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What soil to buy for Pinus nigra 210 cm tall?

okeroker Posts: 22
edited November 2019 in Problem solving
What soil to buy for Pinus nigra 210 cm tall?


I don't have any garden, so, I cannot mix any soil from any garden with what I will buy. So, what I will buy I will have, ONLY.

Please, what and how many bags (litters) I should buy to mix it into a pot (diameter 70 cm  , height 50 cm.  ) ?

By the way, I will buy it without any pot.Only the roots in wrapping, which will be diameter 60 cm. I will make the pot by myself. But I cannot provide larger pot because I do not have any larger space. Is this large enough pot (diameter 70 cm  , height 50 cm) ?

The tree will be there for two or three years till I would find a garden for it.

This is the beauty I am going to buy!:


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Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 53,955
    I'd buy a bag of topsoil and a bag of a John Innes, loam based compost. Not peatfree stuff though.
    Bags are usually around 60 or 70 litres.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • okeroker Posts: 22
    Fairygirl said:
    I'd buy a bag of topsoil and a bag of a John Innes, loam based compost. Not peatfree stuff though.
    Bags are usually around 60 or 70 litres.
    Topsoil? Does topsoil have some name? Are there some more kinds / types? Or it does not matter? I will be doing shopping in homebase, so, I should ask them for "topsoil"? Do they have it? 

    John Innes? What type of John Innes? Or " loam based compost" is the type of the John Innes?

    And only one bag from each of them? So, it is only two bags? For such large pot? I guess it will be almost empty if I put there only two bags? Or not?
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,405
    You should be able to work out how many litres you need from the dimensions of your pot using an online volume calculator.

    What FG says re compost sounds fine. Just John Innes no.3 by itself would work too. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 53,955
    Just go to Homebase and ask for a bag of topsoil and a bag of a john innes which isn't peat free. They'll guide you. If they don't have anything other than compost, get some well rotted manure - also available in bags. John Innes is just a formulation. If they have topsoil, get 2 bags of that instead. 
    If 2 bags isn't enough , go back and get more, but that isn't a huge pot. The soil will settle anyway, so three bags will be used eventually of not right away.

    To be honest - pines will grow in almost anything, but compost on it's own isn't enough - too flimsy long term to support plants of any kind.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 10,933
    John Innes compost usually comes in 50L bags.
    If you filled you pot with compost to the top, you'd need about 150-160 litres. But your tree will have quite big roots, so you probably need about 120-140 litres of compost.
    You don't want to feed your tree too much, so probably John Innes No1 would suit, but see what others say, as I've never grown conifers in pots.
    I'd also add some extra horticultural grit to the John Innes to give better drainage as it can get quite claggy. That usually comes in 25Kg bags and I'd add most of 1 bag.
    Also, put your pot on pot feet to raise it off the ground or the roots may get too wet and die.
    And also.. don't forget it's a hardy tree, don't give it too much love and attention and not too much water. If you can use rainwater for watering this is much better than tap water.
    And, Good luck!

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 53,955
    They need very little @Pete.8. Conifers and pines survive on water and soil. That's about it  :)
    The only thing they wouldn't care for is alkaline conditions.
    I'd make sure it's well watered - the foliage will prevent anything from the sky getting to where it's needed, even over winter, unless it's in an area where there's regular rainfall. That doesn't mean it should be sitting in waterlogged soil either.  
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • madpenguinmadpenguin Posts: 2,523
    edited November 2019
    OP Just wondering why you need to buy a tree now to plant out in a garden in 2-3 years time.
    Taking into account location,soil,buildings will the garden be suitable?
    Can you not wait until you have an actual garden and then you can plant straight in the ground?
    Alternatively why not buy a much smaller tree and grow it on yourself.
    “Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,553
    madpenguin said:
    OP Just wondering why you need to buy a tree now to plant out in a garden in 2-3 years time.
    Taking into account location,soil,buildings will the garden be suitable?
    Can you not wait until you have an actual garden and then you can plant straight in the ground?
    Alternatively why not buy a much smaller tree and grow it on yourself.
    from previous postings, I believe it's going to be a christmas tree

    Devon.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 10,933
    Hostafan1 said:
    from previous postings, I believe it's going to be a christmas tree

    A tree is not just for Christmas!
    :)

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,553
    Pete.8 said:
    Hostafan1 said:
    from previous postings, I believe it's going to be a christmas tree

    A tree is not just for Christmas!
    :)
    I fear this one might be
    Devon.
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