GARDENER'S READING ROOM
The Art of Gardening
Trees & Shrubs

The Fun Art of Growing Trees... In Pots

With the continued clear cutting of land to build more homes and with the shrinking of lot sizes, the problem of how to re-tree your garden becomes a conundrum. Trees provide shade, flowers, fruit, fragrance, structure, and texture, not to mention attracting birds and bees. There is, truly, nothing to match the beauty of new spring green foliage popping out on the purple bark of a plum tree or the oranges, reds, and purples of the last leaves on a weeping maple in autumn.

One of the ways that I have solved the problem of integrating more trees into my landscape is to plant them in beautiful pots. This not only adds color and texture to my yard but allows me to plant just about any tree I want...to a point. Planting a Giant Sequoia in any size pot is not going to work, but just think of all of the exceptional dwarf varieties of conifers and deciduous trees that are now available. The aim here is to keep the tree happy and healthy by choosing the right pot for the right tree.

In my yard I have a Brooks Plum and a Hardy Red Nectarine in large pots. I keep the canopies of both trees trimmed to about five feet (for easy picking and maintenance) and make sure that they get regular watering. Another maintenance requirement for larger trees is to root trim the trees every three years and replace the soil in the pots. A good time to do this is during the dormant season (January – February). This may sound like a lot of work but it’s really not and comes nowhere near to tipping the scales as far as enjoyment of these trees goes. I also have about five maples in pots of various sizes and, frankly, I don’t do anything to those except enjoy them and occasionally change their soil. The root ball of a maple remains fairly small and adapts well to containers.

Let’s start thinking outside the box (pot or container) and really add some eye candy to our yards this year. Sky has an incredible variety of pots and containers in every color of the rainbow. Make sure, before you make your purchase, that the pot is intended for outside use and can withstand cold temperatures. Then find the tree of your dreams: perhaps a stunning, Weeping Larch or a yummy Frost Peach, and plant away! The staff at Sky Nursery is always on hand to answer any questions that you might have.

By Debo Boyer
Skylights Summer 2008, Vol 23, No. 2

Other articles on the art of gardening

Other articles on trees & shrubs