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solomonk89

container tree

solomonk89
10 years ago

I worked at a garden center this past summer loading trees in the back of people's trucks. While working I fell in love with Oaks and Bald Cypress. From the lot, I dug up a few tiny sprouts of trees:

a bald cypress that was no more than 4 inches when I dug it up and is THRIVING in a pot on my balcony at almost 3 feet.

a red oak that has stopped growing after transplanting to a pot after it outgrew the little one (it is still alive) only about 6" tall.

And I have just a red bud that is thriving (from one little sapling to one that is also about 6" tall and has quite a bit)

I live in an apartment and can't bury them in. I do have a garage (not heated) if that's okay. Also, how long can I keep these trees in pots before I have to buy a house for them to plant in a yard? (I'm sure my wife will love getting a house for trees)

Comments (5)

  • poaky1
    10 years ago

    Plant them in the ground or say good-bye forever. These are potentially nice large specimens if given the room. If you want a bonsai tree you need to research how to properly go about training the trees that do well under those circumstances.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    z5 is big and diverse..

    where are you ...

    and how far is the garage??? potted trees can be held in an unattached barn in MI ... with solid ground freeze ....

    is there anyone nearby that would let you heal them into their veggie patch for the winter ... to let ma nature take care of it all???

    ken

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    10 years ago

    Plant them in the ground or say good-bye forever.

    Nonsense! Any tree can be grown in a container and almost indefinitely, provided one has an adequately sized container and the tree receives the proper care. That means root pruning or potting up as necessary, a good, durable potting medium and careful attention to fertilizing and watering. These can certainly be maintained for at least a few more growing seasons in containers until you have real estate where you can plant them.

    Healing them in - pot and all - would be the easiest method of winter storage but an unheated garage also works fine........6' is not at all that big as trees go :-)

    FWIW, I garden almost entirely in containers, including about 2 dozen trees.........some have been in containers for almost 20 years. But I do not need to worry about winter protection. If I had to move them all under cover each winter, I might rethink this choice.

  • solomonk89
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Ken, I'm in northern Illinois. About 20 minutes from the Wisconsin boarder. My garage is just under the apartment. It's more of a quad-plex type building I live in.

    I also have info that this is supposed to be the coldest winter we've had in a LONG time. I'm just really new to gardening and I would like to keep these trees good and healthy until I find a solid home for them or I move into a good home that can support what they will become.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    cold isnt the issue with otherwise zone appropriate plants ... its not a child ...

    first.. are your pots winter proof.. unglazed pots.. can crack from media expansion ... plastic is best for winter ...

    second... the key is.. GET THEM DORMANT.. KEEP THEM DORMANT ...

    the issue here being the pot must never get sun... or it will warm the roots.. and it's really bad in winter .. if the roots come out of dormancy.. and the rest stays dormant .... so structure good ... sun bad ...

    but.. in late winter.. early spring.. the structure will warm early ... and the tree might come out of dormancy.. before you can bring them back out ... structure bad .... dormancy good .. lol ...

    and one other thought.. NEVER water a dormant plant.. but add moisture.. and that.. in the great white north.. would be a snowball or a few ice cubes.. if it warms enough to melt.. then the media can access it.. but never pour water into a frozen pot.. and make an ice cube of the pot ....

    a dormant tree needs some moisture in the media.. but it does NOT NEED TO BE WATERED... its splitting hairs.. but i hope it make sense ...

    anything is possible.. its just about IDing the variables.. and doing the best you can .... and hoping for the best ..

    ken

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