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Help me save my Hawthorn tree

LaraHLaraH Posts: 7
in Plants
I was given this tree 3 years ago as a gift. It came in a little houseplant pot. We transplanted it into a bigger pot (we didn't have a garden) and it started to grow quite nicely but in those three years it never flowered.

This year we moved house and it was given a nice spot at the front door, with plenty of sun, sheltered from as much of the wind possible. Our plan was to plant it in the front garden and let it live free 😁 in the hope that it would eventually flower. About a month ago this started to happen. We are not experienced gardeners. We checked the soil and it seemed damp enough, the pot does drain so I don't *think* it's too wet? We put a mulch over the top (that's the weird brown stuff lol) but even the grass in the pot seems dead.

Please help me save this tree if you can. It has huge sentimental value. Idealiy as I said we would like to plant it in our front garden. We get a fair bit of wind where we are and it's Northern Ireland... so rain... But our front faces south westish and others who have planted trees seem to be doing OK. Advice on how to best plant into garden (if it can be saved) would be very welcome.

Other information is that under the bark is green, the wood itself seems OK but I don't know enough to know if that's enough to keep it alive. 

Posts

  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    It looks like it's really really suffering from lack of water, even the moss in the pot has turned that red/brown of water stress. Hawthorns really don't mind wind so just put it in the ground and keep it watered, it should sort itself out.
  • LaraHLaraH Posts: 7
    It's not moss lol. It's a mix of tea leaves and something else (not sure what) that a friend gave us and said to put on it to see if it needs nutrition? If I stick my finger into the soil, it feels cold and damp but I can totally give it some more water! 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    pansyface said:
    I’d take it out of the pot and put into the proper earth. 
    So would I ... hawthorns are tough as old boots ... but that one's got an uphill task growing in a pot ... it's a plant of hillsides and hedgerows and needs room to stretch its roots and it's branches.  

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    Hawthorn are natural "hedge" trees - a well prepared planting hole and he should flourish but restricted to a pot won't do him ( or you ) any favours :)
  • BijdezeeBijdezee Posts: 1,484
    Mine is in the ground but still took 3 years to flower. I thought it was tea leaves lol, they're a little on the acidic side and are best for rhododendrons etc.

    I agree with others that it needs to be in the ground. They can get really big. 
  • FlyDragonFlyDragon Posts: 834
    Mine is in the ground, on a steep slope, right next to an A road and in the path of some strong winds at times.  I've had it two summers and no flowers yet but it is growing and the leaves are healthy, so I agree that getting in the ground asap will be the biggest favour you can do it.  Its not going to be fussy about the ground it goes into or its position, it'll just want to get its roots down. 
  • LaraHLaraH Posts: 7
    Thank you all so much. I really appreciate the advice. I'm goat nobody thinks it's dying just not coping with the pot. Tomorrow we dig a hole!

    Should we put anything in it other than the tree itself? Soil, compost? And do we need to do anything with the roots? Like I said we're complete novices at this, it's the first time we've had a garden (I'm 47 he's 52) and we're thrilled but nervous lol. 
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