Grow Boxes - bonsaiTALK Community

15-Apr-2006	#1
Bungy bonsaiTALK Neophyte Join Date: Apr-2006 Location: Canberra Country: Australia Posts: 1	Grow Boxes Hi there, Just want some advice............made some grow boxes and wanted to know whether to varnish them or not?? Advantages: They might last a bit longer..... Disadvantages: Please comment........... Thanks in advance Bungy

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15-Apr-2006	#2
Joanie Enthusiast *MODERATOR GROUP* Join Date: Feb-2005 Location: Carlsbad, California..coastal desert Country: United States USDA Zone: 11 AHS Heat Zone: 2 Posts: 5,432	Don't varnish. Just one opinion. They last a few years, then you replace them. Joanie __________________ Yasha's Bonsai Blog No actual bonsai yet, but 100% doggie cuteness

25-Apr-2006	#3
data bonsaiTALK Journeyman Join Date: Apr-2006 Country: usa USDA Zone: 9a AHS Heat Zone: 9 Posts: 20	What exactly are grow boxes and what are their purposes?

25-Apr-2006

Candy_J_Shirey

bonsaiTALK Master Craftsman

Join Date: Jun-2003

Location: New Hampshire, USA

Country: United States

Posts: 516

Grow boxes usually refer to large wooden boxes used for the development of bonsai.

See grow box in the wiki.

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Last edited by Candy_J_Shirey : 25-Apr-2006 at 07:01 PM.

25-Apr-2006	#5
Sterling bonsaiTALK Craftsman Join Date: May-2004 Location: Los Angeles Country: United States USDA Zone: 9 AHS Heat Zone: 3-4 Posts: 83	I know the proportions of the box are not always the most desirable for great nebari but I just get old wooden crates from wine stores. Then I drill some holes in the bottom and throw in the the plant and some dirt. So far my plants have been happy.

25-Apr-2006	#6
randyburtis bonsaiTALK Artisan Join Date: Sep-2005 Location: grande prairie Country: canada USDA Zone: 2b AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 132	maybe the trees are happy in those wine crates because some wine leaked out?

25-Apr-2006	#7
007 Secret Agent Join Date: Nov-2004 Location: Detroit, Michigan Country: U.S. USDA Zone: 5/6 AHS Heat Zone: 4/5 Posts: 838	The wine crate thing i understand because it recycles and is much cheaper . . . I also understand the use of pond baskets and similar "open sided" containers (i.e. vance woods grow box). But for a training pot, Mica Pots are the way to go if you ask me . . . cheap, look halfway decent (compared to a grow box), and last a long time. __________________ Here's to a long life and a merry one, a quick death and an easy one, a pretty girl and an honest one, a cold beer and another one!

25-Apr-2006	#8
BrianBay9 Trunk Collector Join Date: Sep-2003 Location: Loveland, CO Country: USA USDA Zone: 4 or 5? AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 1,362	Big mica pots are still very expensive compared to a large grow box put together with scrap wood. Brian __________________ There's a difference between taking your art seriously, and taking yourself too seriously.

25-Apr-2006	#9
grampz Behr Appleby Join Date: Aug-2003 Location: Kyle Tx Country: USA USDA Zone: 8 AHS Heat Zone: 10 Posts: 946	I make a lot of wood grow boxes from scrap pallet wood...I prefer them by far to mica or plastic pots for training purposes due to being able to secure 'guy wires' easily to the sides for pulling branches down and into place...Guy wires can be used any time of the year, left on much longer than conventional wiring, and can even be attached at the time of potting to secure the plant into the box rather than wiring the roots...For the cost of a little time and a few cents for drainage screen and 'drill screws' I can have about any size pot I want for training or growing purposes rather quickly...As a matter of fact I don't own many trees that have not spent some time in a wooden grow box... Regards Behr __________________ As the Master departed the workshop, he could have sworn he heard some one saying rather loudly... *"I thought he would never leave"* San Antonio Bonsai Society, Inc.

26-Apr-2006	#10
007 Secret Agent Join Date: Nov-2004 Location: Detroit, Michigan Country: U.S. USDA Zone: 5/6 AHS Heat Zone: 4/5 Posts: 838	You two mention good points that I hadn't thought of . . . first off, for myself, I grow mostly shohin sized trees so for me, a mica pot MIGHT cost me $7-8, maybe $10. Plus I can re-use them. However, for those with larger trees, I can see how cost would be prohibitive. I also see how a wooden grow box can be "built to size" for whatever is needed . . . a level of flexibilty NOT available with mica. The guy wires thing isn't as big a deal because I can do the same thing with mica pot (or any pot for that matter) buy simply wiring together a "scaffolding" . . . I've done that manby times with good success. __________________ Here's to a long life and a merry one, a quick death and an easy one, a pretty girl and an honest one, a cold beer and another one!

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