"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.

Another consideration is that clay pots allow the soil to dry out much
faster than do plastic ones. It's an important consideration if you are in
an area that has dry air or is drought prone and may have watering
restrictions. As large a pot as you are talking about when full of soil and
a plant should not tip over. However, since the plant is 8' high, you may
also want to support it with a stake of some kind if the wind is especially
fierce in your area. Also, the more leaf surface available to catch the
wind, the less wind needed to tip over the pot, so if you have especially
fierce winds, then perhaps you ought to limit the height of your potted
plants to avoid worrying about the problem all together.

Sunflower
MS 7b