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pots in beds
MP2
Posts: 25
Hello, can I plant something in a pot and then put the pot into the flower bed? This is to make sure that the root system is contained and that the plant stays quite small.
Any thoughts?
0
Posts
What is it you're wanting to plant? I'm sure someone here actively recommended I plant mint in this way to stop it spreading.
Mint would definitely need that!
I do it with lots of plants and certainly bulbs, but mainly if they're being used as a stop gap and they usually get a permanent place after they've finished. Is this a bigger shrub or something like bamboo MP2? Success does depend quite a bit on what the plant is.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I was thinking of butchers broom or Aucuba japonica which are both quite small anyway
Or maybe a rock rose
For what reason do you want to do this, the plants you have suggested are not invasive---- or are you moving house so need to pot them up to take with you ?
Aucuba japonica is small when you see it in a GC but it's a large shrub when you let it loose. Rather than keep that small I'd choose something that is small. Shrubs in pots need too much watering and feeding
In the sticks near Peterborough
I want to plant close to the front wall of our house and did not want root systems creeping underneath,
The RHS mentioned that rock rose and butchers broom are under a meter high and so perhaps the root systems would stay small.
The laurel won't be happy in a pot long term - nor will the broom. Plenty of other shrubs will be, but as nut says, it's better to pick a shrub that will not get too big and plant it directly, rather than spending time trying to look after something in a pot just to make it fit a space.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
You can certainly plant things in pots in beds but it's usually a technique for filling in gaps eg pots of tulips in springor lillies in summer which then just get lifted and left to die down quietly in a corner once flowering finishes, or cannas or dahlias that need winter protection so get stashed somewher frost free for the winter.
Neither rock rose nor broom will produce enough roots to do damage to your house wall or foundations so you should just plant them direct so their roots are free to seek out moisture and nutrients which will be challenging enough up against a wall without being confined in a pot. Depending on the state and type of your soil you could also grow roses, lavenders, hibiscus and many more.