Wisteria help...

kayforster

hi, I am about to put sleeper raised beds in my garden and am clearing most of the existing plants out in advance. However, I have an established wisteria (floribunda) and an early flowering clematis that I don’t want to move and I am not sure what to do.

Do you think they will be ok left in situ and cope with having about 40cm of soil butted up to them? Or, do I need to find a way to stop the new soil from touching the trunks?

any help greatfully received. 

Lizzie27

They might be okay, especially the clematis, but it might be easier to slit a plastic pipe or pot of the right height and put that carefully round the trunks before putting the soil in the bed. A plastic tree rabbit guard might also do the trick, you need something with enough space to let the trunks expand in time. Other options might be a square wooden box constructed round the trunk of each plant, although that is likely to rot in due course.  

Obelixx

The clematis will probably be OK and may even send out new shoots from below the new ground level but the wisteria won't like it so try and do as Lizzie suggests and provide a buffer between it and the new soil which will allow it to expand over time.

kayforster

Thanks folks