Growing oaks/maples in containers

17 years ago

I went to a neighbor's yard yesterday and dug up several oak and maple saplings.

Maybe a Sycamore Maple Acer pseudoplatanus and probably White Oak, Quercus alba.

Right now, the largest oak sapling (about 5' tall) is in an in-ground flower box that is wide, but only about 12 inches deep. I had to really wreck the tap root to get it out of the ground, so I don't have much hope for it.

The other saplings, range from maybe 8-18" inches. The maples, I'm not too concerned about, but can you grow an oak in a container? I know they like putting down that long root. Will they just be stunted, or will they die?

I've seen enough maples of every variety in bonsai pots so that I'm not too worried about them. Oaks though, I don't know.

Also, what kind of soil would you recommend for the oaks/maples.

Thanks for sharing any knowledge you might have about putting these trees in containers.

Trunk

Baltimore, MD.

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Comments (2)

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
17 years ago
Though it's possible to collect wild growing deciduous material when it's in leaf, it is definitely not a preferred collection strategy of those experienced at it. Also, since buds are set, leaves will abscise with no additional indication that your collected material is/isn't viable (You'll likely not know until spring). I would not pot these trees. I would put them in the ground, and if they live, allow them to grow freely all the next growth cycle. About the time leaves abscise next fall, or just before, root-prune the trees (in ground) in preparation for relifting them in very early spring of '08. Worry about a soil then; it should be near the least of your concerns now.

Al
diggerb2
17 years ago
I did this several reays ago for my brother. I sunk 5-gal pails into the ground-- with several holes in the bottoms
and then places a small (under 2 foot) oak, hickory or sugar maple in each pot. just using the soil they were growing in. mulched well. i moved the trees from whereever & whenever i found them. if it died by the next spring i just started a new plant. those that grew over the summer i took to him for his birthday in october.
he planted them out that weekend. all but one survived--
I gave him 12 trees one year and 8 the next.

i think the trick is using small trees anmd then letting them have a season to grow before final placement. also planting in a 5 gal pail ensures that you aren't disturbing the 'root ball' when you move them.

with your oak, you could just pamper it along and see what happens

diggerb
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Just keep them outdoors in the pots they're in now, they're already preparing for dormancy. Keep them in an unheated garage over the winter, or just bury the entire pot in the garden (easier & prolly better). In spring, before buds move, lift the pot & bare-root the plant. Repot into a larger pot with an appropriate soil (search 'gritty mix' on this forum) and you're good for another year or two, depending on what size pot you use (how large). The nice thing about the gritty mix is it is very difficult to over-pot, so you can give roots lots of room, which promotes rapid growth. Timing is good because you can keep reading & learn all about how to care for your little charges over the winter months. ;o) Al Here is a link that might be useful: You might want to start reading here
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1) I can't think of a single tree you can't grow in a container if you're willing to provide favorable cultural conditions for it, so go for it - have some fun. You may wish to consider cutting the 4 ft trees back to a low branch that favors the vertical though. You could also remove branches & leaves from the existing trunk in spring and use it as a stake that you can tie a branch that already favors the vertical to. Once the branch is 'set', you simply cut off the trunk above the new leader. This process will give you a shorter and bushier tree in the end - perhaps more suited to container culture than a 4 footer. 2) The trees will prefer a mildly acidic soil, and sandy soils are usually on the acid side, so my guess is the trees will do well as long as you can keep the moisture supply adequate and make sure the nutritional needs are being reasonably met. There is no reason you cannot successfully cultivate J. maples in in containers and maintain them for years and years - with a little attention to the pruning of roots as well as above-ground parts. Al
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Growing oaks/maples in containers

Comments (2)

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

diggerb2

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