Evergreens grow well in containers and they give you the option of having a beautiful garden in winter, so instead of having a barren garden in winter consider growing evergreens, they give you a sense of attainment as well as a new experience.
Evergreens give you vibrant colors all year round. Some have flowers of beautiful colors, they make a lovely addition to your winter garden. It looks so charming to have flowers or beautiful plants on your patio or balcony when there is snow all around, some plants are so rugged that they can withstand extreme temperatures.
Evergreens grow well in containers; container-grown plants allow you to move them around according to your need. If the plants outgrow their container prune them or shift them to larger pots. You can even place them in-ground, it all depends on you.
Evergreens That Grow Well In Pots:
There are some evergreens that are easy to grow and have low maintenance requirements.
1: Juniper:
Junipers are hardy and tolerant container trees. It mainly prefers zone 4. It is a slow-growing plant that grows a maximum of eight inches long and six inches wide, so choose a container accordingly a small three-gallon container is suitable to grow this plant.
These evergreens thrive best in full sun so place your container in a bright spot. It’s easy to care for, you can keep this plant for several years by providing the required conditions.
2: Japanese skimmia:
It is a dioecious plant, comes in both male and female varieties, with bright green plants all year round and winter color with cherry mauve buds that ripen in autumn and last till the cold season.
Male plants are mainly grown for ornamental purposes, because of their beautiful buds. Females are mainly grown for their bright red colored showy berries, berries are produced after pollination. Place containers in full sun but it can also tolerate partial shade. These plants prefer zone 7.
3: Boxwood:
These make great container plants that are easy to grow, as they don’t mind negligence. While choosing these plants examine your climatic conditions as they are hard to grow in zone 7-9.
They grow best in partial shade but also enjoy full sun. They are slow growers, and grow up to ten feet wide and long but took many years to reach this point. Smaller species such as ‘Green Mountain’ or ‘Green Jam’ can give yellow-green mounds, which you can easily handle.
4: Arborvitae:
They are beautiful, classy, and easy to care for. Emerald Green’s arborvitae is a dark green type. It has a narrow pyramid-like shape, it grows up to seven or eight feet in length and width. Plant them in zone two to seven, they can tolerate partial shade but grow vigoursoly in full sun.
Plant them in large pots, fill your pot with good quality mix and place your plant in it. It gives you elegant looks continuously for several years.
5: Italian cypress:
It grows best in outdoor pots and gives a formal touch to your garden. I prefer zone 7-10. They like full sun and well-drained soil. It is a drought-tolerant plant, which makes this evergreen perfect for containers.
6: Skyrocket juniper:
It is difficult to grow in Zone 4. It is a sun-loving plant that grows well in bright light. Place your pot in a spot where it gets bright light minimum for 6-7 hours per day.
It gives an esthetic touch to your garden; as its leaves come in variant colors mostly have a sliver blue shade. It grows up to 15 feet high and 2 feet wide, stunningly in its column shape.
7: Dwarf blue spruce:
The silver-blue needles of this evergreen grab attention. Slowly growing to a height of 3 to 5 feet, this tree prefers bright sun exposure for 5-6 hours per day and grows well in zones of 2 to 8. It has many varieties that come in small, conical shapes as well as mounded forms.
8: Ceanothus:
It is worth growing because not only does it give a stunning look to your garden with its bright blue colored flowers, but also a nitrogen-fixing plant. It is a shrubby plant.
Selection of ceanothus:
Be sure to select the right type of ceanothus, as some are much larger than others. Ceanothus griseus spreads in a low shrub form, and Ceanothus repels also has a low, spreading habit, it can be grown in containers to spread against a wall or fence.
Flowering:
Blooming time largely depends on the type you grow, as some plants bloom in late winter and some in spring until summer.
10: Cotoneaster:
Cotoneaster is also a great option for growing in pots. It has beautiful white flowers, followed by berries after pollination. It comes in different forms.
Depending on the type it can form into more straight bushes or tree-like shapes, neatly cut for compact shape, it can also spread horizontally across a fence or wall. Cotoneaster can grow in full sun or partial shade. it is a very easy plant to grow.
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11: Daphne:
Daphne is a famous blooming shrub. its charming and lush flowers often bloom at the end of winter and stay long.
Varieties of Daphne to grow:
Dwarf alpine species such as D. arbuscula, D. genkwa and D. cneorum are good for growing in pots. Though there are many types that will work wonderfully in containers. Growing conditions vary from type to type as some grow well in dark but some require full sun to grow best. Moreover they like damp but not wet soil.
12: Heathers:
Many heathers and heaths in the Calluna and Erica genus will work very well in pots. While growing you should have knowledge that Heather and Heath usually need an ericaceous fertilizer, and grow well if you maintain acidic conditions around them.
They are relatively low-maintenance plants. Select the right heathers for your container garden; they will give you wonderful blooms all year round.
Heathers is the best choice:
Heathers are the best choice to grow because it gives you year-round interest; not only its flowers but foliage also grab the viewer’s attention. The foliage changes its color during growing periods.
13: Viburnums:
Evergreen viburnums are also among plants that are suitable for containers. For example, Viburnum Tinus is a great value shrub that can work well in containers , as it can tolerate different light levels from bright to partial shade and even deeper shade.
Appearance:
It is a great option to consider because you can find different vibrant colors in one plant as it has dark, glossy green-colored leaves, white-colored flowers, and purplish color berries. This is a great ornamental plant to grow.
Some Evergreen Culinary Herbs:
When it comes to culinary herbs most people think that they are annulled, but there are many evergreen culinary herbs that perform well in pots and these can also be amazing to grow.
14: Rosemary:
Rosemary is one of the most loved culinary herbs, especially when paired with some roasted potatoes. It is also a beautiful plant that can survive various environmental fluctuations.
Soil for rosemary:
Like many other Mediterranean herbs, rosemary also prefers well-drained soil with high nutrient content. It does not like waterlogged soil, as it damages its root.
Pot selection:
It might be worth growing rosemary in a terra cotta pot. Drag your pot indoors during the extreme days of winter.
15: Lavender:
Lavender thrives in USDA Zone 5. But blooming needs a high temperature, so when the temperature increases a bit flowers appear on stalks. It is possible to grow it easily until you have a bright spot for them.
Water requirements are identical to rosemary. It will also work well in pots that can be brought in if the weather gets too harsh. It gives a beautiful fragrance, and this spread all around your garden. It gives you harvest at the start of spring.
16: Sage:
It is a great addition to your garden, as it gives a delightful touch to your food. It is easily growing like other herbs.
Sage is a hardy perennial, and it can survive temperatures far below freezing point. It thrives best in well-drained soil and requires plenty of sunshine to thrive best. Sage also has beautiful flowers. You will see plenty of bees and butterflies in your garden when you grow them.
Care for Evergreens in Containers:
The following things can be considered while growing evergreens in containers.
Selection of container:
The selection of the right container is important. A light-colored container works best as it does not absorb much heat as a dark-colored one. You have to protect your roots from overheating so select accordingly. The portability of containers also matters, concrete containers are the best to choose because they stay long.
Wooden utensils are also used but keep in mind wood may rot, so paint it before filling. Terracotta and pottery are also best as they have an adequate draining system.
Size of container:
Choose a pot that is two or three times wider than the ball of the tree root you are planting so that your evergreen roots get full room to grow their best. Drainage is the key, so make sure there are drainage holes in the pot.
Add pebbles or pieces of wires they aid in drainage.
Soil:
Use top-quality potting soil with high draining ability. Fill half of the container with the soil before placing the plant in the pot. Place the plant in the pot and add more soil around its base, slightly press the soil as you add it.
Light:
Depending on the variety of evergreens and their need for sunlight, avoid putting your pot in direct sunlight to keep the soil and roots cooler throughout winter, as overheating damage the plants. Some plants are drought tolerant so they do not mind direct light exposure. Give the evergreen a thorough soaking.
Watering:
You may think that evergreens do not need water in winter. While they may not require a ton of attention, do not overlook the water completely. If you live in an area where the temperature falls up to a freezing point, usually water the roots until the soil freezes (weekly wetting is usually sufficient).
This will help keep your perennial roots from drying out. Since evergreens growing in pots are more prone to drying out, they require consistent moisture; the use of an anti-desiccant spray may also help reduce moisture loss.
Temperature:
Not only cold but extreme temperature fluctuations also prove fetal for evergreens. Excessive temperature fluctuations can shock your evergreen container plants.
To avoid this, keeping pots in partially shaded areas where they will not be warmed by the sun on a hot day and then being suddenly shocked by a drop in night temperature is an ideal strategy for long-lived evergreen vegetables.
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Growing Tips For Evergreens In Containers:
For evergreens life in containers can be very different from land.
- While the containers provide the best drainage, they depend on you for everlasting food and water. Containers do not protect evergreen roots from extreme climatic conditions like rising and fall in temperature as much as the soil can, so they are more susceptible to temperature changes.
- Because of this, selecting a hardwood evergreen for the winter is not a bad idea. In addition, you should have some knowledge about growing evergreens in pots.
- Mulching is also a great option to consider, Mulch the soil with woodchips to help hold soil moisture and reduces the sun’s heat.
- The selection of soil is also very important for your evergreen container plants. Suitable soil will provide appropriate nutrients and retain enough water required by plants. It also keeps the evergreen from blowing over in windy conditions.
- Fill the bottom 1/3 of the pot with gravel or pebbles; it helps in efficient drainage, and also play role in the stabilization of the tree.
- Make sure that you add plenty of slow-release fertilizer to your soilless mix for your evergreen container plants. This will ensure the availability of nutrients to plant during the whole growing season.