The Tree and Its Supporting Companion Plants for Container Gardening

If you live in an apartment or condominium and have always wanted your own garden, then consider Container Gardening. Design your own perfect garden by selecting a specific tree that you love and adding the right companion plants that complement the tree’s look. Whether inside your home, balcony, patio, hallway, foyer or back area, design your garden to fit the space that you want to place the container. Make sure it is not too big or small, and it doesn’t clash with anything in that particular area. The garden should fit the theme that already exists in the particular room or area.

When choosing a tree that will fit in your home, there are many matters to consider. First, consider the size of the room where you would like to place the container, and then decide how big a tree that space can handle without taking over the whole room. After you pick the specific tree, learn more about that tree and its origins so that you can better take care of it properly. Make sure the tree’s needs are compatible with your locale, from temperature and weather changes to amount of lighting needed.

After you compare the various trees’ needs with your locale, choose the best tree that will be able to live well in your area. Also, consider the look of the tree as well as the size, the color, the roots, the growth potential, and the amount of sunlight and temperature needed. The best trees to use are the Japanese Maples because they come in a variety of colors and forms as well as they grow slowly and they have shallow fibrous roots. Just make sure you don’t choose a very large one that is strong. Large trees are too much for containers and indoors because they have a lot of movement. Conifers, on the other hand, tend to have a dense form as well as very dark coloring. They come in all sizes, and the short conifers seem to work well in a container. The deciduous trees are beautiful because you can watch it change with the seasons. It will add beautiful colors to the room it is in as well as give you a change of look for each season. Trees that have flowers and fruits are great for containers, but the container needs to be placed in an area that provides a lot of direct sunlight. They come in different colors and they each have their own needs as well as growth potential. Trees that grow large may require early maintenance and periodical pruning in order to keep the tree’s structure small. Some trees are drought-tolerant because of their tolerance to hot and dry areas as well as hard water.

Then, find the container that best fits that particular tree, depending on the size and growth potential of the tree. If you get a young tree, then you might need to repot the tree as it grows as well as double the amount of soil each time you use a bigger size container. Just remember that the opening of the container should be the widest part of the container in order to facilitate the removal of the tree for root pruning. But a tall and upright tree requires a container that has a broad base, if the container is placed outdoors. Such broad base keeps the tree stable when there is windy weather. Furthermore, an attractive garden is created in a container that has the same length for the width as the height. Such a container provides a great opportunity to choose, design and organize certain companion plants and stones in an aesthetic display. If you want to keep the tree in the same container, you must periodically do root pruning and reduction pruning in order to keep the fully-grown tree at a good size for that container.

Growing trees in a container requires a lot of work over a long period of time. Since the Japanese Maples can live over 100 years, the container that you choose for them should be strong and sturdy so that there will not be any unnecessary repotting in the future. Choose a light in weight container that is made of Polyethylene  because it is easier to prune the tree’s roots or move the container around. Also, very hot or cold temperature doesn’t damage such a container. This container looks very elegant because it looks like stone or ceramic, but much lighter. Redwood boxes make great containers that last for a long time.

After you get the container, you need to consider buying the right soil. Soil depends on the kind of tree that you are using. Seek a high-quality commercial soil mix with drainage. If you are using a Japanese Maples tree, use a well-drained acidic soil. Also, consider a commercial mix that has fir bark. If your water tends to have a lot of minerals or alkaline, then use the soil that is created for azalea and camellia, instead. This kind of soil has the right pH for your tree. For other trees, a peat moss soil mix is good enough.

Now, it is time to add some companion plants. Make sure to take into consideration cultural needs of the plants as well as proportion and timing. Make the tree the main centerpiece on display, and organize small companion plants that are shorter than 24 inches around it. Bulbs make good companion plants to use with trees. Just make sure to use spring and summer colors because these colors complement the tree. Furthermore, other plants that can be added into your container are the “slow-growing and noninvasive plants.” The roots of such plants don’t take up much space, and it will reduce roots problems in the future.

The work involved in taking care of container plants is very minimal, although it can last a very long time if you do it properly. About 2 to 5 years, it is recommended to change the soil and do root pruning. When you notice that your tree looks weak, it is not growing properly, and/or it looks discolored and deformed, then it is time to do root pruning to bring it back to life before it dies. For further inspection, touch the soil to check for compacted roots. If it feels like there is no room for the water and air that the tree needs, then the roots are compacted.

Timing should be when you notice the plant looks inactive and not growing. It is usually somewhere between 2 to 3 weeks before buds come out. The root growth will suddenly be active, and the buds will look shiny and inflated.

In order to properly root prune, you will need seven basic tools. Pull out the compacted roots with a garden claw or a root hook. Use a hand saw with fine teeth to get rid of the matted roots. Then, use bypass pruner with a sharp cutting end, hand spade and small shovel to fill in the soil. Shears with a sharp end also comes in handy to cut strong plants.