Pot choice train – cork oak

Probably the greatest issues about repotting season is that it offers a chance for us to pick new containers for our timber.

After we transfer timber from coaching pots or poorly matched containers to one thing higher, it may be like having a brand new tree within the yard.

One tree that stumped me this yr was a cork oak. The tree is new to the backyard and has but to be labored on, however I wished to discover a container that suited the tree and would offer some house for improvement. (I usually use outsized containers for timber which can be a couple of years away from having their last silhouette.)

Listed here are some apparent and not-obvious choices for the cork oak together with feedback about what I do or don’t like in regards to the mixture.

Pot 1 – grey oval (unglazed) with curved sides

Over time I’ve used extra grey pots for oaks than brown pots, and extra ovals than rectangles. Grey clays name consideration to the primarily grey bark and supply distinction to the brown stripes on the base of every fissure alongside the trunk.

The mushy silhouettes of cork oaks lend themselves properly to ovals, however to not ovals with giant lips.

The above pot has a small lip and two curves alongside the pot wall, one outward and one inward. I feel that form makes extra sense with timber which have extra curves alongside the trunk.

This pot can be on the small aspect for a tree that may require a number of years of improvement earlier than having major branches giant sufficient to enhance the corky trunk.

The second pot I attempted can be a grey oval, however the sides have a single curve outward and the scale is a greater match for the tree.

Pot 2 – grey oval (unglazed) that flares outward

This isn’t my favourite form pot for cork oaks, nevertheless it’s not far off and the scale is true in the meanwhile.

The following pot I attempted doesn’t have a lip, however the sides are vertical which I don’t assume fits the tree very properly.

Pot 3 – reddish/brown oval (unglazed) with no lip

I’m additionally not a fan of the colour, and the container is manner too shallow for this stage of improvement.

Subsequent up is a darkish grey rectangle.

Pot 4 – grey rectangle (unglazed) with window

Rectangles strike me as too robust for oaks that don’t have large trunks or angular options. The depth of the above rectangle makes the trunk look small.

I feel the brown rectangle beneath is a greater match for the tree, nevertheless it’s not nice and it’s too giant for the tree.

Pot 5 – brown rectangle (unglazed) with band and pinched corners

As you possibly can see within the picture beneath, even higher depth and cloud ft aren’t a very good complement for the tree. One thing related is perhaps acceptable when the tree is nearer to its last silhouette, however the extra ornate particulars would solely make sense to me if the tree had strikingly refined options like an ideal silhouette, nice floor roots, and clearly outlined pads – all options that we don’t usually affiliate with cork oaks.

Pot 6 – deep brown rectangle (unglazed) with pronounced lip and cloud ft

The above containers are all made in Japan. To strive a pot with much less refined options, I attempted a couple of home containers made by Sara Rayner. The primary was an unglazed oval.

Pot 7 – casual brown oval (unglazed) by Sara Rayner

Though this shade of brown isn’t my favourite match for the oak, it’s not far off and I like the overall form as the perimeters barely flare outward. It’s too massive, nevertheless, and a bit a lot for this stage of improvement.

Not forgetting that broadleaf evergreens can look good in glazed pots, I attempted a deep rectangle with rounded sides.

Pot 8 – blue rounded rectangle by Sara Rayner

I actually like the mixture right here. Had been the pot not big for the tree I’d probably use it as a rising container. I’ll maintain this pot in thoughts if I come throughout a bigger oak as I feel the colour and form swimsuit the tree properly.

Lastly, I attempted a prettier model of the above pot however discovered it to be too fairly (and too giant) for the oak.

Pot 9 – blue oval with bullets by Sara Rayner

It seems I didn’t have the “good” container for the tree, however good is relative at this stage because the tree would do high quality in many of the above pots because it’ll take 5 or extra years earlier than the tree has a refined silhouette.

I went with the second grey oval as I like the colour and dimension for the tree though it’s not the precise form I’d like to make use of sooner or later.

After repotting (pot #2), 22″ tall

You might discover that I went with the opposite aspect of the tree because the entrance – additional proof that the tree has a methods to go!

Do you might have a favourite container among the many choices above – or a totally completely different type that you simply assume enhances cork oaks properly? Tell us within the feedback beneath.