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Container Gardening

Fruit trees in Smart Pots, Gritty Mix?

13 years ago

First a message of thanks to Al/tapla. Thanks so much for all you've written and shared here, I've been trying to soak it all in but sometimes, it's just too much for a newbie without the vocabulary and experience to know what is going on. Not to discount anyone else's contributions, you've all helped me get started!

I am in Los Angeles (Sunset 21, I believe), and have just removed my lawn and have 800 sq ft of pea gravel (3"-4" over landscape fabric over native soil) that I am putting containers on. Focused on fruit trees (in addition to the 12x4 raised bed veggie garden). I can add drip irrigation if recommended.

I am trying a few different methods and different materials, in part as an experiment to satisfy my scientific/engineering brain. One of the things I am trying is to use these fabric Smart Pots and Root Trapper Patio bags (in addition to some standard plastic pots with Al's gritty mix & foliage pro 9-3-6). I will be looking for a few trees off Dave WIlson Nursery's Southwestern/Low Chill recommended list. A couple of questions arise given my environment.

1. Should I place these Smart Pot bags on top of the gravel, or clear the gravel and set these bags on top of the landscape fabric, or cut thru the fabric and place the bags directly on the soil below?

2. Given each of the above scenarios, what growing medium/soil should I be using? I understand there is a different wicking effect with each of these placements, but I don't yet have a handle on which I should start with.

3. Is there any advantage or disadvantage to using one of the 50" Smart Pots for 4 trees vs 4x 24" Smart Pots for one tree each? If so, what soil and placement as above? I think I prefer 4x 24" bags for mobility, but if there are advantages to being able to grow 4 trees a bit taller or something, I'd happily consider it.

Enough about pots, not on to potting up & repotting, and seasonal timing.

4. I was given a couple of dwarf citrus (washington navel, improved meyer lemon, from Anawalt Lumberyard/Garden Supply/Nursery) in small containers this week, just as the weather got rainy and chilly here after a hot streak. Should I repot these now, or should I pot-up now? I am thinking I should just do a simple pot up to a slightly larger pot using a bag or bark/peat/compost soil and do a full repot w/root pruning moving to gritty mix in the spring? Please correct me!

I am talking to a couple local folks about training in above and below ground pruning, just reading about it doesn't sink in for me, I need to see it and do it..

Pics of my front yard pre-planting: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=7507388&l=791e93cb1e&id=605779987

Here is a link that might be useful: Picture of front yard, pre-planting

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Comments (3)

calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
13 years ago
I have never used Smart Pots, but I have used lots of landscape fabric. Trees potted and located on landscape fabric covered with pea gravel will manage to grow through the fabric into the native soil. If your Smart Pots are made of a porous fabric able to drain, I would expect tree roots in time to also grow through them. Al
phebe_greenhouse
13 years ago
I really like the picture of your garden, Robert --- raked gravel being a lot of it! I think it's so important what is not there....one of the most famous gardens in Japan has no plants at all, as we know.

It's a philosophical issue: what is more important, what is there, or what is not there?
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rysmithjr
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks Phebe. I originally was going to go with an all dry Japanese inspired garden, but then the fruit & veggie bug bit me, so I am trying to find a balance between stuff and negative space. I suspect that balance will always be shifting...

Al, I'll keep my eyes on the roots as I progress down this Smart Pot adventure.

Six new Dave WIlson low-chill fruit trees: Royal Lee Cherry, Minnie Royal Cherry, Red Barron Peach, Saturn Peach, Mid-Pride Peach, Arctic Star White Nectarine. Potted up into Smart Pots filled with UniGrow potting soil, left the root ball intact and just nestled it in the middle with the potting soil packed around it.

I'll be doing more research and getting some root training, so in the Spring I can repot and prune, possibly using Al's Gritty Mix.

Here is a link that might be useful: Front yard with 6 new containered fruit trees

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