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Hi @tisme,
You can certainly grow a Lilly pilly in a pot. Just be aware that you can't grow a large screening plant in a small confining pot. So, if you're looking for some significant screening, I suggest starting in a larger pot like the Northcote Pottery 80cm Grey Precinct Lite Trough, Tuscan Path 54cm White Harper Egg Pot or RESPECT 70cm Dark Grey Green Earth Tall Square Planter. The tall planter is a great option, as it has a very small footprint and elevates the plant to a great height for screening purposes. This saves a great deal of growing time before becoming an effective screener.
When not planting in the ground, it's especially important to monitor moisture levels and feed adequately. I'd suggest watering when the top 10cm of soil begins to dry out and applying a complete native fertiliser like Osmocote native.
Here's a handy guide on How to grow and care for a Lilly pilly.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
That's correct, @tisme; most plants are easier to care for in the ground as they can stretch their roots out and source their own water. That's why I suggest a large pot, as it's easier to care for them than if they were in a small pot.
Are you looking for an alternative to Lilly pilly's, then? What height do you need the plant to grow to? What's the width of the area you need to cover?
Weeping figs perform well in pots and have relatively dense foliage suitable for screening. Although Murraya is typically planted in the ground, it adapts well to potted life. Magnolia little gem would also be a good choice for a potted screening plant.
Have you considered other options like installing posts and trellis and growing Star jasmine? It makes an excellent fast-growing screening climber.
Here's a helpful guide on How to choose a screening plant.
Mitchell
Hello @tisme
A potted plant can only grow up to the size the pot allows. If there is no room for the roots to grow the plant essentially stops growing. The roots will reach the edge of the pot wall and begin to turn in sideways and then into itself causing a tangle. Large tall plants have large root infrastructure to hold itself upright. A two-meter-tall plant which is bigger than your average person will probably have a pot that is at least 900mm in diameter otherwise it would fall every time a gust of wind blows by.
If you are after plants that will grow to that height, then you must provide the area for them to grow. One option other than the potted plants is to build a raised garden bed with a trellis at the back that serves as a cover. I've placed an image below to give you an idea of what it could look like. You can create your own trellis pattern, or you can also get the traditional trellis patterns available at the store.
If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.
Eric
Hi @tisme,
The raised garden beds that only give one dimension in their description are typically talking about the total height. If you can link me to a specific product you are looking at I can provide further details.
Mitchell
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