thanks for your advice.
hi, I was given this massive ceramic/terracotta type pot. I wonder If I can get some tree/palm/lemontree/ whatever to fill it in right away and which would survive winter outside on the balcony? Sunnny balcony from the morning till 2-3 pm...
First question is the pot designed for winter? Not all are. There might be a sticker on it with a picture of a snowflake.
In my experience, you are best with an evergreen, Thuja or Buxus. But you may still need to protect it if it gets very cold, by wrapping the pot and plant. Here comes the tricky part, you still need to give it water and sunlight, so on warmer sunny days undo the wrap. Some people use clothes pins.
I would stay away from Bambus. Despite planter pots designed for winter and wrapping, mine did not survive the second winter I had them.
You need a heavy duty woolen, full length, six pocket c/w hoody winter coat for it ,or a Canadian parka
Hi, pot was used for outside palm tree for years so I guess it is suitable for winter.
Evergreens are safe bet but I wanted some sort of tree...Will have a look today at garden centre.
thanks again
I've got a 2m.ish magnolia tree which has survived and flourished the last couple of winters on my balcony (with similar sun exposure to yours) without wrapping up. I keep meaning to wrap it but somehow always leave it too late. My neighbour has a lovely Japanese maple which seems to flourish with no wrapping. I wanted to get a similar one myself, but fainted at the price. The more established a tree is the better it will survive. Judging from what is growing round here it seems that the real killer is exposure to freezing winds.
Don't get Buxus because it will not survive as Zurich box trees are being ravaged by hordes of "BuchbaumzuÌnsler",a recent Chinese expat apparently. The caterpillars just strip the leaves in a season and there is no way of stopping them so I am told by Google.
We've got a fig tree growing in a pot.
Fig trees like growing in the confines of a pot - you get more fruit and they can tolerate cold temperatures.
Keep the pot off the ground over winter with a piece of expanded polystyrene.
I wouldn't bother if you don't like eating figs.
Tom, do you think a fig would grow at ca. 7-800 meters? I keep eyeing the fig trees at the garden center...
While not technically Hohenlage, I've had better luck when planting for high altitude because we are on the dark side (both literally and metaphorically ) of the Rossberg.
I've seen a Bergfeige that is supposed to be winter hardy to -15c. Colder than that is rare here, but possible. What variety do you have?
I have a space on the patio that is well-protected against the house, but it gets only morning sun. How much sun does a fig need?
I bought two plants at landi this summer. No idea what variety of fig. They did relatively well in the pot, a little fruit. We're at 550 meters though. I have to go through my pots and decide what to put in the greenhouse - stuff has done ok in the winter, but year before last it was warm and then cold again in March....that's what killed everything. (So i had to replace things). But i think what Tom suggested makes sense.
No green thumbs, just wallets.
I reckon it's 50/50 whether it will survive.
I was up your way this morning running and could have done with a compass.
You're probably 300 metres higher than me and whilst my town was warm, up your way was cold, thick fog.
I've no idea what variety mine is but it was growing on the gold coast in a very sunny spot before it got dug up and moved to the dark side.
It was in the ground but roots escaped the stone root bowl so I dug it up, pruned it right back and put it in a pot.
It's on it's second crop of figs this year.
All its fellow figs on the sunny gold coast died a couple of winters ago - and these were big plants but mine was fine over here.
But, mine's south facing in a sheltered garden.
I'd give it a go.
If you find yourself lost in the Ausserschwyz fog, just follow the sound of the barking dog.
Chances are it's my Belltie.
I'd recommend Japanese maples. I've had mine in a pot for two years now, and we get harder winters than Zurich.
And the colours of the leaves about now are stunning.
(check for caterpillars too, though. Last year we got some, thankfully I saw them in time to save the tree)
That's a good recommendation - we've had one in a pot for about 15 years and it's doing well.