Growing Trees and Shrubs in Containers
Time
Budget
Skill
★ ★With home landscapes getting smaller and many homeowners now living in condos and high rises, there is a new trend of growing small trees and shrubs in containers. This is a very easy practice that requires little space and only a small amount of maintenance time on a weekly basis. There are countless trees and shrubs that grow very nicely in containers.
Time of Year: Anytime that plants are available from your favorite Garden Center
Tools
Large Pot Drainage Holes
Potting Soil
Tree
Shrub
Pea Gravel
Stalite (Permatil)
Fill the container with potting soil 2/3rds full (do not tamp down potting soil!).
Remove plant form nursery pot and evaluate root system.
List of some recommended trees:
- Japanese maple varieties (there are hundreds of Varieties to choose from)
- Ryusen J. Maple
- Waterfall J. Maple
- Autumn Moon J. Maple
- Moonrise Japanese Maple
- Redbuds:
- Ruby Falls Weeping Redbud
- Rising Sun Redbud
- Carolina Sweetheart Redbud
- Whitewater Redbud
- Forest Pansy Redbud
- Traveller Weeping Redbud
- Chinese Fringe tree
- Contorted Filbert
- Weeping Chinese Dogwood
- Flowering Dogwood
- Northlight Dawn Redwood
- Dwarf Alberta Spruce
- Dwarf Ginkgo
Loosen roots and/or cut them if they are matted on the outside of the rootball
Place plant into container, plant at same level as it was in the nursery pot (do not plant deeper!)
List of some recommended trees:
- Japanese maple varieties (there are hundreds of Varieties to choose from)
- Ryusen J. Maple
- Waterfall J. Maple
- Autumn Moon J. Maple
- Moonrise Japanese Maple
- Redbuds:
- Ruby Falls Weeping Redbud
- Rising Sun Redbud
- Carolina Sweetheart Redbud
- Whitewater Redbud
- Forest Pansy Redbud
- Traveller Weeping Redbud
- Chinese Fringe tree
- Contorted Filbert
- Weeping Chinese Dogwood
- Flowering Dogwood
- Northlight Dawn Redwood
- Dwarf Alberta Spruce
- Dwarf Ginkgo
Fill in around planted plant with potting soil
Water to saturate (water will run out of the drainage hole)
Wait 20 minutes and repeat watering
Wait another 20 minutes and repeat watering (you only have to do this when potting, not every time you water)
Add potting soil if it has settled
Add a ½ inch layer of Permatil to container on the top (keeps squirrels out!)
Place in appropriate light exposure
Water as needed… it will vary according to sun and temperature (let the soil dry out between watering)