I have buried containers in the ground in order to protect them, and that almost always works. Adding a little mulch over the area.. leaving a small space with nothing where the trunk is.. With really big containers try to mound up dirt on all sides and use a good amount of mulch over that.. You could probably grow that tree in the contain for many years as long as you periodically trim the roots and some branches..
J

but first.. why????

i grew a tricolor beech in a half whiskey barrel for 2 winters ... because it was a bargain.. and i knew i was going to move.. and conifers are trees.. so it should not matter ... a direct correlation ...

the biggest problem.. was moving the darn thing when i did move ... it was NOT light ... and i needed a dolly for it

insure large drainage holes..

and the most important thing.. will be what media you fill the tub with ...

you can NOT use dirt/soil ...

and trees do NOT prefer your standard peat based potting media ...

i would recommend a cactus mix.. or even better your own mix of 50% mini bark chunks and regular potting media ...

the mini chunks.. are rather large pieces for a media and do not retain water like peat.. so it increases your water movement.. and by taking up space.. reduces the amount of peat ...

because of the shear size of the pot.. i do not recall any additional winter protection in my z5 MI ... so i would expect that you should not worry about that in your z7 for the BAC ....

the one thing i would warn about.. is making sure the pot [especially if black] .. stays out of winter sun ... or warming roots may become active.. when the tree cant ... even something as simple as a bale of straw.. to keep the sun off the pot would be enough ... but if you can move it.. put it out of the prevailing wind and the sun for winter .. and you should be all set..

make any sense??

ken

Thanks for the advise Ken. Reason for it being contrainerized is that right now, I don't really have space for in in the existing plantings. I wanted to get it as it was smaller and more affortable than larger specimens and was wondering if container life would suit it until I end up putting it in the ground somewhere, someday. I understand these trees get big but have even seen them grown as bonsai. I'll try to find those mini bark chips. Enjoy the weekend!

subtropix, how'd the Atlas Cedar in a container work out?

I want to grow a Horstmann Atlas cedar cedar in a container on my patio but I read online that the Atlas Cedar's don't like root pruning.

What container?! I ended up planting it and creating a new (desert) island planting; including the Cedar, a containerized Oleander bush, cold hardy agave and mediterranean herbs (like lavender and rosemary). Not necessarily a mini theme garden. My Blue Atlas got rutted by deer the first season I put it into the ground. (It never fails, they nearly ALWAYS rut a tree the first year it goes into the ground!!) I know they are said to repeat the damage, but mine never have.) Anyway, the aromatic herbs (which deer HATE), the painfully sharp agave, and containerized (very poisonous) Oleander are there to help discourage the deer. So far, so good!

I was really bummed out by the damage and almost cut it down, but decided not to. The injury has been slowly sealing itself over from season to season. (I tidied up the injury by using a knife to make a "clean" scar..., something I read about on line.) First few seasons, growth was somewhat stunted but this year there's a lot of new growth and it's more symmetrical. Now, I am awaiting nature's judgement on the weeping Blue Atlas in other garden area--also deer rutted in the first year it went into the ground!

All that skinned off bark makes the tree more interesting as it repairs itself. You've got yourself a giant bonsai and dead wood is a prized part of a good many of them. Have fun!

I wouldn't mind a "giant bonsai" Atlas Cedar.

I see these guys planted all over suburbia ridiculously close to houses, garages, other trees/shrubs etc... Most people have NO FREAKIN' IDEA how enormous Cedar trees get to be at maturity!!

They also have no idea how to prune them. Cedars take extremely well to pruning and you can keep one at whatever size you want indefinitely. It isn't even that hard.

I know it's cold hardy, that wasn't the initial concern..., lack of SPACE was. And you DO have to be careful about hardiness in a container of any sort. Pots are not nearly as cold hardy as the ground! I think the standard advice is to go two zones colder for your area if you want a tree/shrub outside, year round in a pot. I believe true Cedars are hardy to around Zone 6b-ish (this is Zone 7). Still, this one along with its weeping cousin (they are actually the same species), were both in wine barrels throughout the year until I decided to move them into the ground. And growing very, very slow is not an issue for a tree that eventually wants to grow very, very BIG in a yard that is getting crowded..., LOL!