Bay is relatively shallow-rooted too - most Mediterranean plants need to get moisture any which way they can and rely on scant surface water that they have to suck up quickly with the fine feeder roots. You will have a problem with trying to introduce other plants into the existing pot of any established plant, even deeper rooted ones, as root disturbance is inevitable. When it is time to repot either bay or indeed olive into a larger pot, you may be able to slip some plug plants or bulbs around the edges in the new compost. Bear in mind that anything will be competing for moisture or nutrients in the confined environment of a pot though, so it really is better to group other pots around it.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
My Bay tree is huge and had several little new sprouts continously growing in the pot from the actual tree. It is a vigourous tree compared to the olive tree. The roots burst through the plastic container much to my surprise. It is continually throwing new shoots from the base of the trunk. I have to trim branches frequently to stop it being so tall. It seems so different to the olive tree in growth. I don't feed it, just lots of water, it just is so easy to care for and grow.
I agree with @Nollie when my bays were just planted I had some lovely lobelias planted at the base, as they grew further and filled the pot it'd be impossible to underplant now...
Bay is relatively shallow-rooted too - most Mediterranean plants need to get moisture any which way they can and rely on scant surface water that they have to suck up quickly with the fine feeder roots. You will have a problem with trying to introduce other plants into the existing pot of any established plant, even deeper rooted ones, as root disturbance is inevitable. When it is time to repot either bay or indeed olive into a larger pot, you may be able to slip some plug plants or bulbs around the edges in the new compost. Bear in mind that anything will be competing for moisture or nutrients in the confined environment of a pot though, so it really is better to group other pots around it.
I understand now, I realise my bay tree is established over the last 15 years. That is why it tolerates other plants grouped around it. Had it been new, in a pot, I would have had the same problems as the olive tree. Thank you for clarifying this.
@ Nollie, @Sweetbubbles, Please may I butt in as well? I've put white pebbles around my olive bush (can't call it a tree!) which is in a large terracotta container, thinking that they would both reflect and keep the heat in, especially during the winter when it has to stay outside. The pebbles do make it harder to test whether it needs watering however. I didn't realise olives were shallow rooting so would gravel be better?
Sorry to piggyback, I put a rosemary and lavender bush in my container with my olive tree, should I remove them? the pot is XXL at an estimate 150L
Yes, remove them the olive tree in a container does not like competition as the roots are shallow as explained in this thread. The advice given is not to plant other plants but instead decorate the pot with stones and gravel.
A while ago, I planted hardy Geranium Rozanne with the olive tree and the olive tree didnt appear to thrive as well until I removed it. I thought perhaps smaller plants like the viola or Erigeron might work but the expert advice here is - no plants at all with container grown olive trees.
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I understand now, I realise my bay tree is established over the last 15 years. That is why it tolerates other plants grouped around it. Had it been new, in a pot, I would have had the same problems as the olive tree. Thank you for clarifying this.