@mblan13- oh thank you so much for responding. i just thought about this earlier... idk how it just hit me......... that i could dig a little hold big enough to fit the large pot and plant it.. so if my planter was 3 feet high i would put half of it in the ground. how did you put the "seatbelts" on?

I grow all my Japanese maples in containers. Personally, I would skip the large tree and go for a smaller one. A 9' tall JM will need a BIG pot and that complicates things just by having to deal with the size and the weight (moving the filled/planted container, repotting, root pruning, etc.). I repotted all my maples this season and even though my trees tend to be on the small end of the scale (largest is about 6' tall with an equal spread), it was a big, labor intensive ordeal. Even these smaller trees need big pots and they are unwieldy and heavy.

It depends on where you are located with respect to winds, but I live right on the water of Puget Sound and I can get some intense winds. The only containerized maples I've ever had blow over were ones that needed to be moved up in pot size - too much tree for too small a pot :-)

I'd save the 9 footer for an inground planting situation unless you are well experienced in growing trees in containers - it's just a lot of work. And I second the recommendation for using gritty mix.

@gardengal48 - thanks so much for your response and input. we are definitely not experienced in growing trees in planters. our ground in our subdivision is more rocky so alot of planting we've down thus far leans more towards planter boxes. i think we'll go for the medium size one, as opposed to the large one. the pot we saw what about 24x24x23.5. is this too small for it?

I'd think that pot would be ok. If it is a square it shouldn't blow over. Mine are in the typically shaped pots.

@mblan13. yes it's a square potter. :) so go for the medium size correct? its still fairly tall... taller than me but im short.. like 4'10' short. lol

No, that sounds just about right. You want a pot that will allow for some additional root growth before you have to worry about root pruning or potting up. For that size tree, I aim for a container that is sized at least 2" wider on all sides than the rootball is now. And deeper, but that dimension is flexible - I often have 6" or more to spare for additional growth of the roots downward.

@gardengal48 okay perfect. thank you! my husband really wants to get the tree soon esp with all the nice weather we've been getting here in the great northwest. :) and the red jap maple will contrast nicely with our green bamboo (also planted in planter boxes).

You should find this link very helpful if you click it. A trident or amur maple would also be a good choice.

BTW - if you can get a planting hole dig, rocky ground is no particular problem for Japanese (often referred to as mountain) maples.

Al

@tapla- thanks so much. I'm afraid of the trunk getting out of hand if i dig it in the ground and can't prune it....

I don't understand what you mean? If you're referring to root pruning - there is no need to root prune a tree planted out except in very specific and unusual situations - like just prior to transplanting or to intentionally slow the plant down.

Al

Ohh if planted in ground.. Pruning the leaves would slow it dowun growth wise??

Most Japanese maples grow rather slowly to begin with. And depending on the cultivar you selected, may not ever get very tall. Unless training the tree for a bonsai, most gardeners would find it unnecessary to slow down growth.

oh okay... thanks for that info! does a bloodgood grow tall? what are those trees that can get freakishly tall and huge. my husband wants a tall tree to begin with. im trying to convince him otherwise but he's not really budging. we will be growing it in a big pot. ideally we want a 3 foot high pot by 3 feet wide.

In western Washington, Bloodgoods (true Bloodgoods, that is) can get quite large for a Japanese maple. I've seen them at 25+ feet. But that takes decades and they won't grow that big in a container. Even so, a Bloodgood of any reasonable size would be a bear to repot and root prune. IMO, not at all the best choice for a container. Especially if this is your first attempt at growing trees in a container. Truly, you want to start with something smaller.

btw, NO Japanese maple gets "freakishly tall and huge" :-) They are usually considered to be small to mid-sized trees.

@gardengal48 do you have any suggestions? my husband wants something tall. is there a species of a jap maple that will satisfy height?

...that can be grown in a pot lol

How tall is tall?

If you read Al's link, you will understand the need for periodic repotting and root pruning and you are already working at a bit of a disadvantage with that size container. It's gonna be very heavy and unwieldy and a large tree will only make it more so.

ps. Please don't abbreviate the tree name in that manner - it is considered a pejorative term and impolite. Either spell out Japanese or abbreviate as JM. We'll know what you're talking about :-)

okay duty noted. no abbreviations. :-)

he's wants about 8-9 feet.