Stainless Steel Grow box

[just.wing.it]

I had some stainless steel wire mesh laying around, left over from an old job. It's similar to the type of material used to make commercial fry baskets, like at McDonald's. This stuff is a little heavier gauge though. Aside from a few sharp edges, which I may cover with something, it turned out ok!

I'll line it with flexible plastic mesh and be done. It's about 6"x 6"x 3.5".
Boredom in the morning leads to this...

 

[sorce]

Nice....

I wish I woulda made mine more shallow.

If it helps you save any material.....

Sorce

 

[just.wing.it]

This stuff is such a bitch to cut thru, it'll probably be the only one I make.

 

[Rid]

I'm going to attempt making my own as well. I have insect screen, dollar store laundry baskets, and a 12 pack of beer.

Is your soil coarse enough so that it won't go through the screen?

 

[M. Frary]

Laundry baskets seem too deep.

 

[just.wing.it]

I'm going to attempt making my own as well. I have insect screen, dollar store laundry baskets, and a 12 pack of beer.

Is your soil coarse enough so that it won't go through the screen?

I'll put some plastic "soil drainage mesh" liner in there.

 

[Rid]

Laundry baskets seem too deep.

Agreed, they are pretty small and from the dollar store, though. I still may cut the top part of them off.

 

[armetisius]

Agreed, they are pretty small and from the dollar store, though. I still may cut the top part of them off.

Have you considered those shipping flats like they use for grapes? Open sides/bottom all around
and a little nylon screen turns them into nearly instant baskets for growing. Range from around 4
to 10 inches deep depending on what was actually shipped in that particular one. Just a thought.

 

[Anthony]

Just,Wing,It,

It works, don't stop.
Next time try longer, but not deeper.
The idea shows up in the 1950's with a Mr. Kik Tavi.
He was selling Bonsai Kits.

The Air-pots we use, were meant for 100% compostr , and so they drain well and don't dry out in full
sun and wind.

Now you can test how much organic matter you can use, see if it improves the tree's health / look
because of all the extra fine feeder roots. Use an expendable cutting.

Also you can place that mesh shape into a Bonsai pot for display, take out when not displaying and
keep up your fine feeder root population.

Plus, you can observe if you really need fertiliser or how often you really need to repot.
Go for it.
Good Day
Anthony

* Quite a few of our colanders are stainless steel mesh.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Curious why have never seen Anderson flats mentioned on here. Have bought a JBP and very old Ponderosa in these.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Curious why have never seen Anderson flats mentioned on here. Have bought a JBP and very old Ponderosa in these.

Maybe you just haven't seen it mentioned. A quick search turned up 10 pages. Many of us have used them for years.
http://www.bonsainut.com/search/2247160/?q=Anderson+flat&o=date

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Have you considered those shipping flats like they use for grapes? Open sides/bottom all around
and a little nylon screen turns them into nearly instant baskets for growing. Range from around 4
to 10 inches deep depending on what was actually shipped in that particular one. Just a thought.

They're great. Filled this with pine bark and perlite about 10 years ago and never thought about it again until you mentioned it. I just keep it in a shady location, add cuttings as I think to, and if they grow, like these itoigawas have, I slip them up to a smaller individual pot, or put them in the ground.

 

[Rid]

Have you considered those shipping flats like they use for grapes? Open sides/bottom all around
and a little nylon screen turns them into nearly instant baskets for growing. Range from around 4
to 10 inches deep depending on what was actually shipped in that particular one. Just a thought.

I haven't but will look into it. I was looking for pond baskets, and one store had made a really big one out of a milk crate. I'll post a pic of how mine turns out later today.