Conifers in Pots - What Works?
December 6th, 2006 
by Susan Harris
SUMMER KILLS
Not a pretty sight, huh? It’s the carcass of a Bosnian pine (15 bucks
at Home Depot) planted in a pot on my front porch. In afternoon sun, it proceeded to die over the course of the summer, I’m assuming from gardener-neglect or the deadly scourge of lackawata. (Reminds of early Bette Midler singing in mock-Hawaiian, "Ahwae, lakanookie’s got me.") On the right is another Bosnian pine bought at the same time but planted in the soil, and it’s looking great. Maybe I should enjoy the sight while I can because I’ve just moved it to the empty pot recently abandoned by its dead cousin, so I have yet another chance to kill it, either soon or next summer.
WINTER KILLS, TOO
Sure, I know about winter killing plants in pots, even here in Zone 7, and the trick is to buy plants that are hardy to at least
two zones colder. So here’s one of the ‘Sea Green’ junipers I recently added to two more pots on my front porch (yes, I’m determined and haven’t run out of money yet). It’s hardy to Zone 4 - minus 30 degrees for crissakes - so I expect to see it alive come next spring. That is, assuming again that I remember to water it - it’s under the porch so doesn’t benefit from precipitation.
THE SURVIVOR
And here on the right is a Korean pine that went in this pot in September of ‘05, so it’s survived a whole year - so far. I love, love, love its needles and can’t keep my hands from stroking them. Wish it luck.
Click on any of the photos for enlargements.
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December 7th, 2006 at 11:01 am
Hmmm…the dreaded “lackawata.” That seems to hit at least one of my porch pots every summer
I love how conifers look in pots. I know I pay more attention to them in pots than I would if they were planted in the ground. That Korean pine is sweet. I’ll have to keep that in mind for my porch.
December 7th, 2006 at 9:16 pm
Poor little evergreens! I’m allergic to junipers, but both pines are lovely.
Susan, maybe instead of wishing you luck I should wish they were in my garden - I’ll water them!!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
December 15th, 2006 at 12:21 am
That’s an interesting rule of thumb on what to plant to survive in containers…although lackawata might be the biggest plague for me too
January 4th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
I’m late to this conversation…but Susan, I have a (definitely tangential) question for you. Given your enviable green thumb, how would you recommend I build a garden for a house we’ll probably leave? We’re house-hunting in Virginia, though lazily. Although I hesitate to pour my heart (and pocketbook) into our temporary plot of land, I can’t keep my hands out of the dirt. Any words of wisdom?
Your newest reader,
Kathryn