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Monkey Puzzle Tree
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 |
#2
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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. |
#3
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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 |
#4
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#5
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Mine has taken about 15 years to grow from about 18inches to about 12 feet.
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#6
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Monkey Puzzle Tree
"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 |
#7
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Monkey Puzzle Tree
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 |
#8
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Monkey Puzzle Tree
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 |
#9
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Monkey Puzzle Tree
"Jeff Layman" wrote in message ... 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 They seem to grow rapidly down here especially in winter, but it sounds as if it wont be as fast for the OP, they are slow as seedlings but in my experience once they settle are quite quick. -- Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella and Lapageria rosea cvs http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk |
#11
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Monkey Puzzle Tree
On 02/06/2011 21:33, Janet wrote:
In article , lid says... 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. It was your post, above, that said they could take 5 OR 10 years to reach grassheight (2ft) after which they will grow 35 cm pa. You are right - hoist by my own petard! That pfaf page growth rate refers to "Mitchell. A. F. Conifers in the British Isles.", so it should be pertinent as it is for the UK. I don't have that book; I wonder if anyone who lurks here does, and can perhaps give more detail. The reason they are expensive is that they can only be grown from seed and take years to reach a saleable size.. as per the pfaf info you quoted. Well, you can buy plants from about 15 cm upwards. I'm not sure how old those would be, but as they can be bought, they must be of saleable size. Maybe Charlie P. grows them from seed, and can let us know how old they are at 15 cm. -- Jeff |
#12
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Monkey Puzzle Tree
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 |
#13
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Monkey Puzzle Tree
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. |
#14
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Monkey Puzzle Tree
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 |
#15
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Monkey Puzzle Tree
On Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:32:09 +0100, Jeff Layman wrote:
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! Quite. Just pointing out that even in the "harsh" UK conditions at nearly 1200' on the North Pennines doesn't stop 'em becoming a substantial tree. In fact it might happier than in relatively the sub tropical south. B-) -- Cheers Dave. |
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