What can I grow in a tub?

Question:

Please what sort of tree could I grow in a 1 1/2 round meter tub and that would grow quick say 3-4 meters high

Answer:

In theory you could plant any tree you like into a container. The only downside is that the tree will never reach its full size (not always a bad thing) and they require more maintenance. You should place a good layer of crocks or gravel in the bottom of the container and fill with good quality compost. Plant the tree at the same level as it was in its pot, water it well then add a layer of well rotted organic matter as mulch. The mulch will reduce water loss and keep down weeds. You should ensure that it never dries out and each year carefully scrape away the top couple of inches of compost and add a new layer then more mulch. There is no reason why your tree shouldn’t live for many years in these conditions. I have a number of large shrubs and trees, including a Liquid Amber, in large pots and they do well every year. Here is a link to Crocus.co.uk who has a large selection of trees. Have a browse through to get an idea of what’s available, you can then choose the one you like best. Most of these trees should be available in your local garden centre if you prefer to see them before you buy. However, I buy a lot of my plants from Crocus and find them to be of very good quality.

Related Articles

Question:Hi I would like some advice on my mams garden. It is full of grass and other weeds I try to keep on top of it as we have allsorts of bulbs and rose bushes. I did think of weeding it again and getting some bark to cover the garden around the plants. What do [...]

Question:I bought my first passionflower this year and have noticed it now has what I assume are large green seed pods on it. Are they seed pods or fruit? Can I save them if they are seeds and use them next year. I am a new gardener and cannot find out what to do with [...]

Question:I am having difficulty in preparing soil for slab laying. I recently moved into a new house and need to start a garden from scratch, despite putting in a soak away with pipes and gravel, the soil which was initially waterlogged has now taken on a “spongy” texture over an area of approximately 2m x [...]

Question:I have a large pampas grass approx. 10 years old only flowered twice, can I cut down and move now or should I wait until spring. I had one that did the same I moved it and its flowered every year since.Answer:Pampas Grass prefers a dry, well drained site and a soil that is not [...]

Question:Can you advise me please? My lawn has a large number of very thin, slim toadstools. No bigger than a match with a slightly larger head. They are white.Answer:Toadstools appearing in your lawn are caused by decaying organic matter in the lawn and are a natural occurrence particularly if the lawn is quite wet. Part [...]

Question:My grape vine has small raised patches all over the leaves which are white on the back of the leaf. Are you able to tell me what it is and how I can deal with it?Answer:This sounds like Downy mildew which is caused by fungus Plasmopara viticola, this foliar disease of outdoor vines is unrelated [...]

Question:We have just bought a very old house in rural France for renovation. There are several established roses of varying types scattered about, some by both the front and rear walls of the house and some in the (much neglected) garden. I want to move them all into a large corner bed – about 4 [...]

Question:I wonder if you could advise me about a problem I’m having. I’ve been growing a passionflower plant for several months and it was doing very well and had grown to around 10 feet. We’ve had a few flowers and it was a very healthy plant. I was given a couple of potted red Cordyline [...]

Question:I planted 3 hydrangeas in the spring which have done fairly well. One a blue one which was stunning for a while I planted in the compost favoured by azalea’s rhododendrons and have added organic material but recently the large blooms are turning green with hints of lilac though still has hints of dull blue. [...]

Question:I have bought more topsoil than I needed. It’s in bags. Can I mix it with compost in containers if I add fertilisers? If not is there any other way that I can use it in my small, mostly paved garden? I hope to remove a few more flagstones before the spring but the ground [...]

Question:I have a Cordyline Australis which has 10 trunks and about 12 feet high and about 15 years old. Each year for about 5 years it has been sprouting new growth on several trunks and each year I have been snapping them off. Am I likely to be damaging the tree or should I allow [...]

Question:I need advise on damson trees for which unfortunately I had to remove 2 of them from the bottom of my garden, I dug down to the bottom of the roots of these trees and removed the stumps by one man and a shovel ‘hard work’, and the reason for this was that the roots [...]

Question:Can you tell why alyssum bedding plants seed early?Answer:Plants live for varying lengths of time. Some perennials will live for 30 years or more whilst others only live a couple of years. It is the same with annuals. Although they all live for just one year the exact length of their lives varies. Although I [...]

Question:2 Months ago we planted a Cordyline Australis Palm – when it was delivered it had yellow spots on the leaves. Since that time the leaves have become even more yellow and split. The palm is in well drained soil, and the roots are flourishing – we checked to make sure it is well drained [...]

Question:Would I be able to transplant a 4 year old Viburnum Davidii and if so what part of the year should this be doneAnswer:Most shrubs can be successfully transplanted with a little care. The best time to do this is during autumn so I would wait a couple more weeks and choose a day that [...]

Question:Our garden is starting to get overrun with the weed “Mares Tail”. What is the best way to get rid of it or to keep it at bay? It has grown through a couple of inches of bark/mulch and is starting to make its way through a weed membrane we have used under an arbour. [...]

Question:Can someone explain why suddenly all my impatiens are dying, the flowers drop off, then the leaves drop off and the plants die. I cannot find any evidence of pests or disease. I have grown impatiens all my life and have never experienced any thing like this, the plants came from different nurseries and are [...]

Question:Are chippings from apple trees or conifers good for the garden?Answer:As long as the trees don’t have any diseases then using the chippings as mulch is fine. The best way to use them is to add them to your compost heap but if you don’t produce compost then they can be put directly on top [...]

Question:I have just had a new patio laid and would like to know which container flowers/plants I can buy for an instant effect rather than having to wait until next spring for resultsAnswer:At this time of year there are lots of plants flowering now, some of which will continue through to the first frosts others [...]