in article , Franz Heymann at
wrote on 11/9/03 8:42 am:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
in article , Franz Heymann at
wrote on 10/9/03 8:17 pm:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
snipIt seems to me that
the less interference, the more attractive the final appearance.
Just buy a normal Wisteria and bung it in. ;-) In any case, grafted
Wisteria flower younger than un-grafted ones.

I will have a shot during this planting season.
I intend to stake it firmly until the stem is capable of standing up on
its
own. My guess is that four or five years should be enough.

I think it will become academic, in fact. The stake will be almost
invisible after a time and there will be no need to remove it. In fact,
my
instinct would be not to do so. This is not a plant designed to support
its
own weight and spread on a single stem. The mature ones I've seen must
have
been easily 5 or 6 feet around, probably more.

Sacha, I had an ancient Wisteria against the wall of a previous house. Its
main stem was thicker than my arm. I am sure it would have been able to
support the plant. But perhaps it takes too long for the stem to reach that
size, so yes, the stake might as well stay in place. The trouble with any
staking of any kind in my present garden is that it it twice as stony as you
might think it is.

I know that our climbing wisteria has a very thick stem, too. But the
reason I think it better to leave the stake in place, is that climbing
Wisterias do have the support of wall and wires. Free-standing ones must
take all their weight on that one trunk and loll around on the ground, doing
something they weren't originally designed for. While they're growing and
the trunk is thickening, I would think there's quite a strain on that trunk.
You may well be right that the plant would manage without being staked, but
if I'd got one to full maturity over a period of years, I would prefer not
to risk it.
--

Sacha
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