Wisteria - cut down or leave?

Question

I have a wisteria that is 45 years old and goes across the front of my house.  It was planted by the people who originally built the house, and yes, it is very close to the house.   They did put  a steel post to allow it to wind around.

My issue is that it is after all this time starting to lift the pavers in the driveway,  and the walkway in front of the house.  I don’t know if it’s time to take it down, or just lift the pavers where the problems are and cut the roots.  The house is on a concrete slab and I assume it’s already underneath the slab. It look stunning for about two weeks in spring,  the constant maintenance of having to get up on the roof to stop it going under the eaves and across the roof is time-consuming.

Many thanks for any advice.  I don’t have a photo of the pavers lifting but the area is that next to the garden bed.

Nailbag · Answer

Hi @Tywoodpk

I'm sure the previous owner thought it was a great idea at the time, but if this was my property, as pretty as it looks when it's in flower I would remove it completely. Especially as it's only in flower for a few weeks a year. I'm a strong believer in that no plant should be allowed to grow on timber house sections, fences etc. Doing so over time invariably results in expensive repairs and replacement of damage sections of property. Then as you are experiencing, the placement of trees where their root system is known for potentially causing underground damage to services, paths and driveways.

I've had many jobs over the years to repair or project manage the repair of property where creepers in particular have even invested their way up through external wall cavities up into the roof. In extreme cases, the roof tiles have been compromised allowing water ingress. But most commonly they cause timbers to prematurely rot away unseen.

I would follow those excellent tips provided by @Dave-1 in the steps and ideas he provides.

Nailbag

Dave-1 · Answer

Good Morning @Tywoodpk

:) I have a feeling you are already 70% on the way to a decision. Having a plant that you have to maintain can be a pain unless you love it. (I have just spent the last three weekends pruning various liquid ambers, crepe myrtles and a very large bottle brush tree as they were all at the prune point so as not to become unmanageable.)

Wisteria is a powerful vine, it has that staying power and the strength to do exactly what you have described. One thing you havent mentioned benefit wise is the cooling it would do for your house, the protection from wind by breaking it up and even rain impacting the front and the ability of the vine to use the water that may be about.

I can see a few ways to handle it.

* Chop it down and plant a new one. It will be a fair few years before it gets to the stage it is at now. (I like this version as it adds your stamp to it but keeps the beauty of the vine)
* Switch the raised pavers over for a grill type surface. I cant find it atm but Gardening Australia and Costa in particular showed a slightly raised grill that Shellharbour council have used over roots. This way tree roots dont get ripped up as much and the roots will not generally break the surface. Think meter square grills with a support at each point. If you are interested I can take a photo of the grill. I just cant find the segment atm
* Rip the old one out, replace with a new one but offset it from the front of the house by a meter. (new posts will be needed plus some wire between them) Place the root ball half way along the run so its unlikely to impact your driveway.

Have a think how much sun comes in from the front of your place in summer and what the difference will be. Having a nice garden is worth the effort, just depends on how much time you get to do so.

Dave

EricL · Answer

Hello @Tywoodpk

Thank you for sharing your question about the Wisteria attached to your home. I suppose at the time it was planted the former owner decided to take on the responsibility of taking care of it. That includes cutting back any excessive growth from the plant from season to season. If you are prepared to take on the responsibility, I suggest keeping it. If not, then cutting it down would be the other option.

In regard to the pavers, I recommend lifting the pavers up and removing the plant root lifting them up. Keep in mind that if the plant stays, this will not be the last time the roots will lift your pavers up.

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1, @Nailbag, @TedBear, @JoeAzza, @daniknight4, @homeinmelbourne and @DIY4Knuckleheds for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric