May

3

Dwarf Trees in Containers

Posted by maureen

May 3, 2007 |

One of the great things about container gardens is that you do not have to limit yourself to plants and shrubs; many dwarf trees will do very well in pots. These are excellent for patios and make perfect sense for people looking for less garden but lots of interest and color. If you need a focal point for your outside area consider a dwarf or semi dwarf tree. Dwarf trees can be purchased already in tubs, bare roots and in burlap.

In Tubs

  • Knock the plant out of the container and loosen any matted or tangled roots.
  • Match them to a planter or pot of the appropriate size and simply drop them in adding topsoil , if needed, to make a snug fitcontainer-trees.jpg
  • Keep the topsoil about 2” below the rim of the container. This will allow room for water to collect instead of washing over the rim

Bare root

  • These have the soil removed from around the roots
  • They are packed in a moisture-holding material like peat moss, then wrapped in plastic to keep the roots moist while they travel
  • They may not look very promising but just give them time.
  • Any roots that are decayed or too long to fit into the pot should be cut off
  • Submerge the roots in a bucket of water and soak overnight to replenish moisture loss from when the plant was uprooted
  • Prepare a mound of soil in the bottom of the container
  • Hold the truck upright and center as you add the potting compost to the splayed rootstree-containers.jpg
  • Firm the mix as you go and water when the container is half-filled to settle the soil.
  • Add mix to 2 inches below the rim

Balled and Burl lapped

  • These are dug with a soil ball around their roots which will insulate and nourish while in transit and during storage
  • Burlap is wrapped around the root ball and tied in place
  • Remove the burlap that holds the soil ball (unlike planting outside when the burlap is left in place
  • Compress the soil to firm it and set in the planter
  • Position slightly higher than you would for a container grown plant- the soil will pack down after several watering and you don’t want it to sit too low in the planter

After care
Heavy pruning is not generally recommended for newly planted trees. The only pruning that is recommended is to trim growing tips (except on coniferous plants) and to remove dead or injured branches or branches that need shaping for enhancement.

You can add additional color by planting around the edge of the container. Impatiens, lobelia, variegated ground ivy and pansies are just some ideas of plants that you might try although the choices are endless. Happy planting!


Comments

1 Comment so far

  1. Joyful Gardener on May 15, 2007 8:18 am

    [...] presents Dwarf Trees in Containers posted at Empty Nest, saying, “One of the great things about container gardens is that you do [...]

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