I have loved the look of Monkey Puzzle trees since I was a child and my 9 year old daughter Amy has just bought me a tiny one (approx 7 inches) for my birthday. I can't seem to find any information on how best to care for it. Do I keep it indoors until it is larger or should I plant it outside straight away? I would hate to kill it off by accident! Any information would be really appreciated.
I'd plant it in the garden. You'll need a place for a giant specimen that could drop cone fragments in time. Won't get big overnight, of course, especially when small these are pretty slow-growing.
By the way, Happy Birthday---and congratulations in having a great kid! Any 9-year-old who gets her mom a baby monkey puzzle tree is OK in my book.
Many thanks for your prompt responses! (& yes, she is a great kid!) . Couple more questions if you don't mind: 1. Would it be better in a garden tub until it is larger or straight into the ground? 2. Should I prepare the soil & is it better in sun or shade (England being England, we don't really have extremes of weather - apart from rain!)? 3. Do I need to protect it from ground frost - which will start in the next month or so?
Being in a pot won't help it unless it being portable makes it easier to keep it alive when small. Often location in a pot actually makes it more likely for a plant to fail, it being more subject to freezing, drying or deformity (due to running into pot walls) of the roots. Unless it just came out of a greenhouse and is in an unseasonably soft state of growth into the ground is where it will be best off. Full sun from all directions for best development, in the wild this tree forms groves in mountains where there is little other competing tree growth.
