Spring is the perfect time to do some important gardening maintenance, especially if you have plants and flowers ready to blossom in the near future. A gardening expert has urged fellow green thumbs to take a look at their potted plants, particularly any trees that are growing in pots.
Gardening expert and TikTok creator Ish warned that there’s a simple mistake many people are making when growing trees in pots, and that it could be affecting its ability to grow. In a recent video, Ish wrote in the video’s caption: “Avoid this common mistake when planting small trees into pots. If you have made this mistake your plants will struggle to grow but it can be easily fixed.”
The gardening expert revealed that this overlooked mistake can happen to anyone, and it’s all to do with the type of compost you put into your plant pots. This can affect the growth of the plants in pots or raised beds.
If you’re growing different types of trees, no matter what the variety, Ish explained that they grow “really well” in pots, but that a simple mistake can stunt their growth. You need to make sure that you are using the correct and best type of compost when growing trees.
Ish said: “As you can see, a good multipurpose compost will allow this to absolutely thrive, but if you don’t put enough in here – like I’ve got a three-inch drop here – you’re actually not giving it enough and it might actually starve, because remember, in a pot it’s got nowhere else to go, so the amount of nutrients in here has to give it as much as it needs to absolutely thrive.”
Ish explained that it isn’t always just as simple as adding more compost to the plant pot. Instead, he recommends not burying the trees any deeper than they need to be.
If the tree’s root becomes too moist, it can end up rotting it away, and the plant will struggle to grow. Allow the compost and soil to dry out over a couple of days, and then pull the tree by the stem upwards to the height that you want.
The rub the edges of the compost to break down the soil, allowing it to naturally fall to the bottom of the pot. You want to make sure to do this until you’ve set the tree at the new height you want.
Once all of the loose soil has been moved to the bottom, briefly wrong the tree and its root, to build-up the bottom layer of compost with more of the same. When you return the tree to the pot, it should be sitting much higher than before.
Add more compost around the base of the stem to keep the soil all level. Ish said: “As a result, I’m giving it loads and loads of new fresh nutrients, so as this is being watered it’s all going to mix between the layers, and this should absolutely thrive.
“It’s the best way to make sure you bring the level up on your tree without damaging it. So, if you haven’t put enough in, now you know how to.”
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