I have a wisteria that's been in the ground 3 years. As you can see it is eating my garage.
I want to try to transplant it somewhere else in the yard but am afraid it may be to big.
Has anyone ever moved one successfully? Any advice would be appreciated.
Here's a picture of the trunk
The Great Dane of the vine world, perhaps?
Can I ask why and where you are transplanting? Very early spring is probably the best time. (Feb, March, as soon as the earth is workable) You will have to cut 90% of it off and dig a very large ball of soil out of the ground. But on the good side, Wisteria are very tough when it comes to transplant shock:
"Hey? Did I just get moved? Nah, it doesn't matter, back to eating my support."
James you are either up very late or up very early!! Thanks for the advice. It is doing well where it is, but going to get to big or that spot and I can't appreciate the fragrance.
We are going to try and make a tree standard out of it and put it where I can sit under it.
Thanks, Ronnie
They are pretty tough, but still can be killed. :0(
I suggest you dig the transplant hole the approximate size you think you'll need, first. That way, once the wisteria is dug, it can go immediately into the new hole, and not bake the root ball on the ground, while you dig for hours, lol...
I also suggest you give it a sharp trim, then wait a week. Then trim it as much as you are going to, before the transplant. This will hopefully allow it more time to adjust to such drastic pruning, and transplanting. They say never trim more than 1/3 at a time on any given plant, so 80% is pretty drastic, and can kill most other things.
Even though they normally need full sun, I'd suggest a set up where you can use an old sheet or something, to tent over the wisteria to protect it from direct sun, while it is getting used to its new spot.
-T
Talk about the "grand-daddy" of all Wisteria vines!
Best of luck with the transplant operation!!
Good point Seedpicker, about holes and pre-pruning. As I understand, wisterias are nearly immune to usual woody plant pruning rules. Let us hope for our Philly friend that they are immune to transplant shock.
Holy House Eating Vines, Batman! The Vine that Ate the Shed.....Argh! Sounds like a B sci-fi movie....
I transplanted one (much, much smaller than yours!) in August (which I know is a big no-no!). It definitely suffered from transplant shock initially, but with a bit of extra water and attention it came back just fine the following spring, bloomed nicely and everything. Unfortunately, I lost it the following fall--still not sure if I didn't water it enough or if the roots weren't able to get out into the clay soil and it strangled itself. So I'm not sure if its ultimate demise could be traced to the transplanting or not. With one as huge as yours, I think your biggest problem is going to be lifting it and the rootball and moving it to its new home.
Well ... Luvs..
good luck... I'm of the mind you'll have no trouble with anything as big as yours... cutting it back before hand is the best of the information I've seen for you,, if you do that and then transplant you should be fine,,, it is almost indestructable for what you might do to it's top... the roots are another story.. you can cut the top off at the ground.. and it will be reluctantly OK... cut 1/2 the roots away and you'll be in more danger...but still nothing to worry about .. if you also top prune... which as a standard.. you'll be doing...
I was working on two in containers today..2'x2'x6'... both with about 15 year old wisteria.. and mostly neglected in that time... like no water in the container other than rain for months..on end... over most years..
I'll dig .. prune roots some.. wack the top back of the green growth.. and the smaller limbs.. now in this 15 years.. it was never pruned for form.. and ends up like your monster .. with no bounds.. and over crowding of it's own growth..
Where are all of your blooms on it there.. in Phila.. you should be blooming galore now...
Gordon
Thanks for all the great tips.
Seedpicker thanks for the pruning tips. I will do that first.
ecrane3 sorry to here you lost yours, they are one of my favorites. I fell in love with them on a trip to Williamsburg many years ago.
Gordon, I pruned it to much last season and that's why I think not to many flowers. it is just getting to big for it's britches!!!
Now do I move it now , or wait until fall? I can be diligent when it comes to watering if I do it now.
What do you all think?
I think you're taking less chances if you wait until fall--I knew I was doing mine at the wrong time of year but did it anyway--had a good reason at the time but can't remember what it was. I think even if you're diligent about watering, it will already be really stressful for the plant, and if you add on having to get through the summer heat it'll be a lot harder for it to recover. They are pretty tough plants so it may make it anyway, but it'll be easier all around for you and the plant if you can wait until fall.
I think you should just give up the garage. lol
Here, here.
LOL...I'm with Terrie...I'd vote leave it on the garage, lol...but if you have the choice, Fall is definitely better!
This message was edited May 6, 2006 2:27 AM
Well I've been doing a bit of thinking about your project... During the 10 hours I spent today.. unbuilding the two 6'x2'x2' planters..[ then rebuilding them ] quite heavy I might add.. to be moving about.. to break out a 6'x2'x2' root ball.. that seemed to a soild root mass.. then breaking away the dirt from the bottom 1/2 and the ends.. trying to get someting down to movable size.. untangleing the 15 year old vines from everything near by.. there was plentyof time for meditation... I'd cut them now.. it is still a bit cool there and you'll gain a year on the growth.. after you prune the top... off... it will be awhile before it flowers... let that awhile be during this summer.. and perhaps after such abuse and scrambling for the plant to revive it's self.. you can have blooms next spring on the new summers growth... I've descided t o cary one down one.. two flights to the elevators.. and drag it back to my place.. and cary it up 4 flights to my roof.. how could I not.. it was a mass of blooms.. from one end to another .. But it's going great.. if a bit slow Gordon
Now I want to see pictures (or video) of this...
I think we may start digging......
