Tips for Growing Healthy Trees in Containers

Need privacy on your porch? Move in a hedge of container-grown evergreens to shield the view. Patio too sunny? Add a touch of shade with a kousa dogwood in a pot. Want more color in a shady spot?

- Jennifer Howell

Try a burgundy-foliaged Japanese maple in a teal pot like the one at left. The great thing about trees grown in containers is that they are relatively mobile, so you can place them wherever you want.

Container-grown trees provide height in spots where you can't plant in the ground and add drama and permanence where you might normally just grow annuals. But there are a few tips and techniques that can help you keep them growing healthy for years. Although you can plant almost any tree in a container, you'll have the best results with varieties that are naturally small. Find a few good candidates in "Trees to Grow in Containers," below left.

START WITH THE BEST POT To grow a tree in a pot, use a container at least 20 inches in diameter and height. The larger the pot, the better your tree will grow, plus it will be heavier and less likely to blow over. Though I love the look, I avoid containers that narrow at the top-they are hard to pull the root ball out when you need to repot or root prune. Instead I choose a pot that flares out at the top.