Suzanne wrote in message ...
We just bought an 8 foot schefflera tree to put on our screened-in
lanai, with white pavement. I looked at pots today and don't know what I
should get. I've been told plastic may be too light and blow over (we're
on a lake), but clay breaks easily (or might stain). Lowes had a clay
pot that is 18 inches across the top, 12 inches across the bottom and 15
inches high. Will this be heavy and big enough for this plant? K-Mart
had a very large plastic pot (at least 25 inches wide and 20 inches
high), but I'm afraid it might blow over--will it even with a 60-lb tree
and dirt in it? Is it the pot itself that keeps it from blowing over
or the weight (more dirt=heavier?) I also didn't want to spend a fortune
for a pot. The 22-inch clay pot is $50, the 18 inch clay is $30, and
the plastic one is $13. Any input appreciated--I'm totally new to this,
so sorry if I sound like a dummy.


For two pots of the same weight, a wider base is going to fare better in
wind than a narrow one, so I would get one as wide as possible (wide where
it contacts the ground, not just up at the rim). See if you can find a
concrete pot. For that matter, if you're on the ground level, maybe you
could get a wet saw, cut through the pavement, and just stick that dude in
the ground. I suppose you could even get some concrete blocks and
mortar--then you could just build a block planting bed on your pavement.
Hope this is of help.