growing trees in pots outside
cwalker123
Posts: 2
Hello
my 1st post on here.
I have an acer palmatum osakazuki just bought, and a 3 ft high X 2 ft diameter at top plastic water but (butt?) free from the tip, I hope to use as its' new home.
Help please suggestions on planting it up? I have bricks & gardeners' gravel & J Innes compost also ericaceous compost. I'm not sure the ericaceous is best to use?? Garden center lady said it'll be fine - to put the 2 bags J I compost in 1st at bottom on top of gravel (will put holes in bottom of plastic pot) then the ericaceous on top. Never spent so much on a plant - it's my 1st ever tree purchase. It's a lovely shape & graceful. Want to give it as good a start as possible.
Help please re general ongoing care? Gather regular watering is needed to maintain healthy leaf tips.
I live in Suffolk, close to sea but in very built up area in town centre - it's a sheltered location sort of in a courtyard - can go in full sun, or sun from dawn to midday or early afternoon, then full shade to dusk. No partial shade as very built up concrete & brick area.
Thank you, Chris
Posts
Hi Chris - overpotting can be an issue with Acers so don't put it in too big a pot. What size is it, and what size of pot is it in?
They like a bit of shade, but as long as they don't dry out, especially at this time of year, they can take quite a bit of sun. If you have other planting nearby, that can be used to provide bit of shade from the hottest part of the day. You can always move it around if it struggles with the heat in summer as it can sometimes be difficult to keep potted plants hydrated well enough. Mulching with gravel or something similar after watering helps to prevent moisture loss too.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Funnily enough I have the same problem. Just bought 2 Acers on Saturday and now thinking about what pots to put them in.
Fairygirl is correct though re: size of pot, you don't want to go much bigger than the one its in already.
Acers really don't like too much sun, especially while they're young and in a pot, so put it in the shadiest part. Early morning sun can damage the leaves if we get late frosts. I have 2 that get morning sun. The older one does quite well, there's just a few scorched leaves, but the younger one struggles.
Don't pot it straight into the big pot as fairy girl says. You're supposed to put it into a pot just big enough to get your palm between the rootball and the pot.
Many thanks for all 3 replies. Increases my confidence with carrying out plans I have in mind. Also potentially money/time/effort saving.
Slow response due to having been away from home & not near laptop. Typed first reply on tiny iPhone screen then lost it all before I could send it as pressed wrong button.
Fairygirl - acer came in pot 35 cm diameter x 26 deep. Acer is 6 or 7ft tall with maybe 3 ft spread at widest, at top.
I always think the greatest area of soil I can put a new plant into is best way forward, without checking what each particular plant prefers.
Does area of soil a plant is in restrict it's growth, I wonder, like goldfish and ponds?
Your advice much appreciated. Autumnglories too.
Location of acer isn't as sheltered as I thought, it blew over last eve while just in its shop pot, while I was weather proofing the wooden planter I'm now thinking of putting it into. Will line it with perforated compost bags. Then some gravel in bottom, then the compost.
Repot with soil level at same height as currently?
It's on its own, no adjacent planting.
Acer currently has bark mulch - may buy some, as now also have good sized climbing rose, & potentially Vigourous Clem montana Freda, so 3 new plants to get into their planters. Got 3 square planters the same, only weather proofed 1 so far.
Have put terracotta roof tiles over clematis roots as I think they like to have cool shady roots.
So will either bark mulch or gardeners' gravel, which I have.
I now have pressure treated square wood planters 40 x 40 by 35 cm deep, having listened to your, and Autumnglorys' feedback, & thinking the huge plastic ex water but was not a good idea.
Thanks again for replies, was really pleased when I recieved them.
p.s. is it possible to post photos on the forum, do you know?
Yes, you can post photos on here if you click the camera icon in the right of the bar above where you're typing. It will ask you to choose an image, which will then appear in your text.
Eventually your Osakazuki will outgrow its planter, and when it's big enough you might get to use that old water butt. It's a gorgeous tree and worth looking after - my parents had one in the garden I grew up in (so to speak), and the autumn colour was truly spectacular.
Hi cwalker
Just to say, if your photo doesn't upload try reducing it's size
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
It sounds like you've done a good job!
Just a thought - I'm not sure how well a clematis Montana will do in a 40 cm pot, they are enormous plants. That may be one plant that will be happier in your huge water butt!
Make sure you train it well in it's first years, I've made the mistake of not tying mine in enough and it's turned into a big knot of tangled stems at the top.