I'm growing a cottonwood tree! In a pot.

Factual Questions
1

Because, really, what else am I going to with all that cottony stuff blowing around? I stuck a bunch of seed-things-with-cotton in dirt two weeks ago and they’re about 1/2" tall and with four leaves - I’ll weed out the slackers later. I would like it to grow up to be the shortest cottonwood tree on the planet - think bonzai. Or maybe I’ll bring it into the office and turn it into a 3’ ficus-type tree.

Or, most likely, I’ll forget to water it and it’ll die by August.

But I live in a place known for snow and cold, so here’s my question: Should I manage to allow it to live until October, should I stick it in the fridge until late March? Seems like some trees and plants need that cold cycle to thrive.

Wait, two questions: Should this thing make it through the summer, what else can/should I do to make it realize my bonzai/ficus dreams?

2

Why? Cottonwoods are lousy trees.

They produce lots of messy & allergy-inducing seed pods, they are weak trees (branches break off and fall on things in the wind), and the wood is of poor quality (twisty, rough, and not very strong). So why bother with them?

You could put the same amount of effort into growing a black walnut tree, which produces edible nuts and very, very valuable wood. Or an apple tree. Or any fruit or nut tree.

3

I’ve never heard of a Cottonwood Bonsai - sounds like a pretty neat experiment. Yes, I think your cottonwood will do better with a cold period - but I’ve had them live in pots sitting outside, so I’m not sure you have to take up fridge space with it. Read up on bonsai - you’ll need to keep the roots pruned pretty severely, as cottonwoods grow very fast.

By the way, cottonwoods are a native tree here, and are homes to many species of birds and critters. They are a soft wood, yes, but that doesn’t make them useless.

4

As a fisherman, I hate those trees. Damn things leave that cottony shit on the water and it fucks up fishing reels very effectively.

Like t-bonham said, plant yerself some kind of valuable tree and Og-smash that trash you’ve got growing.

Just a suggestion.

5

They’re immensely popular with unimaginative landscapers because they grow very quickly. They are trash trees.

6

A black walnut tree would be interesting, too. Do you think it would actually produce walnuts in a pot on the windowsill of my apartment?

Thanks, Fetchund, I thought that might be the case. It’s fast growth is the reason I picked it over, say, maple. Now I’m off to research Bonzai 101… :slight_smile:

7

Bonsai, not bonzai.

Everyone seems to hate cottonwoods. Fuck 'em. My goal to create the world’s smallest cottonwood shall prevail. Anyone have the Guiness hotline handy? :stuck_out_tongue:

8

Forget the tree and go with a kitten!

9

Well, not quickly:
“Walnut trees begin producing nuts when they are about 10 years old, but the best nut production begins when trees are 30 years old.”

By that time, the roots need 20-30" of dirt (so you’ll need a BIG pot) and are 15-20’ tall (so a big windowsill, too).

These might not be the best for a bonsai tree, maybe.