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Rotting post
Rekusu
Posts: 125
What ho one and all,
Some years ago, (ie many pre-Brexit years!) my wife planted a wisteria. Since we did not have a suitable wall, we adopted a method we have seen in the RHS Wisley garden; allow it to grow around a large post in the ground.
I bought some 4"x4" posts, painted them a number of times with preserver and installed them using those 2 foot long, metal ground spikes. Stupidly(!), the clamp is just below the top of the soil (because the clamp is ugly and we did not want to see it.)
X years later, the wisteria is growing happily but the base of the post is rotting and the whole thing is somewhat loose. I am uncertain as to the best way to resolve the problem since the wisteria has now gotten quite a hold on the post, it will not be possible to easily replace it.
I wonder if anyone has some good ideas.
Many thanks and toodle pip
Rex
Some years ago, (ie many pre-Brexit years!) my wife planted a wisteria. Since we did not have a suitable wall, we adopted a method we have seen in the RHS Wisley garden; allow it to grow around a large post in the ground.
I bought some 4"x4" posts, painted them a number of times with preserver and installed them using those 2 foot long, metal ground spikes. Stupidly(!), the clamp is just below the top of the soil (because the clamp is ugly and we did not want to see it.)
X years later, the wisteria is growing happily but the base of the post is rotting and the whole thing is somewhat loose. I am uncertain as to the best way to resolve the problem since the wisteria has now gotten quite a hold on the post, it will not be possible to easily replace it.
I wonder if anyone has some good ideas.
Many thanks and toodle pip
Rex
0
Posts
Without a picture it's difficult to tell whether that's even feasible for you or if it would be very unsightly with 2 posts.
For our last fence we opted for concrete posts which will definitely see me out! We're in a slightly exposed spot and the heavy clay soil is often wet. Landscaper reckons wood will always rot eventually and metal (including metal post holders) usually corrodes one way or another. He clad the ugly concrete posts with wood down to about 4" from soil level. They just look like really nice solid 6" x 6" wooden posts now - but they're so much stronger and will last for years Maybe a plan if you can put a new post in.
We hear a lot about the bad side of plastic but when used like this has many benefits,for example there is no need to treat with chemicals,no rot,can be set directly in concrete,uses recycled plastic etc etc.
Not sure how clear it is - but you can see how the planks of wood are arranged around the post and they are secured by screwing into each other at the corners. I think the front and back planks are screwed onto the concrete post.
I think there are attachment points in the concrete for this but I'm not really sure. Some of the posts are only waist height and these have a cut-to-size cap on them. The tall post are just open at the top.
Hope it helps. I can do a photo tomorrow if needed.
I know the concrete post would be the best solution but it would look somewhat unsightly. However, I think there would be a bigger issue with a concrete post, namely, digging a hole to get it into the ground. Although it was a new build hose 9 years ago, and during the demolition of the previous house, none of the rubble was scattered around the garden, I know from experience that when the original house was built, a lot of rubble was scattered. And I doubt that I could dig a hole sufficiently deep. To get the ground spike in, I had to use a steel rod to virtually 'smash' a lead hole first.
I think cutting the post above the rotting area and trying to 'lift' the spike to grip the pole above ground level may be the way to go. At least then, the post would not be virtually permanently surrounded by wet soil.
I don't think the wisteria is at a stage that it would be self supporting.
Again, thanks for the various thoughts.
Rex