How to Plant Containerized Trees
Pick a manageable tree., Consider the conditions of your garden., Choose a heavy container., Make sure the container drains well., Plan to repot your tree when it starts to grow., Plan to bring your container inside during colder months., Plant your...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Pick a manageable tree.
The tree won't have a lot of space to spread its roots, so it’s best to choose either a small variety of tree or one that you can contain by pruning.
Some good choices for container planting include olive and bay trees, Japanese Maple (Acer), and fruit trees such as apple or orange. -
Step 2: Consider the conditions of your garden.
You will need to consider the conditions your garden offers — including how windy and sunny the site will be — when selecting the best variety.
Speak to an expert at your local gardening center who can help you choose the best tree variety for your specific location. , Whatever variety of tree you plant, it is eventually likely to be top heavy, which leaves your container at risk of toppling over.
This is likely to damage the tree and anything near it.
You can help to avoid this by choosing a heavy container with lots of stability and by placing the tree out of strong winds.
Stone or terracotta make heavy, sturdy pots.
Check to make sure that they are frost resistant and remember that terracotta tends to dry out soil faster than other materials – so you’ll need to water more. , Trees need good drainage so make sure the container has good drainage holes at the base.
You may like to raise the pot slightly to prevent the holes from becoming waterlogged. , Rather than put small trees in huge pots, it’s usually better to start a small sapling off in a small pot and then repot into a larger one as it grows.
But be aware that repotting large trees can be heavy work. , If you are growing tender plants that won’t survive outside in the winter, you’ll need to relocate the container inside during the coldest months.
This will be easier if you attach wheels or a pot trolley to the pot at planting time.
These are available online or from some garden stores. , Trees are either supplied as containerized, bare-root or rootballed saplings by nurseries.
Containerized saplings will do best planted in the fall or winter, but you can plant them year round.
Bare-root or rootballed saplings are usually good value but can only be planted in fall or winter – they also need planting immediately on purchase. , Some gardeners advise putting some broken pot shards and/or a few inches of gravel at the base of the tree's pot.
This can help to promote better drainage. , However your shrub was supplied, soak it for up to an hour (not overnight) in a bucket of water ahead of planting.
You’ll want to remove any string or wrappings supplied with bare rooted plants, but unwrap them as close as possible to planting to reduce moisture loss. , If planting acid-loving plants such as Juneberry (Amelanchier), use ericaceous (acidic) compost.
Place the sapling on top to judge the depth of soil.
It’s important that the tree is planted to the same depth as it was at the nursery or in the pot, so adjust the soil level and fill in the soil until you get this right.
If using a bare root sapling, you can assess the soil depth by looking at the line where the soil ends on the main stem. , If the roots are bunched up, give bare rooted plants a gentle wiggle to try to loosen them a bit.
If the sapling is potted, try to loosen any bunched roots as gently as possible.
The best way to do this is to gently tease them with your fingers until they separate a bit and no longer exactly match the shape of the pot that constrained them.
Try to retain as much of the original soil as possible as this helps preserve the roots. , Avoid treading down the soil surface as this can damage roots.
A light firming with your hands will suffice.
Once the tree is in place, give it a good watering.
Consider providing support for thin saplings, especially in windy spots.
You can then add a 3–4 inch (7.6–10.2 cm) layer of mulch to help preserve moisture. , Container planted trees will dry out quickly so attend to their watering through their lifetime, especially in dry weather.
This is particularly important during the first few months, while the tree is establishing itself. , Your containerized tree shouldn't need fertilizing for the first year.
After that, it’s a good idea to fertilize each spring with a slow-release fertilizer (often advertised as ‘granular’).
Blood, fish and bone is an economical choice of slow-release fertilizer but it smells terrible so avoid if your container is near a seating area.
You will need to obtain a special fertilizer for containerized citrus trees. , Adding a mulch layer will help preserve moisture in the soil – pebbles or gravel can make an attractive mulch for container grown trees.
It’s also recommended that you replace the top two inches of compost every year – be careful to avoid damaging the roots when you do so. , Some trees may need relocating indoors in cold weather.
Other varieties may survive outdoors with some help from you.
A thick mulch with something like manure or leaf mold will protect roots and you can wrap the tree and pot in an insulating layer of fleece or bubble wrap.
Wrapping garden-safe fairy lights around the tree before you fleece protect it can help keep the temperature above freezing if you switch the lights on overnight when there is a frost.
Be mindful that this can be a fire risk, so choose wrapping materials carefully for flame resistance. , Trees planted in containers will benefit from pruning to keep them attractive and shapely.
Follow the best pruning advice for your particular variety, In general, you should prune any dead, damaged or diseased growth. -
Step 3: Choose a heavy container.
-
Step 4: Make sure the container drains well.
-
Step 5: Plan to repot your tree when it starts to grow.
-
Step 6: Plan to bring your container inside during colder months.
-
Step 7: Plant your tree at the correct time.
-
Step 8: Boost drainage with gravel.
-
Step 9: Soak your tree for an hour before planting.
-
Step 10: Fill the container about 1/3 full with good quality general potting compost.
-
Step 11: Shake the roots gently to detangle them.
-
Step 12: Fill in the soil and water well.
-
Step 13: Water your tree well until it is established.
-
Step 14: Hold off on fertilizing your tree for the first year.
-
Step 15: Add mulch to the container.
-
Step 16: Help your tree to survive the winter.
-
Step 17: Prune your trees.
Detailed Guide
The tree won't have a lot of space to spread its roots, so it’s best to choose either a small variety of tree or one that you can contain by pruning.
Some good choices for container planting include olive and bay trees, Japanese Maple (Acer), and fruit trees such as apple or orange.
You will need to consider the conditions your garden offers — including how windy and sunny the site will be — when selecting the best variety.
Speak to an expert at your local gardening center who can help you choose the best tree variety for your specific location. , Whatever variety of tree you plant, it is eventually likely to be top heavy, which leaves your container at risk of toppling over.
This is likely to damage the tree and anything near it.
You can help to avoid this by choosing a heavy container with lots of stability and by placing the tree out of strong winds.
Stone or terracotta make heavy, sturdy pots.
Check to make sure that they are frost resistant and remember that terracotta tends to dry out soil faster than other materials – so you’ll need to water more. , Trees need good drainage so make sure the container has good drainage holes at the base.
You may like to raise the pot slightly to prevent the holes from becoming waterlogged. , Rather than put small trees in huge pots, it’s usually better to start a small sapling off in a small pot and then repot into a larger one as it grows.
But be aware that repotting large trees can be heavy work. , If you are growing tender plants that won’t survive outside in the winter, you’ll need to relocate the container inside during the coldest months.
This will be easier if you attach wheels or a pot trolley to the pot at planting time.
These are available online or from some garden stores. , Trees are either supplied as containerized, bare-root or rootballed saplings by nurseries.
Containerized saplings will do best planted in the fall or winter, but you can plant them year round.
Bare-root or rootballed saplings are usually good value but can only be planted in fall or winter – they also need planting immediately on purchase. , Some gardeners advise putting some broken pot shards and/or a few inches of gravel at the base of the tree's pot.
This can help to promote better drainage. , However your shrub was supplied, soak it for up to an hour (not overnight) in a bucket of water ahead of planting.
You’ll want to remove any string or wrappings supplied with bare rooted plants, but unwrap them as close as possible to planting to reduce moisture loss. , If planting acid-loving plants such as Juneberry (Amelanchier), use ericaceous (acidic) compost.
Place the sapling on top to judge the depth of soil.
It’s important that the tree is planted to the same depth as it was at the nursery or in the pot, so adjust the soil level and fill in the soil until you get this right.
If using a bare root sapling, you can assess the soil depth by looking at the line where the soil ends on the main stem. , If the roots are bunched up, give bare rooted plants a gentle wiggle to try to loosen them a bit.
If the sapling is potted, try to loosen any bunched roots as gently as possible.
The best way to do this is to gently tease them with your fingers until they separate a bit and no longer exactly match the shape of the pot that constrained them.
Try to retain as much of the original soil as possible as this helps preserve the roots. , Avoid treading down the soil surface as this can damage roots.
A light firming with your hands will suffice.
Once the tree is in place, give it a good watering.
Consider providing support for thin saplings, especially in windy spots.
You can then add a 3–4 inch (7.6–10.2 cm) layer of mulch to help preserve moisture. , Container planted trees will dry out quickly so attend to their watering through their lifetime, especially in dry weather.
This is particularly important during the first few months, while the tree is establishing itself. , Your containerized tree shouldn't need fertilizing for the first year.
After that, it’s a good idea to fertilize each spring with a slow-release fertilizer (often advertised as ‘granular’).
Blood, fish and bone is an economical choice of slow-release fertilizer but it smells terrible so avoid if your container is near a seating area.
You will need to obtain a special fertilizer for containerized citrus trees. , Adding a mulch layer will help preserve moisture in the soil – pebbles or gravel can make an attractive mulch for container grown trees.
It’s also recommended that you replace the top two inches of compost every year – be careful to avoid damaging the roots when you do so. , Some trees may need relocating indoors in cold weather.
Other varieties may survive outdoors with some help from you.
A thick mulch with something like manure or leaf mold will protect roots and you can wrap the tree and pot in an insulating layer of fleece or bubble wrap.
Wrapping garden-safe fairy lights around the tree before you fleece protect it can help keep the temperature above freezing if you switch the lights on overnight when there is a frost.
Be mindful that this can be a fire risk, so choose wrapping materials carefully for flame resistance. , Trees planted in containers will benefit from pruning to keep them attractive and shapely.
Follow the best pruning advice for your particular variety, In general, you should prune any dead, damaged or diseased growth.
About the Author
Kelly Butler
Kelly Butler has dedicated 4 years to mastering accounting. As a content creator, Kelly focuses on providing actionable tips and step-by-step guides.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: