I bought a weeping birch to plant in my small yard next to my pond. I
don't want it to get too big and don't want the roots to go into my
pond liner. I planted it in a 10 gallon container. Will this stunt the
growth (which is what I want) or kill the tree?

Mike C wrote:
I bought a weeping birch to plant in my small yard next to my pond. I
don't want it to get too big and don't want the roots to go into my
pond liner. I planted it in a 10 gallon container. Will this stunt the
growth (which is what I want) or kill the tree?


This will tend to stunt the tree.

For best results, the container should breathe through the sides (e.g.,
a large clay or terra cotta pot). This is especially important if the
sun shines on it; otherwise, the roots might cook.

The potting mix should drain well but retain moisture; that is, it
should always be wet without ever being soggy. See my
http://www.rossde.com/garden/garden_potting_mix.html for a home-made
mix; for a birch, slightly increase the peat moss and descrease the sand.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/

Thanks for the info. To be clear, I buried the container in the ground,
it is not sitting above ground and can't be seen.

David E. Ross wrote:
Mike C wrote:
I bought a weeping birch to plant in my small yard next to my pond. I
don't want it to get too big and don't want the roots to go into my
pond liner. I planted it in a 10 gallon container. Will this stunt the
growth (which is what I want) or kill the tree?


This will tend to stunt the tree.

For best results, the container should breathe through the sides (e.g.,
a large clay or terra cotta pot). This is especially important if the
sun shines on it; otherwise, the roots might cook.

The potting mix should drain well but retain moisture; that is, it
should always be wet without ever being soggy. See my
http://www.rossde.com/garden/garden_potting_mix.html for a home-made
mix; for a birch, slightly increase the peat moss and descrease the sand.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/