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

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.

Thank you for the prompt reply,

I had seen the mention of the old MP tree kept in a pot, i had'nt really considered that the size of the container would restricted the growth of the tree (lack of gardening knowledge), but that would mean that i could restrict the tree to potentially 5/6 ft in height, which is the ideal height that i want, i had'nt really wanted to ultimately move it just pressumed it would grow to big and then i'd have to remove it.

So any ideas what size container to use, i was thinking something half a barrel size (2ft diameter, 18inches depth), is this too big/small?

Thanks

This is where I found reference to the 6 foot one. It is in something a bit smaller than you suggest, but they have had to use bonsai techniques on it to keep it happy, so something a bit bigger may be easier to manage. monkey puzzle tree puzzle? - My Garden

"Puzzledmonkey" wrote in message
...

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




--
Puzzledmonkey

It will take about 4 years to do the 8 feet after that growth will be
extremely rapid if its getting a good water supply, I can't comment on how
they do in pots but as you have already bought the tree you have nothing to
lose by trying!. I doubt it will be movable after it reaches its 8 foot
limit, as a Genus they do not move at all well.


--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk

You could always just accept that you were going to get rid of it when it got too big. Leeds Council has planted lots of them within a few feet of a dual carriageway presumably with that idea in mind.

Mine has taken about 15 years to grow from about 18inches to about 12 feet.

On 02/06/2011 13:16, Charlie Pridham wrote:

"Puzzledmonkey"Puzzledmonkey.85d01d6@gardenbanter .co.uk wrote in message
...

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


It will take about 4 years to do the 8 feet after that growth will be
extremely rapid if its getting a good water supply, I can't comment on how
they do in pots but as you have already bought the tree you have nothing to
lose by trying!. I doubt it will be movable after it reaches its 8 foot
limit, as a Genus they do not move at all well.

8 feet in 4 years! Tell me where you get your plants, Charlie!
According to
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?...ria%20araucana, "The
monkey puzzle is a very slow growing tree that can take 5 - 10 years
before it even gets above grass height and then grows around 35cm a
year". That seems a little slow to me, but even so I can't see 8 feet
in 4 years. A tree at Kew, although of unstated age, would seem to have
grown about 23 feet in 30
years.(http://apps.kew.org/trees/?page_id=136). I agree, though, that
as they grow older they grow faster.

I have an Araucaria araucana in a pot. It was bought for me about a
dozen years ago when it was less than a foot high. It has been repotted
a couple of times, most recently about 3 or 4 years ago into a 18" tub.
It is now about 5 feet high.

--

Jeff

On Thu, 2 Jun 2011 Jeff Layman wrote:

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


It will take about 4 years to do the 8 feet after that growth will be
extremely rapid if its getting a good water supply, I can't comment on how
they do in pots but as you have already bought the tree you have nothing to
lose by trying!. I doubt it will be movable after it reaches its 8 foot
limit, as a Genus they do not move at all well.

8 feet in 4 years! Tell me where you get your plants, Charlie!
According to
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?...ria%20araucana,
"The monkey puzzle is a very slow growing tree that can take 5 - 10
years before it even gets above grass height and then grows around 35cm
a year". That seems a little slow to me, but even so I can't see 8
feet in 4 years. A tree at Kew, although of unstated age, would seem
to have grown about 23 feet in 30
years.(http://apps.kew.org/trees/?page_id=136). I agree, though, that
as they grow older they grow faster.

I've had a monkey puzzle tree for about four years and I can confirm
that, certainly in its early years, it is very slow growing. It is still
not much more than about 12 to 18 inches high. Just as well because we
haven't put it into its final position yet.

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK
http://rance.org.uk

On Jun 2, 9:26*am, Puzzledmonkey Puzzledmonkey.
wrote:
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

--
Puzzledmonkey

Ours has grown from about a foot to ten feet in seven years. They
can't be pruned and grow to be huge ie fifty or sixty feet in the UK
(so far), a hundred and fifty feet in Chile where they come from.
There are forests of them in Chile. Selva araucana.
They are bisexual. You can eat the nuts (in about a hundred years) but
you'll need M&F trees, so go out and buy another!
They live to more than1000 yrs so it will see you, your house and your
garden out. And your grand kids.
The timber is highly desireable.
Heh Heh.
http://www.photoseek.com/chile.html

On Thu, 2 Jun 2011 18:30:51 +0100, Sacha wrote:

50 or 60 feet? At Bicton College some are over 80' tall.

The one near us must be a good 50'. Bear in mind it is also located
on the 360m (1180') contour in the North Pennines.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 02/06/2011 17:57, Janet wrote:
In article , lid
says...

On 02/06/2011 13:16, Charlie Pridham wrote:

"Puzzledmonkey"Puzzledmonkey.85d01d6@gardenbanter .co.uk wrote in message
...

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


It will take about 4 years to do the 8 feet after that growth will be
extremely rapid if its getting a good water supply, I can't comment on how
they do in pots but as you have already bought the tree you have nothing to
lose by trying!. I doubt it will be movable after it reaches its 8 foot
limit, as a Genus they do not move at all well.

8 feet in 4 years! Tell me where you get your plants, Charlie!
According to
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?...ria%20araucana, "The
monkey puzzle is a very slow growing tree that can take 5 - 10 years
before it even gets above grass height and then grows around 35cm a
year". That seems a little slow to me,#

The OP's plant is already 2ft high; so another four years at 35cm pa
will easily take it to 6ft. But as Charlie says, where there is plenty of
rain (like mild parts of the west coast) they will grow faster.


It simply will not grow 35 cm a year at that height. Even a 2 ft plant
is still very young and slow-growing. I would guess it is already
pushing 5 years old at that height. Once they are 10 years old they may
take off (depending on local conditions), but even then 35 cm a year
would be good at that age. If they grew at a fast rate when young, they
wouldn't cost so much.

--

Jeff

On 02/06/2011 20:04, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Thu, 2 Jun 2011 18:30:51 +0100, Sacha wrote:

50 or 60 feet? At Bicton College some are over 80' tall.

The one near us must be a good 50'. Bear in mind it is also located
on the 360m (1180') contour in the North Pennines.

Well, they are quite happy growing at 1000m+ in the Chilean Andes, so it
must feel a bit balmy for them!

--

Jeff

On Thu, 2 Jun 2011 18:30:51 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 2011-06-02 17:36:27 +0100, harry said:

On Jun 2, 9:26*am, Puzzledmonkey Puzzledmonkey.
wrote:
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

--
Puzzledmonkey

Ours has grown from about a foot to ten feet in seven years. They
can't be pruned and grow to be huge ie fifty or sixty feet in the UK
(so far), a hundred and fifty feet in Chile where they come from.
There are forests of them in Chile. Selva araucana.
They are bisexual. You can eat the nuts (in about a hundred years) but
you'll need M&F trees, so go out and buy another!
They live to more than1000 yrs so it will see you, your house and yourFifity or
garden out. And your grand kids.
The timber is highly desireable.
Heh Heh.
http://www.photoseek.com/chile.html

Araucaria araucana is the name of the monkey puzzle tree. They live
for about 150 years, not 1000 years but I expect the extra zero was a
typo. 50 or 60 feet? At Bicton College some are over 80' tall. This
is not a tree to choose for a small garden. If I was in the OP's shoes
I'd take it back and ask if I could swap it for something more
suitable. They're not cheap trees, either! I would like to suggest to
the OP that he is going about things a bit sides to middle. Ask the
advice first and *then* buy the plants! ;-)

And, while it's not my garden, I think it'd look silly underneath an
overhanging oak even if it didn't mind growing there.

--
Mike.

"Puzzledmonkey" wrote in message
...

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




--
Puzzledmonkey

I've got two! One is in a 2ft pot and has been for ever (had it over 10
years). It seems quite happy and is no more than 6 ft tall and not getting
taller. The other is in the ground, well away from the house. I've had
it about 5 years and it's gone from waist to eye height.

Thanks for all the replies,

Being the impetuous type, i purchased a large pot, buried it, and can report that the MP tree is now planted in its new home.