Planting and Care

At Moon Shadow Ornamentals we grow our trees in Root Pouch fabric pots. We believe these pots create a superior root system that are less susceptible to transplant shock. Since the roots near the outside of the pot are constantly being air pruned this prevents the circling roots typically found in a traditional plastic pot. Because of this the need to disturb the roots when planting or repotting is greatly reduced. This allows our trees to be planted or repotted at nearly any time of the year as long as adequate moisture is provided. It is our goal to provide trees that are ready to be planted or repotted into larger pots. We take pride in giving our trees time to fill out their pots and typically do not sell trees that were recently potted up. Because of this we recommend planting or repotting into your preferred pot at your earliest convenience. 

It is important to note that our trees cannot be pulled out of their pots like a traditional plastic pot. The pot must be cut off. We recommend making one or two cuts from the top to the bottom of the pot and then peeling it off like a banana peel. Support the rootball as you pull the fabric away. Larger roots growing through the bottom may need to be cut. 

When selecting a pot drainage is the most important factor. The pot must have adequate drainage holes. In most cases we recommend potting our 1 gallon trees into a 3 gallon pot. However some dwarfs or slower growing varieties prefer a smaller pot so for these we recommend a 2 gallon pot. A good way to determine if a tree needs to be repotted is by making note of its watering needs. If it is quickly drying out and you are struggling to keep the soil moist that is a good indicator that it needs to be in a bigger pot. Likewise if the soil is constantly staying wet that indicates the pot is too large or has poor drainage. 

Below is a simple graphic that illustrates how we like to plant our trees. We highly recommend planting on a mound. This helps improve drainage and prevents the trunk from becoming buried.