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Burying Wisteria trunk - safe or not?
mrjameskent
Posts: 7
in Plants
Hi all, I have a potted Wisteria that has grown into adjacent railings, and therefore it can't be moved.
The soil level has dropped around 15cm in the pot (which is 40cm wide by 80cm deep).
It isn't possible to remove it to top up the soil level so I'd like to know if I would damage the plant by adding a 15cm layer of fresh compost, or would be better off leaving it alone? I'm conscious of the trunk rotting if I add new soil but could not find any information either way.
There is a new runner that has emerged from the base of the trunk at soil level, which I am training into the railings following prior damage by a builder.
Thanks all,
James
0
Posts
However unless the stems have thickened and become woody around the railings, it should be possible to lift it up and repot it. The fact the soil has dropped makes me think it could probably do with better growing media, such as soil based compost, with removal of some of the old stuff.
Long term I'm not sure how long the Wisteria will be able to manage in a confined pot, unless a root finds its way out of the drain hole and into a crack in the paving (which is definitely possible!) The bigger the pot, the longer you'll get away with it. I would consider breaking it out of the current pot and putting it in something like a galvanised water tank (with drainage holes) or similar huge planter.