Those Pot Materials!

[sorce]

Tired of going downstairs to pick up trees that test gravity in the wind, and understanding the benefits of colanders, I decided to solve a couple problems.

Crappy pots, and crappy broken pots!

One 4in clay completely destroyed, in a sock holding it together. Ham containers, small nursery pots, my kids beach pails, etc.

Time to make some pots that should last, and benefit the tree's!

I found a place called Industrial Netting in MN. Got some samples of 2 materials, one worked. XV1347. 1/8 holes, thick enough to remain sturdy, UV protected, polyethylene, good to well below freezing.


Cut with heavy scissors and bent like so....


To form 26 of these. .. 4 1/2in

Cheap zipties to hold em shut while putting them in a mold and pouring the concrete.


A bigger one 4x6in

Gotta work out some bugs, these were the test runs.

Quickcrete NO. 1006 and Cure and seal No. 8730-02

3/4in embedded into 1in concrete. I have 2-3 inch heights. Can't go much larger than 8x8in without more reinforcement. Or higher than 4in.

Side drain only.

I bought some vigaro biodegradable garden paper I may place on the inside to keep wind out. Maybe just a thin layer of Sphagnum.

I have to use Oildry again, rather than pine bark, I'm going to use 1/8in and bigger sifted Bio/tone.
Keeping it a little wetter this year should help for summer,
While trying not to be to retentive for winter, when I will likely wrap them in foamboard.

And some fun with the leftovers...

 

[thumblessprimate1]

Cool. I'd probably use the material for something else if the it doesn't cost too much. What's the cost?

 

[edprocoat]

I have made cement pots for years with great success. My latest two were a complete failure. I used non shrink grout over my standard frame made out of chicken wire, For some reason this lasted through the frozen pot period in Ohio and when I got to Florida this year the first hot day we had the pots cracked from the base of the pot to the top rim , one pot 5 cracks and the other one 7 cracks. Wide enough cracks that I could see my mix and when I would water them I was not certain the water was getting down as it ran out through the cracks. I found some cheap large Mica pots and now they are in a new home. I have never had this happen with cement before and I have used non shrink grout as well as hydraulic cemnt with success.

ed

 

[sorce]

Cool. I'd probably use the material for something else if the it doesn't cost too much. What's the cost?

At 47.5 inches wide, it's $7.22 a linear ft. With a minimum of $50 per item I got 7ft, about $65 after shipping. About 9 LF was shipped.
That's a lot of material!

The other sample I got was thinner, 1/4" for less than $2 a L.F.

There's Definitely something cheaper/better for drain screen!

They sell sieves too, or you could make your own giant sieves!

http://www.industrialnetting.com/

No prices online, but emails were replied to quick, 8x8in samples in 2-3 days. In a nice folder with a catalog.

A garden section has anti Japanese beetle netting etc!

Sorce

 

[sorce]

I tried the Terra Cotta color stain, but it looks like Hormel Chili!

Here it is with my wife's chili!



Sorce

 

[jeanluc83]

Those look like they will work fine.

I would add some holes in the bottom for tie wires. It looks like it would be a job to wire a tree into the pots otherwise.

 

[sorce]

Those look like they will work fine.

I would add some holes in the bottom for tie wires. It looks like it would be a job to wire a tree into the pots otherwise.

I was going to run them through the sides if need be.

I haven't wired any into training pots yet.

Made a slab today with holes!

 

[sorce]

After taking the beans out of that chili!



Much easier now without the big rocks. Much nicer finish. Better uniformity!

8 down. 18 to go!

Sorce

P.s. Ice cream buckets are fantabulous!

 

[sorce]

Last of the Fallers.
This one took the plunge yesterday.
I don't know how long it was down.
I was going to use this one to do some more A\L experimenting, but I had to lose the sail.

You can see where one branch same size as the other broke in last year's fall. After that it took off. This was thinner than a pencil and 4in tall at the beginning of 2014.




I worked the roots a bit on this one since I had the opportunity, it may actually grow out nice, without layering.
85 degrees.


So it's a good sign I hope, that my weighted pots are working, as this was the last to need it.

Hindsight, bottom drainage would be better, I can hold em sideways and dump a 1/4 cup of water.

Started using aluminum window screen on the insides to keep soil in, only because Oil dry is a bit too small.

Sorce

 

[M. Frary]

The very last of the fallers!
Welcome to crazy!

 

[armetisius]

The very last of the fallers!
Welcome to crazy!

Ditto to this sentiment.
Wonder how long before he ends up in a pink thong
buying colanders by the dozen? After all he does have
a head start on the level of innovation one must sometimes
resort to in this hobby. Well done

 

[sorce]

The very last of the fallers!
Welcome to crazy!

Great Stuff! I love it!

pink thong
buying colanders

Equally valid!

Thanks guys!

Sorce

 

[armetisius]

Great Stuff! I love it!
Equally valid!
Thanks guys!
Sorce

Those particular snippets you chose to string together are wrong
on so many levels we won't begin to discuss it.
FAS
But still wrong.
Thanks for the laugh.
Good growing man.

 

[sorce]

So to update.
That storm that flooded Alains Mugo....took down my braided elm.


The right part was recently removed. But the braid top left was the sail caught the gust.

Anyway......it popped out so I got a look at the roots.........no pics yeah yeah but if you could imagine......a perfect mass of feeders the exact same shape as these pots, a quarter inch in all the way around.

There is a Bjorn video where Owen goes through a pine root pad with the awl, just dense as hell, I was always amazed by those roots and saw how a tree could do so well on them.

That is how these are. So solid, nothing was damaged, nothing could move. Just a solid block of well draining excellence.

I thought it would take 5 years to get stuff in bonsai pots, root wise. After one season in these pots and oil dry they can be ready. Now to get the tops in order.....

What's rather odd is....it wasn't until this dry spell we had that I saw some roots poking through....next day they were red and shriveled. I thought they have been circling. But these pots have just been working!

I'm not repotting any of these next year, I'm hoping to see them grow like MAD next year. I've never not repotted. Should be an excellent year!

Nothing running around the holeless bottom either, just a flat pad!

I love this Game!

Thank you to all you colandeers who made me do this! @cmeg1 @Vance Wood @Smoke @M. Frary and the rest!

Sorce

 

[sorce]

There's the new shoots on the, what is now, second to last of the fallers!


Sorce

 

[M. Frary]

They do work well for making a block of roots.
Pot ready roots.
And it seems like the trees love being in them. They seem to recover faster after collection and grow like no tomorrow in them.
It's because you can pump water,oxygen and fertilizer to the trees. Almost like a supercharger on a car engine.

 

[Boscology]

I love the innovation.
Strange thing about bonsai addiction is it makes me want to take a pottery class just to make a few pots. I think I will consider some cement pot making in the future.

 

[Anthony]

Sorce,

an idea, make a shape to fit a bonsai pot, and just rest the plant / shape into it when you want to display . Top dress to hide the shape.
More power to you.
Good Day
Anthony

* Not allowed to add on shelves to your windows ?

 

[sorce]

Sorce,

an idea, make a shape to fit a bonsai pot, and just rest the plant / shape into it when you want to display . Top dress to hide the shape.
More power to you.
Good Day
Anthony

* Not allowed to add on shelves to your windows ?

I saw you posted that, fitting it right in....and I love it.

We are on the same level of thinking in these manners, which is why I always love to see what you are doing!

Yes. Free is an option!

I am really pushing my limits with the trees in what is technically, some public spaces, and pouring fish fert down onto the neighbors windows!

I fear sometimes I will be kicked out!

Trying desperately to keep it at a minimum, to the tune of wanting to give away some Junipers, elms, and some ficus, but who wants this?

FREE!

maybe I'll get a PM!

Really looking like next year I will be ON MY OWN PROPERTY.

That is when I find out what it is to truly,
Go Nuts!

I have my eye on an elm with a 2ft base, 4inch top, 3ft tall.

A giant Sumo! A wicked fairy tale!

The Best things from Sorce are yet to come, and when they do, all will realize my determination.

This window sill growing is small time!
My addictive traits are only temporarily restrained. !

Thank you My Kind Friend!

Sorce

 

[Anthony]

Sorce,

We are cleaning a dark orange clay from the canefields today. K's nephew Nick, wants to make him a pot. K has chosen an oval for his Fustic,
Nick must design an entire pot, no help, and has to clean the clay from scratch.
Stay tuned.

Try - osmocote plus - no fish - ha ha ha and use a tray under your plants.

Man you have got to visit our beaches during the dry season, love to see how you handle to the pompano.
You do have to use a 1 to 4 lb line for the rush, this is shore fishing.
No octopuses please - ha ha ha.
Good Day
Anthony