Taking care of a tree in a pot
Although we would like to see our trees in the open ground, we also understand very well that not everyone who receives a Treemore tree has the garden for it! But you don't need a big yard to enjoy growing a tree. With proper care, any tree can be successfully grown in a pot. Just think of bonsai, the traditional Japanese art of growing miniature trees in pots. When keeping a tree in a pot, proper care is extra important. In this blog we will therefore give you some tips on how to do this best!
The right pot (size)
Your first choice, of course, is the type of pot. The shape and appearance of the pot do not matter much, the size all the more. The volume of the pot and how often you need to water how fast the tree grows. If the pot is rooted, growth will continue to lose. It is also vitally important that you choose a pot with holes at the bottom. If the excess water cannot escape, there is a good chance that the roots will not receive enough oxygen and the plant will 'drown'.
The letterbox pot in which the trees are grown is large enough for the first 20 centimeters of growth above ground. After that, it will slow down growth. Therefore, you should not wait too long before repotting your baby tree. We recommend starting with a two liter pot. That is enough for the first growing season. Do you want to get the tree as big as possible? Then put it in a bigger pot every year.
Potting soil and nutrition
Another important factor is the potting soil you use. Good potting soil has plenty of water without becoming soggy. However, every tree has different preferences, so we recommend checking what your tree likes first! Some points you can count on are: lime content, humus/organic material content, acidity, but also the presence of nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Most potting soil contains sufficient nutrition for the first few months. Do you want your tree to grow quickly? Then give extra plant food during the growing season. If you don't want to let the tree grow any further, put it on a 'diet' and only give some extra food when the leaf color becomes lighter.
Temperature and sunlight
A big difference with trees in the open ground is that the temperature in the pot moves with the temperature of the outside air. The risk of unrepairable damage is particularly high in winter. The roots are less hardy than the rest of the tree. As trees in the open ground they can withstand cold temperatures better than when they are in a pot. It is therefore advisable to put trees that come from warmer regions indoors during a period of frost or to offer them extra protection by wrapping the pot with insulating material.
If you let the tree sprout indoors, it is important to let it get used to the outside temperature and sunlight slowly in spring. Trees can burn if they are suddenly exposed to a lot of UV light for a long time. By not exposing the tree to direct sunlight for more than two hours a day during the first week, you prevent damage to the leaves.
Once used to the light and temperature, trees grow fastest in a warm and light spot. However, direct sunlight is not required. In nature, seedlings can grow slowly for years in the shade of large trees. As soon as space is created above their heads, they seize their chance and shoot upwards. In short: you can decide for yourself how fast you want your tree to grow by choosing in which pot size and in which place you place the tree.
Hopefully these tips will help you grow your tree into a beautiful large or miniature tree, regardless of the size of your garden or balcony!