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Repotting into a much bigger pot
MockOrange
Posts: 6
Hi green friends. I have an olive tree that came in a 28cm pot; I read olives should be in a much bigger container so bought a lovely 55cm one. But then I read you shouldn't repot into a much bigger pot as there won't be enough roots to take up all the water. What can I do to not waste the new pot? Can I plant other things around the olive so there's collectively enough roots? I.e. treat it like a raised bed/ planter? Ideas welcome! Thanks
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Posts
you could pot the olive into a cheapo plastic pot and bury it in the big one
In the sticks near Peterborough
Thanks nutcutlet, great idea! Would it be ok to have damp soil sitting around the outside of the inner pot then, it wouldn't go mouldy or anything?
You could use gravel in the larger pot to raise up the smaller pot and fill round the gaps either side with gravel, the pot would be heavy but drainage would be good.
As the plant grows keep potting up until the plant is large enough to fit the 55cm pot...
Thanks, yes I'll give that a go. Maybe I'll try polystyrene, so it's not as heavy.
good idea
In the sticks near Peterborough
Hi
Can I ask why you shouldn't pot a olive tree in a big pot??
It's best not to over pot anything Giddy - the roots can get lost in the amount of soil, making it difficult to get the watering right, which can then make those little fine, new roots susceptible to rotting. It depends on the plant of course - but one which likes good drainage will tend to suffer a bit more than something which is less fussy.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I see. Thanks for that.
Olives need good drainage - I agree with Verdun - the pots will need weight for stability - use John Innes loam-based compost (not lightweight multi-purpose compost) and add a good proportion of coarse horticultural grit. I would use 3 parts John Innes to 1 part grit. That should ensure that the roots don't suffer from being too wet when the temperatures drop as they do in the UK.
Last edited: 22 August 2016 09:22:18
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.