Pond basket idea - need input

Graydon

I have been using those black square pond baskets for a while now as well as the plastic japanese colanders (as in the Stone Lantern Pine book) even longer. Both have flaws. The pond baskets do not seem to be sturdy enough to last 3 years in the Florida sun, not to mention the black is not good for sun exposure and keeping the root zone cool. The colanders are stronger and made better and have lasted 3 years no problem but seem a little small. The bright green is driving me nuts.

I need some input from those of you that use these baskets. Let's call it helping me design the perfect basket for growing. Tell me what you like, what you don't like. Give me size and shape ideas. If I get enough input I may shop a design around to see if I can have them manufactured at a reasonable price. Who knows?

Here is my thoughts -

1. Dark green or a color more pleasing to the eye.
2. Round and squat - like a bulb pan. No need for extra soil or planting deep in the pot.
3. Sturdy in construction.
4. Perhaps molded feet on the bottom to elevate just a bit to help drainage.
5. Several sizes - 10", 12" and 16" or so.

Thanks!

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bumblebee

Maybe a good 6 inches deep? And big, to replace grow boxes.

Libby

Alasdair

If the sun is baking your roots, go for quite a large volume of soil and a light colour. That way much of the suns rays will be reflected and it will take longer to heat up than a smaller root ball.

Al

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treetitan

(I design and construct watergardens and streams...) There are alot of different styles, shapes out there. I have personally seen: cylinders, squares, rectangles, oval cylinders, octogonal, etc...Most of them also come in different sizes...some squatty, some tall...Most of the ones you find are are on the flimsy side, however I have come across a few varieties that have thicker plastic walls, and others with "ribbing" that runs laterally around the baskets for support...I don't know to what extent you have searched online, but from my experience while working at a watergarden specialty shop, and looking through aquatics catalogs, I know they are out there...I have some of these catalogs in my filing cabinet. I will look through them and see if I can get you some websites or contact info and post again later...

(I have also seen people paint the plastic baskets...)

zen

A friend of mine "built" a large shallow planting bed for her back deck from a wooden pallet (they give these away at the newspaper building here), by cutting off all the slats on one side, except the two end slats, then just cut a peice of plastic window screen and stapled that to the edges so that it covered the bottom and sides, filled with potting soil and plants.
It's BIG, it's shallow,and it's low to the ground for cold climates, or you can raise it on legs in more temperate areas. I have been wanting to build one of these for a while now but just haven't really needed a bed quite that big(there's always the ground).

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