What mulch for wisteria?

jonathan.cole

I am shortly going to plant a Wisteria Floribunda. I have available woodchip, well rotted horse manure and leaf mould. What's the best mulching strategy? Is one material better than the others or should I be layering say manure, then leaf mould then woodchip?

Obelixx

I would mix the manure and leaf mould into the soil around and in the planting hole then water the whole thing well and mulch with chipped bark to retian the moisture.  Keep you wisteria watered during its first growing season so it gets itself well established.  One good drink of 10 to 15 litres a week is better than lots of dribbles to encourage its roots to go down deep.

jonathan.cole

Thanks. Just woodchip for the mulch then, no manure or anything?

Obelixx

No because it will be mixed in the soil all round the roots.   If it's well planted and well watered it should thrive.  You can add an annual feed of rose or tomato feed every spring to encourage flowers.

I have inherited two large wisteria here, both planted up against stone walls.  One just comes straight up out of the gravelled drive in front of the house so no mulching possible.  It flowers very well every year.   The other has a very small bed at its feet and I grow things like spring daffs, cyclamen, persicaria and acidantherus in it so that bed gets an annual feed and some watering in drought periods.

One of the main things to get right to encourage flowering early on is the pruning.
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