This was very helpful! I didn't consider that sun heat becomes less of a problem once they're larger. That'll save me a lot when I'm buying new pots!

Pots bought from A.M are very cheap when you buy them in the fall with free shipping. 10 15gl are $62.00 and 20 gl ones are 10 for $68.00.

Right now I am staying with the 15gl ones for my 2017 grafts, these are good for 3 years after uppotting.This cherry tomato in a rootmaker pot does wonders for a month now.

Bob, can you tell me more about your rootmaker container? How do the roots fare in it? Do you see a lot of feeding roots compare to normal container? Do you use 5-1-1 with it?

Thanks

Tree's grow much better when the rootball is extensive, it does not allow for j-roots and big circulating roots to develop, nothing but feeder roots. It also allow air and better drainage. In an earlier post i mention that i now fertilize with Osmocote ( citrus/avocado/ mango) for the rest of the year into spring. This fert's were bought last fall at Walmart at more than 1/2 price, $4.00. Bought them all, i am good for a while. I use both can hurt the tree's.

Got plenty of rain lately guess where all the soluble fertilizer went, good guess, in the ground. If you have a piece of rope laying in a saucer going into the upper part of the pot,it will be absorb back in the soil. Hope it help, i am a little dense when it comes to explaining things. As you can see, it's easy to p... people of.

This thing went through a bunch of mod's, exstentions are final, tried it and it works pretty for my large containers, containers stays straight up during transport. Don't look good but...

Bob, thank you for your answer! Now I can’t wait to try my new air pruning pots! Do you use 5-1-1 mix in them?

Has anyone used Amaroo Tree Boxes like this one?

https://urbanboxgardens.com/product/24-amaroo-tree-box/

I've been eyeing these containers, thinking they may be good for longterm containerized trees since the sides are removable for root pruning as needed. Also, I like the fact that, unlike traditional nursery wooden tree boxes, these are made of plastic and are less likely to rot or degrade over time.

Yes I would use them, try one give us a opinion, that would be great.

Amy, yes I do but have a few changes because my local nursery carry all the stuff I need, like I add ricehull, his pinebark are pretty good for 5 1 1 not for 1 1 1.

Azomite,don,t know what that does and lime for starters.

Wow Cal. Those are cool and a good size too. Plus for that size, the price is amazing! My biggest containers with my container shrubs are 20" with a built-in catch basin (that has a hole on the side) where the shrub sits on a shelf with drain holes about 6" off the bottom of the base part. The gap between the "shelf" and base actually root prunes any roots that come through. I have 2 lilacs in them (one that has been in one for 20 years and another for almost 10). There is a clematis in a 3rd.

Bob - I use a whole mess of "-tones" all over my container plants - plant-tone for most of the neutral-pH shrubs, holly-tone for the acid-lovers, garden-tone for the veggies and herbs, bulb-tone for the bulbs, rhizomes and corms, and I rotate citrus-tone in for my citrus. I love the smell of manure in the morning. LOL Have been using them in my containers for the past 25 years. I grew up with holly-tone as my parents had a number of acid lovers and kept bags of it around (to go with the Miracid - which later changed its formula to not include sulfur and then changed the product name because of that). I also use Osmocote Plus in rotation on some too (including the citrus).

Jenny, you should not have any problems with what you are doing but just before spring when my citrus and tropicals are ready for outside they go back to Peters H/P till August 15. Plus micro,s. During heavy rains I refertilize more.

Between me and the goalpost I certainly do not like the smell of Espoma products and btw, don,t inhale that stuff.

LOL Bob. Between that and the fish emulsion foliar spray, it can get right "ripe" out there. :-D

Those tree boxes linked above sound and look great, but sounds like they're heavy - 13 pounds for the 24"(35 gallon) one. 6 pounds for the smallest (10 gallon) one.

Bob, your trees are gorgeous! You must be overwhelmed with citrus when they all ripen ;). Good problem to have!

Bob thanks for showing us your tree! Looks absolutely gorgeous wow!! I love all your growing and fertilizing tips. I'll be saving this thread!

Cal, I've seen a fig grower use that pot and it worked really well. Figs are really vigorous growers and need regular root pruning once established in containers so it's definitely a great investment if that will be its permanent home! If it doesn't work you can always put a different plant in there :)

Laura, no match with yours, i better keep quiet, you "is" the champ . Vetch, north/east?Laura got your answer.

Today i was going to up pot another of my young ones when i discover these things. Was surprise that the tree even grew well.

Beetle larva! Hope they aren't Japanese beetles. Need some skunks to give a hand with those. One of their favorite snack foods. ;-)

Eeehh I could handle seeing a few of those in a pot but a colony of larvae like that makes me queasy. Good thing you found them early Bob. I'll keep an eye on Laura's growing methods and ferts :) she also has beautiful trees everytime she posts pics