Pluots in air pruning pot, am I doing it right?

General Fruit Growing
1

Hi,

Just planted 2 pluots (Flavor King and Flavor Supreme on citation) in the air pruning container 35L (9 gallon). They sent me 2 years old big trees, I had to butchered the root to fit the container. Please see attached photo. The container mix I used is miracle-gro potting mix. I am in zone 7b (SE NY). I do plan to bring the containers to unheated attached garage during frost months. Am I doing it right?

Your suggestions and comments are welcome

Thank you

2

I’d suggest a bigger container if using that type. That’s going to need watering twice a day.

Also the tree looks to be too deep in the pot. Those roots should be just below the soil surface. The roots will grow down better than up. In that pot I’d want it as full of media as possible with the upper roots just below the soil surface. That may mean staking until it gets rooted in.

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Big pot. 15 gallon or more. I switched to 25 gallon pots this past summer … Invest in a dolly if you need to move them around.

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I was thinking that too,maybe about twice the size container.What does the top look like?Did that get any pruning? Brady

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Thank you all for the reply. I also removed most of branches on the top. Headed back about 24 inches above graft union. Do you think I can wait until next year to repot?

IMG_3412.JPG960×1280 580 KB

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@InfiniteFruit

Just to mention…

Unless you have some other reason for doing so, in zone 7b you don’t have to bring these indoors during frost months.

Mike

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See how the watering goes and how the tree grows. That will tell you when and if to up pot. You can stick with that at least one yr, maybe 3-4 yrs. The pot looks bigger here than above.

I’ve found the tree nearly stops growing after about 3-4 yrs in a 12 gal normal pot without the holes on sides. At that point the tree needs repotting or up potting, and renewal pruning.

I’ve fruited apricots in 3-4 gal pots. Same for three trees in a 12 gallon pot. So if you can rewet the media in those pots without too many issues you can get fruit. If the media gets too dry it can be hard to rewet. At that point I stand them in a shallow saucer to help rewetting.

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