STEP BY STEP How to plant a tree in a pot

Fill the pot with the compost after placing an upturned 5cm pot over the drainage hole to stop it getting blocked. Mix controlled-release plant food into the compost.

Remove the tree from its pot and place it on the compost surface. The best planting depth is with the bulky part at the bottom of the trunk just above the level of the rim of the pot. If roots are tightly wound, tease them apart with your fingers.

Water the tree well until puddles start to form on the compost surface and repeat each time the compost is pale, dusty and dry on top.

Insert a stake into the compost and secure the tree to the stake using a rubber tree tie, taking care not to overtighten the tie and damage the stem.

DO remove the top 5cm of compost each spring and replace with fresh, plus more controlledrelease plant food.

DO grow trees in pots of soil-based compost. Multi-purpose will dry out too quickly, be too light and need replacing each year.

DO select a heavy pot that won’t be easily blown over in the wind.

DON’T choose trees that have roots bursting out of the pot they are being sold in – they may not establish well. Dos and don’ts

Key points

◼ Trees in pots will not grow as quickly or as tall as they would when grown in the ground.

◼ Over time the tree will cast shade and change the growing conditions of part of the patio.

Find out more

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