What's been digging up my wisteria?!

[GoodyGoodyGumdrops]

Went out into the garden for the first time in a couple of weeks, and found a deep flooded hole dug right into the roots of my potted wisteria. Soil on the patio by the pot.

What did it? As you can see, the rest of the soil is weedy and undisturbed. I know a cat would dig in a bed or large pot that had already been dug over, but would it dig in a pot with undisturbed soil?

Can I just replace the soil (and weed, obvs), or is there something else I should do ? This is my first wisteria, my garden baby!

That's a big hole! The birds have been at our pots all week digging out the moss, for nests presumably- could it have been a clump if something that a bird took a fancy to?

Ours have made a right old mess on the patio, but they've also saved me a job! 😂

Squirrels, they look for the acorns they buried last year.

Wishes the birds would weed my pots for me!

I didn't know squirrels made such a mess and such deep holes!

So should I just replace the soil and weed the rest? Or does Baby need anything else, too?

I read somewhere that a huge percentage of trees (forget the number) grow each year because squirrels forget where they've buried stuff.

Poor forgetful buggers.

squirrels
or cats
birds tend to make smaller holes, they 'dig' with their beak

@TheQueenOfWands ha ha! Poor things, they always look so frantic looking for them 😂

Your wisteria would grow much better in the ground if you can find a place for it where it can be trained up a wall or pergola.

They are essentially a tree that requires support. Keeping it in a pot will impact on the number of flowers that it can produce and it will be very top heavy so unstable in a pot.

The only sunny wall I have is over a patio, and the only wall I have with soil at the bottom is north-facing!

The pot is huge, about 24" wide by 36" tall, and the plant is trained up a large bamboo frame that spreads to about 5' wide at the top, and tilts backwards towards the house. I had masses of growth last year, and a respectable number of flowers, so I'm optimistic.

our neighbours have an absolutely splendid wisteria on a north facing wall which gets hardly and sun at all. they are tough plants.

How big is the hole? 2-3" across?

Looks to me like a drip hole from something above it. We have had lots of rain and you would be amazed at how much soil a single repetitive drop can erode.

Have a look next time it rains.