WISTARIA

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 232, 28 June 1935, Page 18

WISTARIA

Its Soil Requirements Wistaria must be given good soil, since its growth assumes such striking proportions and it flowers with such profusion, increasing in size and beauty year after year. You must think ahead and put into the soil all that the wistaria is likely to take out of it. The first essential is a deep root-run. This is ensured by digging down deeply and breaking up the soil thoroughly. Then, good drainage is very important,, particularly if the wistaria will be in' an open position. Gritty material must be added to the soil if this is inclined to he heavy, while it is also well to arrange a drainage layer two or three feet below the surface. This is done by putting in a few brickbats and cinders, to serve the same purpose as crocks in a flower-pot. A wistaria against a wall is not so much in need of drainage as in moist-ure-retaining material and some wellrotted manure, or rotting vegetable rubbish, should be incorporated with the soil.

A very good plan, if the soil is poor, is to discard the present soil altogether, and replace it with a quantity of chopped turves, leaf-mould, wood.-ashes and clean road grit, well mixed together. Also, ground for wistaria must be, treated with some phosphatic manure. The best form of this is bone-meal and 3oz. should be worked into every square yard of soil surrounding the roots. Wistaria may be planted now.