Colander Growing Progression (JBP, Shimpaku, Spruce)

[eugen_onegin]

This is to be a progression thread on colander growing.

From left to right is the Alberta Spruce, Shimpaku, and Japanese Black Pine. The Pine and the Shimpaku were both slip potted into the colander. In the future I hope to slowly chip away at the original Pine and Shimpaku soil as it is mostly comprised of pine bark, peat moss, and some pumice. The soil in the Spruce was gently sifted away and there were many fine feeder roots growing. The soil mixture is 33% lava, 33% pumice, 33% turfice, small scoop of pine bark, and a bit of charcoal. Right now I'm watering about 1-2 times a day(10am and 4pm). We'll see how it goes when temperatures soar to the upper 90s and 100s. Fertilizer is Green Dream slow release pellets and I will be doing by-weekly liquid fertilizer 3-3-3(Will get fish emulsion once the liquid runs out).

Stay tuned...

 

[M. Frary]

Where did the square one come from. I put everything I n collanders now. But only see round ones.

 

[KennedyMarx]

I'm also curious about the square colander. They all look nice and healthy. I look forward to seeing more progress.

 

[RKatzin]

Can other improvised containers be include? I have a couple of the milk crates your pine is sitting on and I will be using them to house some mugo soon. I line them with the sheets of mesh I showed. I also have an old garden wagon of the same material that about 2'x3'x6" I plan to convert to a planter. Do Anderson flats count or are you going for stricktly colanders? Rick

 

[FrankP999]

Amazon has dish strainers/drainers like this http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001PZBDYQ/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00.

 

[jeanluc83]

If you need a lot this is a good source:

Tiger Chef

They also have the square ones.

 

[M. Frary]

Can other improvised containers be include? I have a couple of the milk crates your pine is sitting on and I will be using them to house some mugo soon. I line them with the sheets of mesh I showed. I also have an old garden wagon of the same material that about 2'x3'x6" I plan to convert to a planter. Do Anderson flats count or are you going for stricktly colanders? Rick

I cut down 5 gallon buckets to about 4" to 6" tall then bore holes 1/8" in diameter all over essentially turning them into collanders. They work well but for a dollar the collander is the easiest way to go. They come in all sizes.

 

[eugen_onegin]

Thanks for the links above to find colanders online. I actually picked all of these up at a local H-Mart (It's an Asian Food Mart http://www.hmart.com/). They had a few rectangles ones and I even picked up a smaller one I'm gonna use for a 3 year old JBP I have.

RKatzin, improvised colanders would be fine. My two cents is that the colanders tend to be a bit shallower, making them perfect to transplant to a bonsai pot in the future, and the fact they are super cheap and there is nothing else you need to do to make it work for you is what makes them so ideal. My only problem with the anderson flats is that the sides are blocked in. This forces roots to travel down and out of the open bottoms. With the colander fine roots are developed in all directions and the roots are naturally pruned once they reach the outside of the colander. You would have to drill 200 1/16th inch holes on each side to make it into an improvised colander. I'm gonna venture a guess that if the holes small and many enough, then the roots will have a harder time naturally pruning themselves and potentially backing up inside the flat.

http://bonsaitonight.com/2014/03/25/in-praise-of-colanders/

There is some real good stuff on this blog site.

 

[Vance Wood]

Thanks for the links above to find colanders online. I actually picked all of these up at a local H-Mart (It's an Asian Food Mart http://www.hmart.com/). They had a few rectangles ones and I even picked up a smaller one I'm gonna use for a 3 year old JBP I have.

RKatzin, improvised colanders would be fine. My two cents is that the colanders tend to be a bit shallower, making them perfect to transplant to a bonsai pot in the future, and the fact they are super cheap and there is nothing else you need to do to make it work for you is what makes them so ideal. My only problem with the anderson flats is that the sides are blocked in. This forces roots to travel down and out of the open bottoms. With the colander fine roots are developed in all directions and the roots are naturally pruned once they reach the outside of the colander. You would have to drill 200 1/16th inch holes on each side to make it into an improvised colander. I'm gonna venture a guess that if the holes small and many enough, then the roots will have a harder time naturally pruning themselves and potentially backing up inside the flat.

http://bonsaitonight.com/2014/03/25/in-praise-of-colanders/

There is some real good stuff on this blog site.

I don't know if it makes a difference or, how much of a difference, but I do know that colanders will break down pretty quickly due to UV exposure. In my experience the Black ones hold up better, the white and red ones will disintegrate in a couple of years and more or less crumble in your hands if you are not careful.

 

[lordy]

I'm using a cement mixing tub with drilled holes. Hopefully it lasts at least a year.
I'm trying to get this one-sided boxwood to become a sort of raft, but plan to show a tree that got blown over but just uprooted, not broken off. I'll let you know how that works out for me...

 

[MidMichBonsai]

You can also use pond baskets which essentially function the same way. The one in the link below I got from Menards and it's what I use for all of my trees that I'm trying to develop a think trunk and vigorous root system for.

http://www.menards.com/main/outdoor...tains/10-planter-basket/p-1735297-c-10121.htm

Best.

 

[M. Frary]

I don't know if it makes a difference or, how much of a difference, but I do know that colanders will break down pretty quickly due to UV exposure. In my experience the Black ones hold up better, the white and red ones will disintegrate in a couple of years and more or less crumble in your hands if you are not careful.

Bought one last fall and its coming apart. Some of the cheaper plastic.

 

[Vance Wood]

I'm using a cement mixing tub with drilled holes. Hopefully it lasts at least a year.
I'm trying to get this one-sided boxwood to become a sort of raft, but plan to show a tree that got blown over but just uprooted, not broken off. I'll let you know how that works out for me...

If you can keep the roots alive for the time being, long enough for the Boxwood branches to root you should be able to pull off a pretty nice raft. The artistic aspect of this project is up to you.

 

[Dav4]

I'm using a cement mixing tub with drilled holes. Hopefully it lasts at least a year.
I'm trying to get this one-sided boxwood to become a sort of raft, but plan to show a tree that got blown over but just uprooted, not broken off. I'll let you know how that works out for me...

That's going to be pretty cool if it works...great stock.

 

[FrankP999]

Dish tub from restaurant supply store http://www.webstaurantstore.com/20-...plastic-bus-tub-bus-box-black/70215205BK.html

 

[M. Frary]

I'm using a cement mixing tub with drilled holes. Hopefully it lasts at least a year.
I'm trying to get this one-sided boxwood to become a sort of raft, but plan to show a tree that got blown over but just uprooted, not broken off. I'll let you know how that works out for me...

Will you expose the root pad too. You know. The ones sticking up dead?

 

[lordy]

Will you expose the root pad too. You know. The ones sticking up dead?

Well, that's the theory, at least. This idea came from Rodney Clemons when he was in DC and only 3 people took advantage of a BYOT workshop. Evidently where he is from has a lot of strong wind and this happens from time to time. Supposedly this can be turned into a bit of an exposed (pronounced "jin") root raft. The branches should root as Vance mentioned, and the buried part of the roots should be OK, then slowly I expect to uncover the top part of the old rootball. If I can pull it off, I dont think I will see many more like it, that's for sure. Wish me luck.

**my apologies to the OP. It was not my intent to highjack your thread.

 

[M. Frary]

Well, that's the theory, at least. This idea came from Rodney Clemons when he was in DC and only 3 people took advantage of a BYOT workshop. Evidently where he is from has a lot of strong wind and this happens from time to time. Supposedly this can be turned into a bit of an exposed (pronounced "jin") root raft. The branches should root as Vance mentioned, and the buried part of the roots should be OK, then slowly I expect to uncover the top part of the old rootball. If I can pull it off, I dont think I will see many more like it, that's for sure. Wish me luck.

**my apologies to the OP. It was not my intent to highjack your thread.

Well here's wishing you good luck. Should be cool looking. I see these things in the swamps up here all of the time. Start a new bonsai category. Call it uprooted.

 

[eugen_onegin]

Another one to toss on the pile. Going to expose the roots some as it grows into the colander. May take some of the lip off the plastic top to allow some sunlight to the trunk. Big thanks to Julian Adams for my first JWP.

 

[Vance Wood]

Another one to toss on the pile. Going to expose the roots some as it grows into the colander. May take some of the lip off the plastic top to allow some sunlight to the trunk. Big thanks to Julian Adams for my first JWP.

I'm sorry but I don't understand the reason behind what you are describing int the above quote? It is going to take time and the results from the process seem vague to me.