Planting tree in plastic pot
 

I bought quite a large (4 feet high) Magnolia from Lidl,
essentially because I planted a Magnolia several years ago
which has never flowered, while this one has flowers on it.

The magnolia is in a large (about 1ft in diameter) plastic pot,
and I'm wondering what is the best way to plant this.
Should I put it in a hole and then cut the pot to remove it,
or should I take it out of the pot and then put it in the hole?
What do experts usually do?


--
Timothy Murphy
e-mail: gayleard /at/ eircom.net
School of Mathematics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland

Planting tree in plastic pot
 

On 26/03/2014 14:05, Timothy Murphy wrote:
I bought quite a large (4 feet high) Magnolia from Lidl,
essentially because I planted a Magnolia several years ago
which has never flowered, while this one has flowers on it.

The magnolia is in a large (about 1ft in diameter) plastic pot,
and I'm wondering what is the best way to plant this.
Should I put it in a hole and then cut the pot to remove it,
or should I take it out of the pot and then put it in the hole?
What do experts usually do?





Water it well whilst in the pot before you plant it; give it a really
good soak. Prepare the planting hole while it soaks, making sure you
fork over the base of the hole to create drainage. Then slip the pot off
the plant and place it in the hole, making sure the soil level is the
same as it was in the pot. Backfill the hole with good compost and
water well.

Since you already have a Magnolia and have not remarked on yellowed
leaves, I assume your soil is neutral to acid. If you do see yellowing
leaves (chlorosis), then a acid mulch and/or feed will help.
--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

Planting tree in plastic pot
 

On 26/03/2014 16:38, Spider wrote:
On 26/03/2014 14:05, Timothy Murphy wrote:
I bought quite a large (4 feet high) Magnolia from Lidl,
essentially because I planted a Magnolia several years ago
which has never flowered, while this one has flowers on it.

The magnolia is in a large (about 1ft in diameter) plastic pot,
and I'm wondering what is the best way to plant this.
Should I put it in a hole and then cut the pot to remove it,
or should I take it out of the pot and then put it in the hole?
What do experts usually do?





Water it well whilst in the pot before you plant it; give it a really
good soak. Prepare the planting hole while it soaks, making sure you
fork over the base of the hole to create drainage. Then slip the pot off
the plant and place it in the hole, making sure the soil level is the
same as it was in the pot. Backfill the hole with good compost and
water well.

Since you already have a Magnolia and have not remarked on yellowed
leaves, I assume your soil is neutral to acid. If you do see yellowing
leaves (chlorosis), then a acid mulch and/or feed will help.

I prefer to plant the pot itself, water the surrounding soil, remove
pot, and you should have precisely the right size hole

Planting tree in plastic pot
 

On 26/03/2014 17:11, stuart noble wrote:
On 26/03/2014 16:38, Spider wrote:
On 26/03/2014 14:05, Timothy Murphy wrote:
I bought quite a large (4 feet high) Magnolia from Lidl,
essentially because I planted a Magnolia several years ago
which has never flowered, while this one has flowers on it.

The magnolia is in a large (about 1ft in diameter) plastic pot,
and I'm wondering what is the best way to plant this.
Should I put it in a hole and then cut the pot to remove it,
or should I take it out of the pot and then put it in the hole?
What do experts usually do?





Water it well whilst in the pot before you plant it; give it a really
good soak. Prepare the planting hole while it soaks, making sure you
fork over the base of the hole to create drainage. Then slip the pot off
the plant and place it in the hole, making sure the soil level is the
same as it was in the pot. Backfill the hole with good compost and
water well.

Since you already have a Magnolia and have not remarked on yellowed
leaves, I assume your soil is neutral to acid. If you do see yellowing
leaves (chlorosis), then a acid mulch and/or feed will help.

I prefer to plant the pot itself, water the surrounding soil, remove
pot, and you should have precisely the right size hole




The right hole for the pot, not the right hole for the plant. The
planting hole should be at least twice the size of the pot (preferably
more) to encourage the plant to root out into the good compost-enhanced
soil used to back-fill.
--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

Planting tree in plastic pot
 

On 26/03/2014 17:20, Spider wrote:
On 26/03/2014 17:11, stuart noble wrote:
On 26/03/2014 16:38, Spider wrote:
On 26/03/2014 14:05, Timothy Murphy wrote:
I bought quite a large (4 feet high) Magnolia from Lidl,
essentially because I planted a Magnolia several years ago
which has never flowered, while this one has flowers on it.

The magnolia is in a large (about 1ft in diameter) plastic pot,
and I'm wondering what is the best way to plant this.
Should I put it in a hole and then cut the pot to remove it,
or should I take it out of the pot and then put it in the hole?
What do experts usually do?





Water it well whilst in the pot before you plant it; give it a really
good soak. Prepare the planting hole while it soaks, making sure you
fork over the base of the hole to create drainage. Then slip the pot off
the plant and place it in the hole, making sure the soil level is the
same as it was in the pot. Backfill the hole with good compost and
water well.

Since you already have a Magnolia and have not remarked on yellowed
leaves, I assume your soil is neutral to acid. If you do see yellowing
leaves (chlorosis), then a acid mulch and/or feed will help.

I prefer to plant the pot itself, water the surrounding soil, remove
pot, and you should have precisely the right size hole




The right hole for the pot, not the right hole for the plant. The
planting hole should be at least twice the size of the pot (preferably
more) to encourage the plant to root out into the good compost-enhanced
soil used to back-fill.

If you have any peat then I would incorporate a bucket full to the soil
in the planting hole and also some water retaining polymer crystals,
they will help if we get a dry spell and you forget to water for a few days.

Planting tree in plastic pot
 

Spider wrote:

Since you already have a Magnolia and have not remarked on yellowed
leaves, I assume your soil is neutral to acid. If you do see yellowing
leaves (chlorosis), then a acid mulch and/or feed will help.

Thanks for your (earlier) advice.
But no, my non-flowering magnolia is disgustingly healthy.

--
Timothy Murphy
e-mail: gayleard /at/ eircom.net
School of Mathematics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland

Planting tree in plastic pot
 

"Timothy Murphy" wrote

I bought quite a large (4 feet high) Magnolia from Lidl,
essentially because I planted a Magnolia several years ago
which has never flowered, while this one has flowers on it.

The magnolia is in a large (about 1ft in diameter) plastic pot,
and I'm wondering what is the best way to plant this.
Should I put it in a hole and then cut the pot to remove it,
or should I take it out of the pot and then put it in the hole?
What do experts usually do?

The latest thinking on tree planting it to dig a square hole** about twice
the size of the round pot. Fork over the bottom of the hole with some decent
compost added. Having watered the plant well remove it from the pot and
tease out a few roots from the rootball all round. Place in hole ensuring it
remains at the same level it was in the pot and backfill with soil/compost.
Water well.

** This is supposed to make the roots penetrate the surrounding soil instead
of just going round in circles as they did in the pot.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

Planting tree in plastic pot
 

Martin wrote:

Since you already have a Magnolia and have not remarked on yellowed
leaves, I assume your soil is neutral to acid. If you do see yellowing
leaves (chlorosis), then a acid mulch and/or feed will help.

Thanks for your (earlier) advice.
But no, my non-flowering magnolia is disgustingly healthy.

Our Lidl Magnolia flowered once and died during the winter.

I guess that's better than never flowering and living to 100.

--
Timothy Murphy
e-mail: gayleard /at/ eircom.net
School of Mathematics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland

Planting tree in plastic pot
 

Spider wrote:
On 26/03/2014 14:05, Timothy Murphy wrote:
I bought quite a large (4 feet high) Magnolia from Lidl,
essentially because I planted a Magnolia several years ago
which has never flowered, while this one has flowers on it.

The magnolia is in a large (about 1ft in diameter) plastic pot,
and I'm wondering what is the best way to plant this.
Should I put it in a hole and then cut the pot to remove it,
or should I take it out of the pot and then put it in the hole?
What do experts usually do?





Water it well whilst in the pot before you plant it; give it a really
good soak. Prepare the planting hole while it soaks, making sure you
fork over the base of the hole to create drainage. Then slip the pot
off the plant and place it in the hole, making sure the soil level is
the same as it was in the pot. Backfill the hole with good compost
and water well.

Since you already have a Magnolia and have not remarked on yellowed
leaves, I assume your soil is neutral to acid. If you do see
yellowing leaves (chlorosis), then a acid mulch and/or feed will help.

And as an extra to that, at the end of their lives, bury the family pets
around the base of the Magnolia, it does the tree a power of good!

Planting tree in plastic pot
 

On 26/03/2014 22:32, Timothy Murphy wrote:
Spider wrote:

Since you already have a Magnolia and have not remarked on yellowed
leaves, I assume your soil is neutral to acid. If you do see yellowing
leaves (chlorosis), then a acid mulch and/or feed will help.

Thanks for your (earlier) advice.
But no, my non-flowering magnolia is disgustingly healthy.




Very glad to hear it! Good luck with the new one.

--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

Planting tree in plastic pot
 

On 26/03/2014 23:50, Timothy Murphy wrote:
Martin wrote:

Since you already have a Magnolia and have not remarked on yellowed
leaves, I assume your soil is neutral to acid. If you do see yellowing
leaves (chlorosis), then a acid mulch and/or feed will help.

Thanks for your (earlier) advice.
But no, my non-flowering magnolia is disgustingly healthy.

Our Lidl Magnolia flowered once and died during the winter.

I guess that's better than never flowering and living to 100.



This sounds like it comes from the heart. Knowing that your first
magnolia has still not flowered, have you tried giving it a high potash
feed, such as Tomorite or similar? It may be putting on lots of growth
and leaf at the expense of flowers.
Also, Magnolias (among others) start to produce their flower buds in
late summer the previous year. It is important that they do not go
short of water at this time as the plant will abort flower buds in
favour of simply staying alive. Is it possible this has happened?
Some magnolias do take years to flower, but there's no harm feeding for
flower and keeping your fingers crossed.

--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay