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It’s easy to assume that your newly planted trees will take care of themselves. After all, you likely relied on tree care experts to select the best trees for your environment and give them the best start to life.
Most people buy trees to plant in the ground. You purchase a sapling, dig a hole, plant it, and watch as it grows into a beautiful, large, mature tree. However, not everyone is in a position to enjoy a mature tree. Does that mean they have to miss out on their many benefits? As it turns out, no.
Many Kiwis are now buying trees to plant in pots, allowing them to enjoy nature at home without having to plant their tree permanently into the ground. If you’re unsure if potted trees are right for you, learn about their many advantages below.
They’re Suitable for Small Sections
Section sizes are getting smaller by the day in NZ, with the median section size now just 599m2 in Wellington and 647m2 in Auckland. As a result, not everyone has enough free space for large tree species.
However, you can still enjoy beautiful trees on your property, regardless of their size, when you plant them in pots. Many native plants are suitable for growing in containers and pots and can thrive for several years with regular watering and controlled release fertiliser, such as osmocote.
While Kauri are among the tallest trees in the world and can grow up to 50m tall, you can keep them at a more manageable size within a planter pot. You might also decide to grow cabbage trees, Pohutukawa, flax, Puka, and other beautiful trees that most people typically only see growing in the ground.
Homeowners will even be able to enjoy benefits like not having to dedicate a large part of their section to trees or having to contend with them being hazards or obstacles.
They Make Great Gifts
Candles and socks are a solid option for those hard-to-buy-for friends and family members, but trees can be much better. Most people can’t help but smile when they receive a beautiful tree sapling as a gift.
You don’t even need to worry about visiting your local nursery if you’re short on time. Many companies now offer trees as gifts online. You can visit a website, pick a tree you like, and the company will ship it to the recipient’s address. Your friend or whanau member can then decide to keep it in a pot or plant it in the ground.
Trees can also be a thoughtful gift, especially when a particular tree species has special meaning to the recipient.
They’re Ideal for Schools and Businesses with Limited Space
Not all schools and businesses have space for large trees, nor do all schools and businesses have time for the care and maintenance of large trees, even though companies like Pro Climb can offer convenient contract tree care services to take care of everything
Rather than planting trees in what little free space you have, you can plant them in containers and pots. As a result, you can enjoy greenery and nature without it taking over.
You Can Move Them Around
Many people reach out to tree care experts when they realise they’ve planted their tree in the wrong place. While transplanting is an option in many situations, it can sometimes be invasive or not possible.
If you plant trees in a pot, you don’t have to worry about them being in the wrong place. When you realise they’re not where you want them, you can lift the pot or container and shift them.
You Can Take Them With You When You Move
Over half a million Kiwis rent in NZ. While that figure might change in the future, it means that hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders don’t have permission or the right to have the plants and trees they want.
However, you can have whichever trees and shrubs you desire if you plant them in containers and pots. If you have to move for any reason, you can take them with you. This can be especially helpful if you’ve planted a tree for a special reason. Rather than leave something that means so much to you at your family home, you can uplift it and take it to your next home.
Are trees in pots easy to care for?
Tree maintenance doesn’t have to be complicated, especially when you can rely on companies offering arborist services for trimming, pruning, bracing, spraying, and other tree-related tasks.
However, trees can often be much easier for homeowners to maintain when they’re in pots. You can maintain their small size since their roots don’t have the opportunity to spread, and call upon expert arborists to take care of regular root pruning to keep them small.
When you have your favourite trees planted in pots, you can also keep a close eye on their health, take action when you need to, and protect them from the elements by moving them when it’s too hot or cold for them to thrive.
What Kind of Help Can You Get with Your Potted Trees?
The team at Pro Climb can assist you with selecting the best trees to plant in pots and provide guidance on how to care for them properly. Potted trees can be a great alternative for those unable to own well-established trees planted in the ground, and the team at Pro Climb is available to answer any questions you may have.