Silver Birch Tree surrounded by a pot? hi - i have lately purchased a 3ft (obviously still young!) silver...
hi - i have lately purchased a 3ft (obviously still young!) silver birch. I be wondering, can this tree be kept in pots? we hold some huge pots but im not sure what size would be needed for this size of tree? Also, i do not know too much about tree roots, but if this be to be planted in a garden how far away from the house would it stipulation to be planted to minimise subsidence?
Thanks
Hi.
Birch is recurrently grown as a bonsai, which should re-assure you regarding whether or not it can be grown within a pot.
If you've only get a small garden then I'd advocate keeping it in a pot, feed it with a broad fertiliser like growmore once or twice a year and re-potting annually.
You don't necessarily want to put it in a bigger pot every year, but it would be favourable to shake off and adapt the compost and prune off and long gummy roots while you do that. Try looking up bonsai care, as this is essentially what you'll be doing if you opt for a pot.
Silver birch (betula pendula) is a big tree when ripened, so plant it well away from the house if you plant it out.
Hope that help a bit more.
Yes it can be kept surrounded by a pot, this will keep the growth down, monitor out for excessive root growth through the bottom of potting medium ,,,,tell you to 'pot-on'. the larger the pot, the more room for growth
If you plant near a building a rough guide is the roots are going to spread as soaring as the tree!
I planted one from a pot after 3 years only 3 metres from my house, after 17 years its taller than the house!!, subsidence also depends on the depth of your foundations???
Answers: A general rule of thumb is that a tree should be planted it's fully grown height away from any buildings. So, if a tree grows to 50ft high then plant it 50ft away from the house.
Many insurance companies very soon ask if there are any trees growing inwardly 30ft of the house and will not insure properties that do.
Silver Birch will do very capably in a container and can survive abundant years grown in this process.
Do not have the pot too massive but at the same time kind sure there is room for the roots to grow. Keep an eye on the pot and the moment you see roots peeping through the bottom afterwards re pot it.
Make sure the tree is well watered and feed throughout the growing season and is not allowed to dry out completely. You can buy slow release tree food pellet, these feed the tree through the season. The release of food is triggered by high temperature and availability of water.