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Bohrier, this is a subject near and dear to my heart at the minute. I've been using clay flower pots, large and small for this and, while they are generally adequate, they suffer from one extreme deficiency: they come apart in the Winter here as the result of repeated freezing and thawing.

Next Spring will be my second in a climate with marked seasonal effects (I was in California for all my prior experience) and I have a large amount of pre-bonsai material I collected over the last 18 months; hence the need for a number of grow boxes. I have about 35 in addition to a number of clay pots. I have several different kinds that I'm trying out. Let me tell you what I'm doing.

First, I knocked together 7 more-or-less traditional wooden boxes. They are about 12"x15" and 6" deep. They have a couple of 1/2" gaps in the bottoms where the bottom boards don't meet. They are made of Yellow Pine, so I'm not sure how long they will last. We'll see. I think they ended up costing about $4 each.

Second, I bought ten 16 quart plastic wash basins at Dollar General and drilled five 1/2" holes in the bottoms of each. I think they were about $2 each. I really like these. They have a convenient "lip" for carrying and their size and shape just feel right. I may drill some smaller holes in the side; I'm not fully decided on this.

Third, I bought some twelve quart plastic containers at Big Lots. They were even cheaper than the wash basins, They will also get holes drilled in the bottoms. As well as, possibly, the sides.

Finally, I bought some collanders at Big Lots. They cost me $.99. They are a little smaller than I would have liked, but I'm wanting to try collanders in the worst way. I've heard some very good things about the effect of having air available over the whole surface of the container on root development. This is why I'm also thinking of drilling holes in the sides of my other containers.

I can't report on the results from my various containers, but they all look pretty good!

I think, at this point, I like the wash basins best.

Best regards, Fred

24-Dec-2002	#2
FredL Banned 08JUN2005 Join Date: Dec-2001 Location: Benton County Country: USA USDA Zone: 6 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 1,099	Bohrier, this is a subject near and dear to my heart at the minute. I've been using clay flower pots, large and small for this and, while they are generally adequate, they suffer from one extreme deficiency: they come apart in the Winter here as the result of repeated freezing and thawing. Next Spring will be my second in a climate with marked seasonal effects (I was in California for all my prior experience) and I have a large amount of pre-bonsai material I collected over the last 18 months; hence the need for a number of grow boxes. I have about 35 in addition to a number of clay pots. I have several different kinds that I'm trying out. Let me tell you what I'm doing. First, I knocked together 7 more-or-less traditional wooden boxes. They are about 12"x15" and 6" deep. They have a couple of 1/2" gaps in the bottoms where the bottom boards don't meet. They are made of Yellow Pine, so I'm not sure how long they will last. We'll see. I think they ended up costing about $4 each. Second, I bought ten 16 quart plastic wash basins at Dollar General and drilled five 1/2" holes in the bottoms of each. I think they were about $2 each. I really like these. They have a convenient "lip" for carrying and their size and shape just feel right. I may drill some smaller holes in the side; I'm not fully decided on this. Third, I bought some twelve quart plastic containers at Big Lots. They were even cheaper than the wash basins, They will also get holes drilled in the bottoms. As well as, possibly, the sides. Finally, I bought some collanders at Big Lots. They cost me $.99. They are a little smaller than I would have liked, but I'm wanting to try collanders in the worst way. I've heard some very good things about the effect of having air available over the whole surface of the container on root development. This is why I'm also thinking of drilling holes in the sides of my other containers. I can't report on the results from my various containers, but they all look pretty good! I think, at this point, I like the wash basins best. Best regards, Fred