Garden Trees, Shrubs & Vines
Kyle Schurman
You may be familiar with the benefits of growing a container garden for vegetables. By participating in container gardening, you can avoid worrying about pests and weeds affecting your plants. You save a lot of space, too. Since so many vegetables are easy to grow in a container garden, you might wonder if you can go another step with trees. Yes, but you need to use the right trees with pots large enough to accommodate them.
Some people like this type of gardening because it simplifies adding color and life to a bland patio without removing existing brick or concrete. You can also change the trees and pots at different times of the year. Maybe you want to add flowering fruit trees in the spring to bring a desirable scent to a gathering area. In the wintertime, when you may want a splash of color, evergreens in containers can be a good option, as long as temperatures can accommodate them.
Growing a tree in a container can be more difficult because the roots might not form properly. Their large root systems grow faster than vegetables, which can cause issues with the plant’s ability to remain healthy inside the pot. That’s why selecting the right tree type and pot size is essential.
Selecting the best trees for a container
HouseOfMan/Shutterstock
Finding the right type of tree is the key to successfully planting it in a container. You may want to start by considering trees that work well for indoor growth, like calamondin citrus, fig, evergreen, and rubber trees. These plants you already know can thrive in a pot, giving you a great starting point. During the growing season, you could move them outdoors in their containers, creating the look you want in a patio area.
Next, pay attention to the maximum size the tree may grow, along with the time it may take before it reaches maturity. You may find that the plant you are considering will be fine to place in a container for a couple of years, but it will grow too large after that. With that in mind, understand that you may have to move the plant into a space on your property at some point.
Finally, consider how the size of the tree and container affects your ability to move it around. If you like the idea of doing container gardening for trees, you may be interested in adjusting the pots’ location at different times of the year. Using smaller pots works far better for moving them easily. On the other hand, if you plan to leave them in one place all the time, larger containers will meet your needs nicely.
Finding the right container for the tree
Piranka/Getty Images
One of the best things about growing a container garden with trees is that you can show off the pot’s design. Some people want to use a large, blocky container, while others may want options that show off more of their artistic tastes. Perhaps you want the container to have some color or texture that complements the type of tree you are using or the area in which you will display it.
Keeping the container lightweight is important if you display it on a balcony or rooftop patio. You don’t want to cause stability issues in this area by selecting extremely heavy options.
Pay attention to the materials included in the pot. The most common options for containers used with trees include concrete, clay, fiberglass resin, metal, or plastic. Clay and concrete pots are porous and may absorb some of the water you intend for the trees, meaning you need to water them more often. If you choose resin, metal, or plastic, these materials will not soak up any water, which keeps the soil for the plants more moist, allowing you to water less often. Regardless of the material in use, always have drainage holes in the container, enabling efficient water movement in the soil and keeping the plant healthier.
