I'm an aspiring tree farmer and used 3 gallon plastic pots in past. Sounds like fabric grow bags are a better option to prevent root bounding and then to transplant later. I'd be looking to grow trees starting at 18" to eventually 6'. Deciduous and conifers. Would something like this in an 18" wide/15 gallon be a good choice? https://growershouse.com/commo... thank you

The problem with attempting to grow in containers for me... in those small enclosed spaces, the trees stop growing.

Tree farms down here set the trees out in fields...
Let the plants get some decent height before ball and burlap.

Those containers... where the roots circle around and strangle the plant? I don't really know how they get any size... but you are pretty much left with something that is sub-par.

Unless you have these grow bags inside a greenhouse or something... seems (to me) like the roots would suffer being above ground with the extreme cold and the thaw freeze cycle in the spring... up in Minnesota.

They work up to a certain point, at least here where the weather is nice. Depending on the species and its growth rate a 15 gallon should work. Just like growing in regular pots supplemental fertilizing is critical. As Stone noted freeze/thaw issues could be limiting.

CalPolygardener said: They work up to a certain point, at least here where the weather is nice. Depending on the species and its growth rate a 15 gallon should work. Just like growing in regular pots supplemental fertilizing is critical. As Stone noted freeze/thaw issues could be limiting.

Ground freezes about 2-3 feet down each winter so roots freeze no matter in ground or not. But if in ground perhaps not as many months frozen or as extreme cold

You are missing the point.

It is NOT the freeze that is the problem...
It's the thaw and refreeze that causes problems...

Just like the pavement up there... Where the roads buckle through the same process.

stone said:
Those containers... where the roots circle around and strangle the plant? I don't really know how they get any size... but you are pretty much left with something that is sub-par.

I wish sellers would stop this way of growing trees in common plastic containers, it's really bad for the long term life of the tree and size, not to mention potential issues with the tree easily being pulled out by repeated winds over the years or break at the most entangled and strangled point after a decade.

I have tried explaing this to some persons who bought trees like that and have very slow growth and they don't accept it as such but rather blame it on weather and genetic lottery, yet they don't seem to realize the trees they have are all cloned, none is a seedling because those cultivars they have aren't sold like that. But yeah it's the sellers that need to put the effort.

The biggest issue is there are various reforestation efforts that I see in videos planting trees grown in the narrowest and smallest plastic containers with with already the tap root encircling.

I have some experience with air-pots, if you have trees that grow roots like there is no tomorrow they are still not good long term because they will integrate the bottom grater into the roots, so while they definitely do not encircle they will end up with that issue still where you will have to end up cutting the roots that go downwards.
If you have trees that put slow roots it is ok, but I would still wish there where options to try out some tall ones and see how things are evolving and adapting once planted.