Welcome to the Garden Ninja Gardening Forum! If you have a gardening question that you can't find answers to then ask below to seek help from the Garden Ninja army! Please make your garden questions as specific and detailed as possible so the community can provide comprehensive answers in the online forum below.

Welcome to the ultimate beginner gardening and garden design forum! Where no gardening question is too silly or obvious. This online gardening forum is run by Lee Burkhill, the Garden Ninja from BBC 1's Garden Rescue and a trusted group of experienced gardeners.

Whether you are a beginner or an expert gardener, it's a safe place to ask garden-related questions for garden design or planting. If you have a problem in your garden or need help, this is the Garden Forum for you!

Posting Rules: This space is open for all garden-related questions. Please be polite, courteous and respectful. If you wouldn't say it to your mum's face, then don't post it here. Please don't promote, sell, link spam or advertise here. Please don't ask for 'cheeky' full Garden redesigns here. They will be deleted.

If you need a garden design service, please use this page to book a design consultation. I will block anyone who breaks these rules or is discourteous to the Garden Ninja Community.

Join the forum below with your gardening questions!

Ask a Gardening QuestionBeginner Gardening Questions & Guides: First time gardener questionsPhotinia Red Robin planting depth …

Please or Register to create posts and topics.

Photinia Red Robin planting depth for a container

#1 · 27th March 2022, 1:37 pm

Hi everyone. I have a large pot in my garden and would like to know, if this would be suitable for a Photinia 'Red Robin? I wondered if it will get too big for a pot, or can it be kept small and bushy?

#2 · 28th March 2022, 11:00 am

Hello My Tiny Garden,

"Red Robins" in the right conditions can grow really well, therefore it stands to reason that if you have a tall heavy shrub you are going to require a sturdy base for it, this to stop it being blown over in strong winds.

The plant can be kept small and shrubby, as they accept pruning quite well, have a look at "Lee's Video on pruning" they can grow well in containers, I use Good Compost mixed in with some John Innes, if it is in a pot now, I would only replant it into a pot that is a couple of inches more wider, the reason being, as an example you pot it into a really big pot say 18 inches across, your going to use a heck of a lot of compost, and the plants roots aren't going to grow any quicker, so I would suggest grow to the pot size, when the roots look as though they are getting a bit cramped, go up then to a slightly larder pot.

If grown in full sun make sure you keep it well watered, and a feed when starting out will not go amiss.

Hope it goes well, take care.

Bob

My tiny garden has reacted to this post.

#3 · 28th March 2022, 11:54 am

Thank you for your advice Bob. Just one more question....as it grows, if pruning is needed to keep it smaller and bushy, when would you advise this is done?