Waiting

When I buy small trees or shrubs I often put them in pots and let them grow that way until early fall. I watch them develop more closely this way and I have time to be sure the spot I have in mind for them will be the best one possible. This is really just a variation on Monday's vase theme: simplicity with bigger pots. Mark is not a big fan of flowery containers so this give me a chance to have some containers that he approves of.

Comments

[Peter/Outlaw]

Very nice. I tend to grow evergreens in pots too because there's no ground space left in my garden. They keep getting potted up until they're too big and then are given away after several years of enjoyment.

[Linda Brazill]

We had boxwoods and then Hostas in big pots on the deck for quite a few years. Still have the Hostas in pots elsewhere but we wind up planting them in the ground for the winter and then repotting in spring. That is really the issue here because of winter. Otherwise I would love to have evergreens in pots on the deck in the winter, too.

[Nell]

That evergreen looks really, really happy with all the new growth it's putting out. I have never been able to get a feel for watering amounts and timing with containers, so plants are much better off here in the ground. The single exception has been a magnolia I bought that was hard to find, fairly expensive, and smaller than expected on spring arrival. I did just what you describe, potting it up in a bigger container and tending it assiduously until fall planting; it helped that I knew the plant (a form of M. virginiana) liked moisture and in its habitat can even tolerate flooding.

[Linda Brazill]

Since overwatering is usually the problem with plants in pots, it is nice to have something that could tolerate flooding!

[Lisa at Greenbow]

How sweet. Mr Mark surely approves. I too like to put small shrubs into pots for a season. I think it helps them get a larger root ball to be able to handle the transplant.

[Beth @ PlantPostings]

Good idea! I've been know to do that, too. Last fall, I experimented with keeping some in pots and placing them near the house with mulch--thinking maybe they would survive. They didn't. So, from now on if I want them to make it through the winter, I'll have to be good like you and decide where to place them before winter sets in. ;-)

[Linda Brazill]

Thanks for letting me know that option doesn’t work.