I bought a Prunus Kiku shidare this afternoon. It's a young tree - about three feet high and just about to bloom. It's in a fairly small pot. I have plans for it eventually - but what can I do now to ensure its continued health? Grateful for any tips or advice. Susanna
Hi Susanna, don't panic as long as its not pot bound then it should be fine if you keep it watered and give it the occasional feed. if you are not planning on planting it out soon then it might be better to wait until next winter to do so. If its a bit top heavy and you think the wind will knock it over then try to find some way of wedging it upright. Meanwhile, enjoy the blossom..... emily
Hi Susanna Firstly you need to decide whether you're keeping it in the pot or are going to plant it out. If you're going to keep it pot bound then I would advise you to repot it into a larger pot, taking care of the roots. As the tree will be unable to obtain nutrition as it would if it was planted out then you will have to feed it throughout the year. Formal pruning of young branches early on will prevent problems later on in the tree's life.
Thanks. I did move it to bigger pot but didn't disturb the roots. It's blooming a little now. I'll keep feeding it over the summer but I probably won't plant it out until winter 2012.
When you re-pot, or plant out, you will inevitably upset the roots to some degree. If its about to bloom now, I'd leave it in its current pot, but keep it watered and fed. When its flowers finish, then I'd re-pot it or plant it out. Because its in a pot, so it will have good roots already, it is generally ok I believe to move it any time of year (except just before flowering), but you will have to make sure it is well watered just before you take it out of the pot, well secure in the ground (or larger pot) when you move it, and kept well watered for at least a few days following its move. It may also need either some support, or be kept out of windy spots for a while after its move. The pot its in will be holding everything together. Once it goes into a much greater volume of soil, it will be vulnerable to being blown over and uprooted, so you should make sure that can't happen. After a couple of months its roots should have spread into their new surroundings so it should be a bit more secure.
