Will Potting a Shrub Slow Down the Growth?

Root Size

• If you have a shrub that has overgrown its container, its growth is immediately stunted since roots have no other place to spread. As roots spread in a garden environment, shrubs find more nutrients, air and moisture for vigorous canopy growth. Your overgrown container shrub slowly circles its roots in search of additional sustenance. As the roots only encounter the same soil, your shrub slowly declines. Transplanting your shrub into a larger container helps it rejuvenate slightly, but its growth will still be limited to the soil space.

Moisture Fluctuations

• Potted shrubs are exposed to more evaporation than garden shrubs. For example, decorative clay pots allow air and moisture exchange with the surrounding environment. As a result, your shrub's soil becomes drier faster, causing drought stress and limited growth. To combat dry soil, you can use plastic containers to retain moisture longer. However, you must water your shrub consistently since any container eventually loses moisture to the air. If the topsoil is dry, pour enough water onto the soil so that it just runs out of the drainage holes at the container's base.

Temperature Variation

• As temperatures drop in the fall and winter, you expose your potted shrub to extreme temperature swings since it is not insulated by the widespread garden environment -- growth slows considerably in cold weather and may damage the plant. For smaller shrubs, the easiest way to increase growth and protect the plant is moving it indoors. However, many potted shrubs are large and quite heavy. As a simple solution, push many potted plants together in a sheltered location from the wind. This miniature ecosystem maintains a warmer space than individual pots spaced far from one another. Alternatively, you can wrap a blanket or burlap around the pot to create an insulating barrier to cold. Reducing temperature variations helps your shrub maintain even and healthy growth.

Invigorating Your Shrub

• If your shrub shows signs of decline, from yellowing to stunted growth, your potting soil needs replacement. As you move your shrub to a larger container with new potting soil, do not compact the medium by patting it down. You must allow the soil particles to fall naturally into the pot to create air pockets for root spread. With proper soil and a larger growing environment, your potted shrub should have some vigorous growth for up to three years in the same container.