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Potted trees into growing beds
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Author:  Brendan [ 15 Jan 2021, 13:18 ]
Post subject:  Re: Potted trees into growing beds

Looking great. How long were those in the ground from the first pics?

Author:  john blanchard [ 16 Jan 2021, 00:41 ]
Post subject:  Re: Potted trees into growing beds

Trees in waterlogged conditions develop fibrous root systems, I wonder if putting trees in pond baskets in the ground is keeping the root systems wet and promoting fibrous root. Using pond baskets in the open air does the same job.

Author:  Sizzla [ 18 Jan 2021, 18:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: Potted trees into growing beds

Brendan wrote:
Looking great. How long were those in the ground from the first pics?


May 2019 to January 2021 so 19 months. I think one of the benefits to having the pot in the ground in an exposed position is that they're exposed to windy conditions which aid trunk thickening. Rather than the pot wobbling around. And the obvious benefits of having a few long roots extend beyond what would normally be possible in a pot.

The ground at the allotment is clay, it gets flooded in winter and stays moist in summer due to a membrane I have covering the plot. So it could be the case that wet ground lessens thick roots taking off as much. But the trees that I've dug up where I didn't use baskets have much longer and thicker roots so who knows.

And I also have trees that have been in pond baskets(but not in the ground) for longer than these that haven't thickened anywhere near as much.

All very unscientific and anecdotal but it seems to be working well for me so far

Author:  Nutcracker [ 18 Jan 2021, 18:18 ]
Post subject:  Re: Potted trees into growing beds

I might try this with a couple of rather miserable-looking junipers that really aren't happy in their pots at the moment.

Author:  the bargee [ 24 Feb 2021, 14:30 ]
Post subject:  Re: Potted trees into growing beds

Thanks for the posts Sizzla, very helpful.
I'm thinking of sinking my pond baskets in grow bags, this year as an experiment.

Author:  Sizzla [ 23 Mar 2022, 21:54 ]
Post subject:  Re: Potted trees into growing beds

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Pulled a few more out the ground this year, it all seems to be working well.
I didn't do any rootwork through the whole thing so Ive got some ugly roots to deal with on some of them.

It's actually crazy how fast things can thicken in a field. Look at the hornbeam, less than two years and it's gone from pencil thin to thicker than a beer can.

Author:  Sizzla [ 23 Apr 2023, 06:39 ]
Post subject:  Re: Potted trees into growing beds

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I had a go at tackling the roots of some of those recently.
In 100% of the baskets I had a good amount of fine roots. The downside to this method is it's hard to see what's going on so I've had to remove quite a few thick branches and roots that had ran away where I hadn't kept a close eye on them

Author:  Brendan [ 26 Apr 2023, 12:08 ]
Post subject:  Re: Potted trees into growing beds

Looks like a completely successful experiment, well done. Seems an annual lift and trim is part of the process.

BTW, what growing medium did you use inside the baskets?

Author:  Sizzla [ 09 May 2023, 12:48 ]
Post subject:  Re: Potted trees into growing beds

I used cat litter in some, ordinary compost in others and some with compost mixed with grit.

The cat litter had pros and cons, but I wouldn't use it again. It was prone to drying out much quicker than the surrounding soil which led to more escaped roots.

The best was the compost mixed with grit because the grit allowed me to untangle the roots easier

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