Quote:
Originally Posted by Puzzledmonkey
Hi All,
This is my first post, so please be gentle.
I'm a complete gardening novice, having totally re-landscaped our gardens over the last 12 months. I've planted trees and shrubs here there and everywhere with no thought or knowledge of what hould be where, so please forgive me,
But to my problem, i've purchased a small (2ft) monkey puzzle tree, which i'd planned to plant as a feature on a small area, which is banked with railway sleepers at the front, and barked so there is nothing else growing within 6ft.
Although the spot i have earmarked for the tree is partially over-hung by a very mature oak tree. The branches are still some 12/15ft off the ground.
Having researched the best i can over the web, i'm worried that the MP tree will soon be to big for the spot. Am i therefore better off submerging a large plant pot (how big?) in the ground, to restrict the growth of the tree, and to allow me to easily move it in x number of years time?
If i think that the tree can comfortably grow to 8ft in height before it starts to look out of place, how many years will this take (10 years ?) and therefore how big of a pot do i need to submerge to allow the tree to grow freely to that size?
Sorry for so many questions, but any help is appreciated.
Puzzledmonkey
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If you grow your monkey puzzle in a container, you will effectively bonsai it. How big it will grow will depend upon the container. Google found me a 25-yr old one that was only 6 feet tall, but also a nursery that sells containerised specimens selling one that was 12 feet tall. I would suspect the latter is a very large container requiring a forklift or crane to put it in place.
My general understanding is that they don't really like being put in the ground after an extended period in a container, perhaps because they easily become pot bound and resent root disturbance. It is generally advised to plant them out very small (1st year plants). I believe that the establishment failure rate increases with larger plants.
So if you have the intention of planting it out later, or moving it, I think you would need to use a rather large container, the kind you'd need a crane or a JCB to move.
In general, an overhung location doesn't seem to be a very clever place to plant one in Britain. Although they are a forest tree, they naturally grow at a latitude similar to southern Europe, and thus would like a lot more light than they would get in an overhung location in Britain. Perhaps, like me, you might just accept that it isn't a terribly suitable plant for your garden.