Almost every mistake with a tree planter is the same one: buying to the outside number. The name is an exterior dimension. What the root ball has to fit into is the interior opening, which is smaller on every model because the wall has thickness and most forms taper toward the base.
Sizing a tree planter to the root ball
Nursery stock is sold by container size, and that container is what has to drop in. Take the widest dimension of the pot it arrives in and compare it against the interior opening we publish for each size, not the model name. On a tapered form the opening is measured at the rim and the planter narrows below it, so a root ball that clears the rim still has to sit in a smaller space underneath.
Every interior opening, exterior dimension and boxed weight is on the specifications page. Where Jay Scotts do not publish an interior depth we leave it blank rather than estimate it, so if planting depth is the deciding factor, ask us before ordering.
The three forms, and what each suits
Boxes and troughs — Granada, Brisbane, Darwin and Seoul, plus the Brisbane and Darwin corner units. A straight edge and the most usable interior for the footprint, which is why they take multi-stem and hedging stock well.
Cubes and tapered squares — Montroy, Asheville, Lima and Toulan. Montroy runs from 12 to 60 inches, so a single form scales from a patio specimen to a courtyard tree. A cube gives you the most interior for its footprint because nothing tapers away.
Round forms — Wannsee, Saint Tropez, Brannan, Rio Grande, Alzira, Valencia, Lisbon, Tegel, Aspen, and the fluted San Jose, Santa Barbara and Alicante. These read softer and suit a specimen standing alone, but remember the opening is quoted at the rim.
Weight, and why it is the wrong worry
Boxed, these run from about 5.6 lb to 323 lb for the largest Montroy. That range sounds alarming and is almost beside the point: once a tree and its soil are in, the planter is a small fraction of the total. Plan the position first and put the planter where it will stay.
Do not fill a deep planter with soil to the base. Jay Scotts call for lightweight filler below the root zone rather than heavy garden soil or fine sand, and some models take an internal shelf. It keeps the weight down without shortening the root run that matters. Our guide to filling a large planter sets out the method.
What this collection does not promise
We do not tell you which tree to plant. Species, climate and root habit are a nursery's judgement, not ours. What we can give you is an accurate interior opening so their advice can be acted on.
A tree in a planter is not a tree in the ground. It needs drainage, and in freezing regions it needs it more, because water that cannot leave is what damages a planter over winter. Jay Scotts drill drainage free of charge at order time, and a drilled planter is final sale. See the drainage guide.
