When space is limited, but you wish you could grow a tree at home, the answer might be to plant one in a pot.
A townhouse, balcony, small garden or retirement unit sometimes calls for a tree to anchor the home to its environment — or offset the blandness of a flat, horizontal outlook.
If you retired to such a home, you might not wish to waste the time or have the patience to wait for a tree to grow to be able to enjoy it.
Yes, horizontal views in the distance do bring a sense of calm, tranquillity, peace and stability to an environment but for the space to have a sense of belonging, vertical lines, in this case a tree or trees, can provide an anchor or a “frame” for that view.
Height created by potted trees adds interest to outdoor spaces. It leads the eye into the garden, performing as a focal point and also bringing shade and privacy.
Potted trees on a patio connect the garden to the house, or they could be placed to announce the arrival at your home, used in pairs at the bottom of stairs, and add softness to a hard-landscaped courtyard.
Choosing a pot
It’s worth using good quality pots, preferably in the same colour, or having a similar variation in tone.
You could use plastic pots while the tree is young but they are usually not heavy enough to serve as an anchor and not fall over once the tree becomes weighty as it matures.
Match the species to the container size, making sure it is large enough to accommodate the root ball, with space to spare around it.
The best proportion is if the pot is at least twice the width and depth of the root ball.
Planting
When planting the tree, make sure the level of the soil is below the top rim of the pot, so when watering, it does not flow over.
Watering
All container plants need more watering than those growing in the ground. Take care that the soil does not dry out.
The tree should be watered two to three times a week. This also depends on the season and growing medium.
In the growing season, feed it monthly with a liquid fertiliser.
In extremely hot weather, a tip is to water the area around the pot (if it is hard landscaping) to cool it down.
Topping up the soil
Refresh the soil each spring by removing the loose, dry topsoil and replace it with fresh, compost-enriched soil.
Site
Important is that the container is placed at a site which is matched to its ideal growing conditions — shade, sun, wind-protected or exposed.
Soil
Use a soil mix from your nursery, adding compost and vermiculite, which aids in water retention, adds calcium and magnesium to the soil, and makes the medium lighter and free draining.
Or mix your own:
6 parts soil (if the soil is clayey, add coarse, sharp sand for drainage)
1 part fertiliser
3 parts compost
1 part vermiculite
Indigenous tree suggestions for growing in a pot
Nuxia floribunda or forest elder is suited to grow in containers as it is a small tree with a non-invasive root system.
Loved for its abundance of white flowers during the grey winter months of the year, it continues to be attractive as its green canopy maintains its rounded fullness afterwards.
It grows in the sun or shade, keeping a neat, rounded form.
It is a fast-growing tree, does well along the coast, and is fairly wind tolerant.
Another attractive feature is how its stem takes on interesting twists and bends as it grows. Bees love it when it is in bloom.
The mountain cabbage tree (Cussonia paniculata) is an attractive form plant with sculptural appeal that thrives in a container.
It has grey-green, interesting-shaped foliage, almost like a paper cut-out pattern. Its seeds attract birds.
Take care to repot it every two to three years as it outgrows the container at this time. Water it every 10 days and not at all in winter.
The Dais cotinifolia or pom-pom tree is fast growing, producing clusters of fragrant, pale pink pom-pom-like flowers in the summer months around Christmas time.
It enjoys the sun and fertile, well-drained soil. It has a rounded shape. Prune it lightly after flowering.
The wild gardenia (Gardenia thunbergia) is a worthwhile small tree to grow for its interesting fruit and gorgeous scented white flowers it produces from October to February.
It produces large pale grey fruits throughout the year on its interesting angular branches.
It bears light green shiny leaves in whorls of three or four. It is slow growing and is loved by antelopes and visited by night flying moths.
Pretoria-based landscape architect Karel Lubbe says he uses potted trees to create instant height in new gardens, which also provides another dimension to the design.
He appreciates that potted trees can be pruned and trained into a “nice bonsai-shaped look”, allowing you to remove branches which wander out of the desired shape.
The tree options offered above are indigenous to the Eastern Cape.
However, Lubbe has had much success using viburnum standards, magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’, buxus standards and Japanese maples.
Autumn is the perfect time to plant a magnolia ‘Little Gem’.
It offers all the magnificence of the large ornamental tree but is suited to growing in pots or in small gardens.
Plant it in full sun or partial shade with at least four hours of direct sunlight daily. It needs rich soil that retains moisture throughout the year.
When young, water it three times a week. Once it is established, only weekly.
Feed the magnolia with regular applications of fertiliser from autumn to spring. Mulch up to the drip line to keep the soil moist.
• In the Garden is written by feature writer, garden enthusiast and former teacher Julia Smith, who has returned home to live in Chintsa East. The column aims to inform novice and accomplished gardeners on how to make the most of their green patches.
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