Take Plants Out Of Containers When Planting

Q. I see landscapers putting new plants in the ground without removing the black plastic pots.  I see these same plants thriving and doing a whole lot better than some of my own which I have planted in amended soil and surrounded with mulch. And that really ticks me off.

A. Sometimes it doesn't seem fair. You do everything right and your hard work doesn't seem to pay off. At least in the short run. Plants will grow in water if it has air bubbling through it and fertilizer available. That doesn’t mean it’s a healthy environment for their long-term survival.

            Soils used to produce plants in containers are inexpensive to make, lightweight so they are easy to carry and transport and drain water quickly. Plants growing in containers must be watered often and “fed” with regular applications of fertilizer. Container root environments encourage fast plant growth but are not intended for the long haul.

            Recently, I saw one-year old Western Redbuds in containers for sale at a local box store. The soil was sawmill waste plus fertilizer mixed in it and they were four feet tall! However, the trees were poorly rooted in the container, they had trouble staying upright, but they were big for one-year old trees!

            Plants in containers will continue to do well after planting in the ground, container and all. This is because the containers, together with the plant roots, are surrounded by cool soil and no longer punished by intense sunlight and high temperatures. After planting, plant roots grow through the bottom of the container and into the surrounding soil in just a couple months. The top of the plant grows quickly but its roots are surrounded by the plastic container, impeding its establishment.

            Vigorous plants survive through this ordeal, but more delicate ones will struggle and probably not. Landscapers are long gone by the time plants begin struggling. Some become weak and struggle after a couple of years growing with this plastic container surrounding its roots.

            Plants always perform better over the long term if planted into the soil and cared for properly. Some may struggle for the first few years. But most plants perform best if our soil is amended at the time of planting, giving them a good start. Stake larger plants the first year and water so that at least half the roots under the canopy are getting water as they continue to grow.

            Apply enough water so it infiltrates into the soil 1 foot deep for small plants and 2 feet deep for small and medium sized trees. Wood chips on the surface of the soil improve it so that the majority of its “feeder roots” are growing in the top few inches which they love but takes a season or two before they “catch”.