Balconies and terraces can be made particularly cozy if a large, green tree provides shade there. But caution is advised, especially with exotic species, because they are often not hardy and need a cool and bright room during the cold months. However, there is a large selection of hardy trees that can be grown in pots and left outdoors during the winter months.
Which trees are hardy and suitable for pots?
Hardy trees for the pot include common yew, dwarf pine, dwarf girl pine, dwarf larch, juniper, false cypress, boxwood, Japanese maple, Japanese cake tree, pagoda dogwood, willow, dwarf ginkgo and dwarf fruit trees. These can be left outside in winter, but require protective measures such as insulating pads and foil, as well as reduced watering and fertilization.
Large selection of hardy trees
Basically, any local tree is suitable for container cultivation. This is proven by the millennia-old bonsai culture in Japan. However, if possible, you should only use species without taproots and those that remain small (naturally or through breeding). These require significantly less care than large trees, which require a lot of attention when grown in pots. For this reason, prefer columnar trees as well as dwarf versions of common species. Trees grafted onto weakly growing rootstocks and very slow-growing species are also well suited for container cultivation. Here we have a few well-suited hardy candidates:
- Common Yew (Taxus baccata)
- Dwarf pine (Pinus mugo)
- Dwarf maiden pine (Pinus strobus)
- Dwarf larch (Larix kaempferi)
- Juniper (Juniperus communis)
- Cypresses (Chamaecyparis)
- Boxwood (Buxus)
- Japanese Japanese maple (Acer palmatum)
- Japanese pie tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum)
- Pagoda dogwood (Cornus controversa)
- Willow (Salix), for example the harlequin willow (Salix integra 'Hakuro Nishiki')
- Dwarf Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba 'Mariken')
- Dwarf fruit trees, e.g. E.g. apple, pear, cherry
Properly care for a hardy tree in a pot
Whether your winter-hardy potted tree actually feels comfortable and stays he althy depends primarily on proper care.
Winter protection
This includes, for example, winter protection, which is also absolutely necessary for hardy potted trees. The reason for this is the small amount of substrate in the pot, which does not offer the roots any protection from freezing. Therefore, you should take these protective measures during the winter months:
- Place the pot on an insulating base made of Styrofoam or wood
- Wrap the pot with fleece (€34.00 on Amazon) or insulating foil
- Cover the root area with fir or spruce branches/straw or similar
- Move the pot towards a house wall
Watering and fertilizing
Fertilizing should be stopped in July or August at the latest, depending on the type and variety of the potted tree. This gives new shoots the chance to mature in time before winter. From August onwards, gradually reduce the amount of watering so that the tree is only watered a little in the winter months - but don't forget the water, because the plant is thirsty even in winter!
Tip
When it comes to potted trees for the balcony, it is best to first find out about the statics of the balcony and how much weight it can carry - large trees in particular can be extremely heavy, including the soil and planters.
