Growing Box Wood Type

washout03

could you use a large styrofoam box? i think i saw one used on a grower's website once.

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TreeBay

Yes, you could even use a hole in the ground! Seriously, the only limitations are what you have available and how creative you are. The problem with some materials like styrofoam and other plastics is that they may not hold up well under UV bombardment and watering. Usually the problem happens when you go to turn the thing in August and it cracks or explodes on you. Plastic nursery containers have a lot of carbon in them (black) to help them resist UV rays.

Another concern for growing boxes is drainage. Generally you want as much as you can get, which makes a framed box an appealing option.

Regards,

Matt

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riprap

Any reason not to use large plastic nursery cans cut down to appropriate height (say, 5 inches)? Obviously, a round footprint wastes some space compared to a square one of the same max dimension. On the other hand, you can rotate a round one without changing the space it occupies (a real issue in my crowded conditions).

I have used cut down plastic cans, and they seem to work well. Just wondering if there's some down side that I'm not aware of.

riprap

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heymikey(deceased)

heyriprap; Using plastic nursery containers may be one of the most inexpensive ways to create "growing boxes" and many people use them. One must keep in mind that if they are black in color and exposed to direct summer sunlight, they can get very hot (125-150 deg.F). This is detrimental to any roots in close proximity to the container sidewalls. Painting them white or covering with foil helps tremendously. If one "cuts down" a plastic container by removing the top stiffening ring the resulting container is less rigid than desirable and every time you move it the soil gets disturbed slightly. Try picking up a tree in a half-high 15-gallon container with no top stiffening lip-it's difficult. It is better to cut off the lower part and attach a new bottom (say out of redwood or cedar). This requires cutting a round, accurately sized wooden disk. Also, the original plastic bottoms often don't have good drainage openings; it is best to create several good size holes (3/4 to 1-inch) and cover with drainage mesh screens. If one goes to this much trouble, he might as well have built a wooden growbox from scratch. Just my opinion, heyMikey!!

Deacon Jim

I build cedar boxes since they look nice, are very sturdy, fun to build, and you can build the exact size you want.

As Matt says, the feet are critical. Adding to his reasons, they allow you to easily get your fingers underneath the box to lift and move it.