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Wisteria leaves browning

I have recently planted my new wisteria plants into a large planter with multi purpose compost. Within a few days of planting, the leaves have started to brown. I have attached some photos. 
It is on a frame at the moment and gets sun all day. I have watered it well since transplanting and some leaves are now dropping. 
Does anyone know what is causing this and how I can prevent further leaf loss? 

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Hello @emily.ashforthKvATAIh4 and welcome to the forum 😊 

    my initial thoughts are …

    1. Multi purpose compost isn’t suitable for the long term planting of shrubs/climbers etc.  They need a loam-based growing medium such as John Innes No 3, with the addition of some organic matter such as well-rotted manure or garden compost. 

    2.  I really am struggling to imagine any planter large enough to hold more than one wisteria … they can grow absolutely huge … but of course, I may be wrong … just how big is the planter? 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Hello @emily.ashforthKvATAIh4 and welcome to the forum 😊 

    my initial thoughts are …

    1. Multi purpose compost isn’t suitable for the long term planting of shrubs/climbers etc.  They need a loam-based growing medium such as John Innes No 3, with the addition of some organic matter such as well-rotted manure or garden compost. 

    2.  I really am struggling to imagine any planter large enough to hold more than one wisteria … they can grow absolutely huge … but of course, I may be wrong … just how big is the planter? 
    Hi, oh dear... The garden centre local to me said multi purpose would be fine so looks like I'll have a lot of digging on my hands to empty out all that soil! 

    The planter is a large stone trough which is 1 metre by 2 metres and 1 metre deep. The wisteria is living in there until I can sort out the planting positioning at the new house where it will go in the ground.

    The plants themselves (2 of them) are only 40cm and 70cm high at the moment and were bought for me as a present, hence the awkward living situation right now! ☺️

    Would the above cause such sudden leaf browning? The roots were not touched when planting (straight out of the pot and put in the soil). I wasn't sure if it was exposure (ie sun or wind) or over/under watering perhaps? 
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Did you wet the pots and root balls before you planted themin their new home?  Did you gently tease the roots to encourgae them to grow out into their new home?  It may be that now they are in their new home the roots are struggling to hydrate.

    As long as it's short term, your wisterias should be fine in that big a container but moving from a tight pot to, effectively, a cubic metre of compost.  I agree with @Dovefromabove that they would be better in a loam based soil than multi-purpose as it drains better and they don't do well with wet roots but do need water to thrive.

    If you're planning to move them anyway I would consider moving them to their own 60cm wide and deep pots now and in loam based compost with about 10 to 15% MPC.  They'll be fine in there for a year tho you'll need to give liquid feeds of rose or tomato feed to encourage flowering.  Then, when you move, water well then plant out in soil well-prepared with added well-rotted manure and compost which will feed soil organisms as well as nourish your wisterias and make a hospitable home for their roots.

    That will also mean you don't have to empty your trough and can plant it up with something else to provide interest while you wait to move to a new garden.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
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