Redbud planted in a pot? At least temporarily?

10 years ago

My co-op manager is telling me not to plant a new tree to replace a dead purple plum tree in the middle of my little hosta garden. THEY will choose and plant a new tree, they said. I absolutely do not believe them. I believe they will leave the old tree right there, shedding branches with possibly someone getting hit in the head when the branches fly around in stormy weather. That would fit in with their track record of landscape care.

There is a free tree give-a-way happening in my neighborhood Oct. 21. I have a good chance of getting a 5-6' redbud as a replacement tree, which I very much want.

My question is, if I can get a nice little redbud at the give-a-way event, could I plant it in a large pot and put it where I would LIKE to plant it in the ground (but am having hands tied by co-op jerks)? I thought, perhaps they would see that it is a nice tree and then allow me to put it into the ground.

If I can put it in a pot, I was planning on a large glazed ceramic pot, which are on deep sale now. How large a pot would be necessary? What type of soil? How should it be watered? How would I protect it for the winter?

Thanks for any info!

Comments (4)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
boy ester.. i seemed to have hit send about 30 seconds ago .. on this in the hosta forum ... lol.. up and at em early today.. eh??

if you get a chance.. link to that post.. so they can see the other entries ....

i suggested to her... as you have already read.. hopefully .. that potting media is the issue ...

as is pot size ...

what size pot would you suggest..

what media...

and how would you stake it... in the pot.. to insure it didnt fall over... [ester.. bare root or potted?]

and what if any winter protection ...

i suggested more opinions would flow from the tree peeps.. dont let me down ... see link

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: a little entertainment.. for while you are typing your wisdom .... open in a new window ...
calliope
10 years ago
I would 'heel it in' in ground instead of trying to pot it up. Not that difficult to do and I have held trees like that before. If you have friable soil, you can sometimes even plant the whole pot (cheap, thin plastic pot is just fine) and then protect it by setting it in ground, or even placing hay bales around it. It's all about root protection, and maintaining dormancy.
Related Professionals
Washington Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Lakeland Landscape Contractors · Barrington Landscape Contractors · Deer Park Landscape Contractors · Essex Landscape Contractors · Indianapolis Landscape Contractors · La Vista Landscape Contractors · Lewisville Landscape Contractors · Old Saybrook Landscape Contractors · Parker Landscape Contractors · Salmon Creek Landscape Contractors · Lincolnwood Siding & Exteriors · Hampton Bays Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · Norman Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · Salisbury Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
10 years ago
Yes, you can do this! Zone 7 is a perfectly acceptable situation to grow trees in containers long-term without having to resort to excessive winter protection.

A glazed ceramic container is fine - a frost proof one is ideal. The size needed will be dependent on the size rootball. Assuming the tree you are getting will also be in a container, I would opt for one that is at least 2-3 inches wider all the way around and close to twice as deep........I'm thinking about a 16-18" diameter and around 24" deep.

Use a very barky, durable potting soil, not that crummy Miracle Gro stuff. Visit the Container Gardening forum for some great tips on either making your own potting soil (the 'gritty mix') or purchasing something that works equally as well.

With a large ceramic pot, there is no need for staking - it's not about to tip over easily. In fact, moving it could be a bit of a chore so pot it up where you plan to leave it. In zone 7, there is little issue of the soil in a pot that size freezing but if some seriously cold weather is predicted just wrapping the container in bubble wrap should suffice.

FWIW, I grow virtually everything in containers, including a whole selection of trees, some in much smaller containers than the above, others in larger. And while I am in a slightly warmer zone, the distinction is minimal. My containerized plants have fielded a temp drop into the low teens (seriously cold for my area) without protection and without damage.
calliope
10 years ago
Listen to her and not me. I'm zone six (used to be called 5) and I should have known, and could have seen NYC is a zone warmer than me. Most of my pots were overwintered in a specific overwintering house where I could control environment and still would occasionally lose some with dormancy break when the roots weren't held cold enough and under films they do need occasional watering and most people over-water. Trying to overwinter in pots outdoors was very iffy with higher mortality but never lost anything in ground, even if it were just pot-in-pot. Also had ceramic pots break from freeze expansion, especially if the drainage hole was compromised in any way.