Q. I have an 8′ tall Pee Gee in a pot; would it be happier in the ground? How and when to prune? Fertilize? My Black Pussy Willow bush has some catkins; how do I get these to be more plentiful next year? Thanks, Beverley Long – Lakewood, WA
A. All anthropomorphizing aside it depends how big a pot your 8-foot Pee Gee Hydrangea is in and how much care you want to provide it. Bonsai are grown in minuscule pots. Does this make the plant happy? I’ll let you know if and when one of my plants talks back to me. More importantly is that the smaller the pot, relative to the size of the plant, the more intensive the care and monitoring will be. Bonsai enthusiasts must plan for care of their specimens when the go on vacation. Containers must provide for all the elements a good garden site would provide including adequate water and nutrients as well as drainage. So if you 8-foot Pee Gee Hydrangea is in a one gallon container it is going to be a lot more work than if it is planted in a 25 gallon barrel or in the yard. Pruning your Pee Gee for dead or diseased wood can take place at any time other pruning can be done late winter to early spring. In a container I find that it is good to use a slow release fertilizer or a dilute liquid fertilizer with each watering. This is especially useful when using chemical fertilizers, which are generally salt-based and can interfere with the root system if their levels build up in the container. As for your black pussy willow be sure that you are not pruning late in the season, as this will remove the catkins. The new catkins (flowers) form early in the season. The older and healthier plants will produce more catkins so there is no magic to getting more catkins next year – good old-fashioned care and patience.