Selection of balcony trees

View of the Acer palmatum cv Little Princess

Acer palmatum cv Little Princess.
Image – Gardeningexpress.co.uk

Would you like to have a tree but you don’t have land? Do not worry! There are many that you can grow in a pot from your balcony. If you want to know which ones, in this special you will be able to find out, not only the main characteristics of each one that I am going to recommend, but also how you should take care of them.

So without further ado here is a list of balcony trees with which you can enjoy your home even more.

What kind of trees can I put on my balcony?

Camellia sinensis, a suitable pot plant

When looking for a tree to put on the balcony, you must bear in mind at all times that not all of those that we will find in nurseries can live in pots. Either because their root system is very strong, or because the size they reach is too much to be able to be in a container, there are many arboreal species that need to be on the ground sooner or later.

Then, How do you know if a tree is suitable for pots? Well, it is not easy, but from experience I can tell you how this plant must be:

  • The trunk, once mature, is thin, no more than 30cm thick.
  • It has small leaves.
  • It can bloom at a very young age.

Selection

Maple palmate

A potted Acer palmatum

Image – Lowes.com

Known as japanese maple, is a deciduous tree native to East Asia. It reaches a height between 2 and 10 meters depending on the species and / or cultivar. It has palmate leaves that turn reddish or orange in fall.

Resists up to -15ºC. It cannot live in tropical climates.

Albizia julibrissin

Known as the silk tree, silky-flowered acacia, or Constantinople acacia, it is a deciduous tree native to Southeast and East Asia. Reaches a height of about 15 meterswith a more or less parasolate crown composed of bipinnate leaves. It blooms during the spring.

Resists up to -4ºC.

Camellia

Camellia can be grown in a pot

Camelia is the genus of shrubs and trees native to Asia that they can reach a height between 2 and 10 meters. They have simple, lanceolate leaves of a glossy dark green color. They produce very decorative flowers, single or double, white, red, pink or yellow.

They resist frosts down to -3ºC.

Citrus

Citrus can be in pots

Citrus fruits, such as mandarin, lemon, orange, kumquat, etc., are evergreen trees that they barely exceed 5 meters in height. They produce edible fruits -except the lemon tree -, and they are very easy to have in a pot.

Depending on the species, they resist up to -5ºC.

hamamelis

Hamamelis is the genus of a groups of small trees or deciduous shrubs native to North America and Southeast Asia. They reach a height between 3 and 8 meters. The leaves are alternate, oval, green in color that turns red in autumn. In addition, very ornamental flowers sprout in spring.

Resists up to -8ºC.

Polygala

The Polygala is a very interesting little tree to have in a pot

Polygala is the genus of evergreen shrubs and small trees that reach a height of between 1 and 5 meters originating in Africa and Asia. During the spring some very decorative purple flowers sprout that you will surely want to photograph.

Resists up to -4ºC.

How do you take care of them?

We have seen the most interesting balcony trees, those that are very easily available in nurseries but are also not very difficult to maintain. But … what can we do to make them perfect day after day? How do you take care of them? A) Yes:

Location

Most of the trees I have recommended to you they must be in full sunbut maples and camellias prefer semi-shade. In case of doubt, you can consult the nursery … or ourselves.

Irrigation

Irrigation has to be frequent

It will depend on the species, the climate and the season of the year in which you are. As there is so much to take into account, it is best to check the humidity of the pot before watering. To do this, you can insert a thin wooden stick (if it comes out clean it is because the soil is dry and therefore you have to water), use a digital moisture meter, or weigh the pot once watered and again after a few days.

Substratum

The substrate to choose will depend on the tree you have bought and the climate. For example, a Japanese maple living in a warm temperate climate will grow much better in akadama (you can buy it here!) than in peat; instead, an orange tree will need universal growing substrate mixed with 30% perlite. For more information, I recommend you read this other article.

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During the warm months They must be fertilized so that they can have good growth and development with liquid organic fertilizers, such as guano (you can buy it here). You can also add egg and banana peels, and occasionally – once a month or less – a handful of goat manure or worm castings.

Pruning

Late winterJust before the tree resumes its growth (before the buds swell), remove the dry, diseased or weak branches. In addition, those that have grown too much must be trimmed, giving it a “wild” appearance.

And with this we are done. I hope you can enjoy your balcony like never before .

Selection of balcony trees

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