grow Abiqua Drinking Gourd - what pot size?

11 years ago

Hi,

I would like to plant my Abiqua Drinking Gourd under a maple so I will put it in a pot. I wanted to do the copper lined ones but I cannot get them in Canada anywhere, and they are made in Quebec, Canada!

My question is: what size pot should I use? I have had success with several hosta using this method, I place them in the black plastic nursery pots in the ground.

Thanks

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Comments (4)

newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
11 years ago
I am aware of the copper lined bags and the fact that we, in Canada, cannot purchase a product that was made in our own country! (Doesn't that sound stupid?)

I also suffer with maple roots and other tree roots. Last year I got a large strong nursery pot, drilled extra drainage holes on the bottom and sides of the pot, and place Sagae in it. This year Sagae is up and growing well. So in regards to the size of pot (I am no expert), you have a choice of putting your hosta in a larger-than-needed pot or putting it in a pot somewhat larger than it is in now and checking it yearly as to whether it needs to be put into a larger one. You know that it is said that hostas and plants in general do not do well if placed in pots too large. But I took a chance with Sagae and so far, so good. I intend to do this method with more of my plants.

As for the copper lined bags, you have the option to purchase and send to a US post office box and pick up from there to bring back to Canada. For more information on that, you can send me a private email.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
how big is the plant you have ...

hosta like to be root bound to some extent.. in your pot ...

your main issue.. i suspect.. is that you want to put it in one pot for life ... and that aint gunna work ...

first off.. you will have to lift the pot and cut out tree roots.. at least two or three times a year ... tree arent stupid.. they will find the drainage holes.. and fill that pot faster than the hosta can ....

in fact.. Butch graves did this under norways ... and used two pots .... so he could easily pull out the one with the hosta ... and put it back ... and then he built a new house.. and moved away from the norways.. lol ... and took his hosta with him ....

pot size is dependent on plant size NOW... not at maturity .... it does not matter if the pots are on the patio.. or in the ground.. you will have to repot often ....

i once had a 10 gallon pot ... ON TOP OF THE SOIL .. under a maple ... placed there in spring.. and by fall.. i could NOT move the pot ... the maple grew that many roots UP.. into the pot ...

i wish you luck.. you will need it...

ken
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paula_b_gardener 5b_ON
Original Author
11 years ago
I was thinking of using the copper pot liner on the outside of the pot to keep the roots from the maple from growing inside of the hosta pot. My concern was, as you guessed, how big of a pot I would need to keep the hosta at maturity.

My Jade Cascade, Earth Angel and Blue Angel have all been in pots, in the ground for five years as I do not plan on living at this house for a long time and I would like to take them with me. None of them are close to a maple.

How much longer do you think I have before I encounter problems? They are in the large pots with the handles that trees come in, they are 17" in diameter, 15 gallon size.

Paula
User
11 years ago
Ken, that's a great story about the maple roots growing UP. Never heard it before.

And, I really like the idea of pot-in-pot growing in the ground....I may try that with one of my medium hosta. Certainly we have roots everywhere, not a rock anywhere, and you dig with a sharpened adz around here. And sometimes a chain saw. We do not have huge trees in our property, but the neighbors have, and our pecans are still fairly young. Yet roots are horrible, and so are huge tuberous briars. One briar filled a 5 gal bucket.

Great idea to put down a pot and then sink a pot inside. Would water tend to stand if it was clay soil? or percolate on down?

grow Abiqua Drinking Gourd - what pot size?

Comments (4)

newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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grow Abiqua Drinking Gourd - what pot size?

Comments (4)

newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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paula_b_gardener 5b_ONOriginal Author

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