Potted Christmas Trees - maximum size?

alfharris8

Hello, 
Could anyone advise on what the maximum size one could grow a potted Christmas tree that would be kept outside rather than being brought in and out.
Thank you. 

Fairygirl

It would depend on the pot, is the simple answer  
Like anything else potted - especially shrubs/trees, they need a lot of extra care. They'll get root bound, so you'd either need to keep using bigger pots [difficult!] or you'd have to root prune, and also trim the tree, and I don't mean in the American sense. I mean that you'd need to lightly trim branches regularly to keep it healthy and fresh.
Trees grown for the Christmas market [in the ground ] are maintained so that they have a decent shape when cut down 

wild edges

Can you elaborate on why it has to be kept in a pot? There are ways to do it but if the plant needs to stay mobile all year then some won't work.

alfharris8

We don't have any soil around the house to plant things directly into the ground and I was just interested to know if you could grow them in containers for a few years at a reasonable (but not huge) size.

thevictorian

We have a Nordmann fir that is 6-7 ft tall in a pot and another that is 5 ft or so. These have been in their pots for between 6-8 years I think now. They are both in 60cm pots, which is the biggest I can find locally and the smaller was potted on this year. I up pot every year or two to a slightly larger pot and it seems to work well. They are now at a size where it's beginning to get impractical and they are extremely hard to move. I will need to think more about root prunning and shaping soon but for now they haven't needed to be touched, although they are likely a little bonsai'd.
So it can be done, it can be hard work, but it's nice having trees. 

Fairygirl

I'd agree with @thevictorian. I'd say that's about the sizing you're looking at. Many trees are very slow growing for the first few years anyway - even in the ground, so a reasonable specimen, with a decent potful of soil [not compost] should be enough for around five years. 
It'll depend on the type of tree too. 
Just bear in mind that the watering is vital if you're in a dry area, especially from spring onwards, and for the first couple of years to make sure it's happy.  

wild edges

My gran had a potted juniper in her garden for as long as I can remember and it never grew more than 5' tall. After she died I transplanted it into the ground here and it started shooting up into a full size tree. I seem to remember that the pot was on soil though and had some roots through the base.

Dovefromabove

If you’re hoping to move a potted tree in and out of the house, up steps over thresholds etc, for goodness sake mind your backs. 

Damp soil is incredibly heavy and tall trees are not easy to manoeuvre 😱 🩼 

Fairygirl

I think that's the reason @alfharris8 wants it outside @Dovefromabove
 
I've done it in the past, and it truly is - a right royal pain in the ...back 

Dovefromabove

Ah yes @Fairygirl … I’d misread … thanks. 

My apologies for getting it wrong … but watch your back anyway @alfharris8 👍 

Fairygirl

Even something fairly small - a shrub at around two to three feet, can be pretty heavy, but I find it's that they're awkward more than the weight when you're shifting them. 
Or am I just getting old and incapable?

[don't answer that.... ]