How to Plant a Tree or Shrub in a Tub

It is easy to have colorful tubs and troughs in summer, but to get the best from containers, you need some year-'round interest, like shrubs or trees.

Trees are unlikely candidates for containers, and certainly for small gardens. Fortunately, the restricted root-run usually keeps them compact, and they never reach the proportions of trees planted in the ground. Even in a small garden, some height is useful.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Shrub Potting soil or mulch Rocks Broken clay pots

1. Choose a large tub or pot with an inside diameter of at least 15 inches, except for very small shrubs. Make sure the container is heavy by choosing materials like clay or ceramic--but not plastic. A plastic container is not heavy enough to support a large shrub, and the roots can often break plastic as they expand.

2. Check the tub container to make sure it has proper drainage. If the container does not have drainage holes, drill some small ones and place pieces of broken clay pots or chipped bark over them. This will allow for slow but healthy water drainage.

3. Choose a shrub or tree for the container. Camellias are perfect shrubs for tubs, combining attractive, glossy evergreen foliage with beautiful spring flowers. Camellia x williamsii and C. japonica hybrids are a good choice. Rhododendrons and azaleas are excellent examples of shrubs that do well in tubs.

4. Fill the pot half-full with a loam-based compost or potting soil. Use a good-quality potting soil or compost; consider one with a slow-release plant-food additive. Do not use lightweight alternatives, as the weight is required for stability.

5. Knock the plant from its pot; if the roots are tightly wound round the root ball, carefully tease out some of the roots so they will grow into the surrounding potting soil more readily.

6. Place the shrub in the tub. Test the plant for size and position. Add or remove soil as necessary, so the top of the root ball and soil level will be 1 to 2 inches below the rim of the pot, to allow for watering.

7. Firm the compost or potting soil around the roots, as trees and shrubs offer a great deal of wind resistance. Add a layer of pebbles to the top of the tub planter.

8. Water thoroughly after planting, and never forget to water regularly in dry weather.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want the tub to be mobile, consider installing casters or rollers on the bottom.