Tokoname grow pot or mica pots

[nover18]

I'm looking for good prices and sources for either type of pot. Anyone have a recommendation and what and who they use and why? I want to grow out material while encouraging root spread and for pots that are durable enough to withstand our winters and that don't injure roots if moving from bench to bench.

 

[Vin]

A Tokoname grow pot is a new one on me. I've gotten several mica pots from Manhattan Bonsai http://www.manhattanbonsai.com/.

 

[Don Blackmond]

Well, you won't find much more durable than mica. Certainly, a tokoname training pot won't be more durable. You can build wooden boxes lined with mesh that will be durable and encourage root development, or go with something like an Anderson flat to suit the same purpose. Or use colanders.

You should get better recommendations if you specify what you are growing. There are reasons to use certain containers.

 

[nover18]

Well, you won't find much more durable than mica. Certainly, a tokoname training pot won't be more durable. You can build wooden boxes lined with mesh that will be durable and encourage root development, or go with something like an Anderson flat to suit the same purpose. Or use colanders.

You should get better recommendations if you specify what you are growing. There are reasons to use certain containers.

Thank you Don. I'm growing Japanese maple, Japanese black pine, and some junipers.

 

[Don Blackmond]

Thank you Don. I'm growing Japanese maple, Japanese black pine, and some junipers.

I would use clay for the juniper and black pine and mica for the maple. Anderson flats work very well for maples, producing fine fibrous shallow root systems. Clay (tokoname grow pots) is porous and allows moisture out more readily, keeping roots cool and not as swampy, which is better for your pine and junipers. Tokoname grow pots are not plentiful so you will have less luck finding them in quantity, cheap. Stuewe & Sons is a good place to look for Anderson

 

[LanceMac10]

New England Bonsai Garden in Mass has Tokoname grow pots in several different sizes. They received a large shipment a couple months ago. Priced from $8 to $13. 7" up to 9 1/2".
They do offer online shopping.

https://nebonsai.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/tokoname_growpots.jpg

 

[nover18]

I would use clay for the juniper and black pine and mica for the maple. Anderson flats work very well for maples, producing fine fibrous shallow root systems. Clay (tokoname grow pots) is porous and allows moisture out more readily, keeping roots cool and not as swampy, which is better for your pine and junipers. Tokoname grow pots are not plentiful so you will have less luck finding them in quantity, cheap. Stuewe & Sons is a good place to look for Anderson

Thanks. What would you recommend for zelkova? Do you treat these like maples in terms of root development?

 

[KennedyMarx]

An alternative is to use large nursery containers that are either cut down or only halfway filled with soil. The biggest drawback to these in my experience is just making the mesh drainage covers. The insides of all of my nursery containers have a portion of plastic sticking away from the container wall on the inside so it's hard to get the wired mesh to lay perfectly flat against the sides.

 

[Don Blackmond]

An alternative is to use large nursery containers that are either cut down or only halfway filled with soil. The biggest drawback to these in my experience is just making the mesh drainage covers. The insides of all of my nursery containers have a portion of plastic sticking away from the container wall on the inside so it's hard to get the wired mesh to lay perfectly flat against the sides.

and they are flimsy unless you use the thick hard plastic cans which are a pain to cut down. Not cutting them down is a poor choice if you want to develop short trees or lower branches.

 

[Don Blackmond]

Thanks. What would you recommend for zelkova? Do you treat these like maples in terms of root development?

Yes, treat zelkova like maples. I'd use a shallow mica pot or Anderson flat.

 

[KennedyMarx]

and they are flimsy unless you use the thick hard plastic cans which are a pain to cut down. Not cutting them down is a poor choice if you want to develop short trees or lower branches.

That's true. I've seen people cut them in half then slide the top half of the can down and staple it around the bottom to make them more stable. I wish that I had local access to Anderson flats. Shipping makes it cost prohibitive to order them online.