cut out a section) and stick it in bonsai soil up to the level you would like to be (roughly) the finished soil level. Put it in direct sun, keep it moist and wait...I did this with some nice thick vines from my property this year and the results were excellent. They were all 2+ inches thick one was 3 1/2 inches thick...that represents about 20 years of unrestricted growth.

they root so easily that I have enough to give away to friends
-Jay

Andrew Legg wrote:

Russell Coker wrote:

If you stand still long enough one will start up your leg.

Ahahahahahahh Too funny Russell.

I was sitting on my porch last week drinking some sweet tea, and one started crawling up my leg.

Sam

You can do whatever you want with them...even if you chop one to pieces, you will get that many new plants.

This is my creeper that I'm playing with. Nothing fancy, just wanted to try "something on a rock" I repotted it twice this summer because the roots start to cyrcle the pot in a month or so.

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Best...

Gašper

Here are mine. As the others have said they are bits cut off the mother plant and just stuck in the ground - no faffing with rooting hormone etc. The trunks are about 1.5cm diameter.





Against the mother ship for leaf size comparison.

Russell Coker wrote:If you stand still long enough one will start up your leg.

Russ, remind me to send you a set of nicky tams.

You've all given me the idea for a new horror movie..."Virginia Creeper". Did you feel something on your leg? It could become the "Jaws" of our time!

Fiona, do you have any photos of them in fall color? I really like the shape of the first one you posted.

Chris

What I want to know is how the dickens did the Virginia Creeper manage to creep all the way to Scotland, France, etc.

JimLewis wrote:What I want to know is how the dickens did the Virginia Creeper manage to creep all the way to Scotland, France, etc.

Yes, as Chris wrote, a real horror movie.

Here's fall color on the V. creeper in the North Carolina Arboretum collection.

dont wisteria take over 20 years to bloom from seed?

It depends: I saw pictures of very small ones grown from seeds, 3-4 years old, that flowered. But yes, it usually takes much more time, even if they are grafted.

One way to make them flower faster is to let the soil dry until the leaves droop, in summer, then put the pot in a tub filled with water.

I saw one at a nursery with nicely curved trunk in a 1 gallon pot but it's trunk is pretty thin,diameter about half inch only. I have limited space so I could only plant it in a bigger pot, planning to use a standard 2 gallon nursery plastic pot.
As for the soil, I will just use 2parts akadama, 1 part lava rock and 1 part pumice. Will it take very long for the trunk to thicken to say about 2 inches in diameter?
I could only provide direct sunlight from sunrise til noon, afterwards lots of ambient light.

Thanks in advance!