Grow boxes

[RichKid]

Just wondering what most people use for grow boxes and their experiences with different types. For those that build their own, what size lumber do you use? Thanks.

 

[fourteener]

I use cedar deck board. 1 inch x 6 inches x 8 feet. I attach wire mesh to the bottom with a staple gun, then attach two inch strips of the same cedar decking to give support to the mesh on the bottom. It's a fine line between putting enough wood on the bottom to give support and few enough for drainage to be excellent.

They look just like my sifting boxes. Without the extra support. The cedar holds up very well. Probably costs me about 10-12 dollars for 8-10 years of use or more.

If the pot is too deep I just keep the soil to a minimum depth.

 

[Dav4]

I've used: plastic litter pans, oversized plastic nursery cans, milk crates, pond baskets, anderson flats, and mica pots. I would stay away from the litter pans...the uv light from the sun degrades the plastic and they quickly become brittle and fall apart. Love the mica pots but they are hard to find and expensive.

I've built boxes out of pressure treated decking (4-6" planks) with good results. They last for years and take lots of abuse, but tend to be quite heavy.

 

[fourteener]

Here are 4 trees that I gathered in the last 1-3 years. They are all in grow boxes. I used pine for a box instead of cedar, but it got slimy and gross as it absorbed more water. The cedar is really the way to go.

 

[Emrys]

Are there any species of wood that one shouldn't use? I'm not asking about durability but rather about toxicity. I know that sounds harsh but....what about a species that is tannic like white oak? Is tannic acid a problem??

 

[RichKid]

Fourteener,
Do you use a standard dimension for the builds or do you size them to each particular tree?

How about this:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-18-Qt-Dishpan-Black/17011370

or

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-12-Quart-Dishpan-Black/16351104

 

[fourteener]

Fourteener,
Do you use a standard dimension for the builds or do you size them to each particular tree?

How about this:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-18-Qt-Dishpan-Black/17011370

or

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-12-Quart-Dishpan-Black/16351104

At first I built them for the tree. Now when I reuse them, I go with what is close. The advantage of building your own comes when you gather some tree with a strange shape and build a unique box. I have a pine in a box that is 18 inches wide and 3.5 feet long. Too much box can equal too much soil which can create an environment that is too wet.

 

[RichKid]

At first I built them for the tree. Now when I reuse them, I go with what is close. The advantage of building your own comes when you gather some tree with a strange shape and build a unique box. I have a pine in a box that is 18 inches wide and 3.5 feet long. Too much box can equal too much soil which can create an environment that is too wet.

This might sound silly, but unless its a repot or a nursery specimen, how would you know what size box you need for something youre going to collect? You should already have the box ready right? Or do you collect n then build? I'm planning on collecting some maples from someones yard and have no idea what to expect as far as root mass.

 

[fourteener]

This might sound silly, but unless its a repot or a nursery specimen, how would you know what size box you need for something youre going to collect? You should already have the box ready right? Or do you collect n then build? I'm planning on collecting some maples from someones yard and have no idea what to expect as far as root mass.

I have all the materials in my garage for the return trip. Like fishing, if you catch'em you gotta clean'em.

When I bring home trees I have the rootball wrapped up well and there is really no hurry. The way I collect trees they could sit around and be okay for a few days.

Concerning the box, the only time consuming part is cutting out the wire mesh. It probably takes me 20 minutes to build a box. If you gather the tree with good respect for the roots, repotting doesn't have to be a rush. That being said, I feel the need to get pines settled faster than other trees. Tamaracks can sit in a pail of water for days and be fine.

 

[RichKid]

I have all the materials in my garage for the return trip. Like fishing, if you catch'em you gotta clean'em.

When I bring home trees I have the rootball wrapped up well and there is really no hurry. The way I collect trees they could sit around and be okay for a few days.

Concerning the box, the only time consuming part is cutting out the wire mesh. It probably takes me 20 minutes to build a box. If you gather the tree with good respect for the roots, repotting doesn't have to be a rush. That being said, I feel the need to get pines settled faster than other trees. Tamaracks can sit in a pail of water for days and be fine.

Anything in particular you recommend to wrap them in? Or would just a regular plastic garbage bag suffice?

 

[coh]

Last time I was at Nature's Way nursery, I saw a trick to adapt an overly large box. You can just partition off the area you don't need with a piece of wood, and only fill up the section that contains the tree. This would also be a way to use a square/rectangular box for an irregularly shaped root system.

BTW, fourteener, your boxes look pretty much identical to mine. Except for some reason it takes me much longer than 20 minutes to build one!

Chris

 

[fourteener]

Anything in particular you recommend to wrap them in? Or would just a regular plastic garbage bag suffice?

I bring a presoaked beach towel(usually my wife's favorite)!! I try to keep as much soil on the roots as possible. When I wrap up the rootball with the towel, I might pack in some soil around the voids. I then take twine and wrap up the ball of roots. The purpose of doing that is to keep the soil from shaking off when you transport the tree. I wrap it up tight. I bag the towel in a garbage bag. If the tree is small enough I put it in another garbage bag as well. I do all of that to keep up the humidity (i collect mostly conifers). Concern for humidity level doesn't matter so much for deciduous tree as they aren't leafed out yet.

If you keep the rootball intact the pressure to get it potted is lessened.

 

[fourteener]

Last time I was at Nature's Way nursery, I saw a trick to adapt an overly large box. You can just partition off the area you don't need with a piece of wood, and only fill up the section that contains the tree. This would also be a way to use a square/rectangular box for an irregularly shaped root system.

BTW, fourteener, your boxes look pretty much identical to mine. Except for some reason it takes me much longer than 20 minutes to build one!

Chris

Nature's way idea is good thanks!

I have a chop saw so I get my four boards quick. If I could find a way to cut the mesh quicker it would be nice. Sometimes the cedar boards splits out and I have to drill a bigger hole for the screw head. That makes it take a little longer, but I have two drills so I don't have to keep swapping out bits.

 

[monza]

Anything in particular you recommend to wrap them in? Or would just a regular plastic garbage bag suffice?

Extra heavy duty garbage bags and electrical tape work well. Lots of holes in the plastic and keep them moist and out of the sun.

 

[Eric Schrader]

Leaning tower of boxes

I used these to dig out 8 valley oaks and 6 Monterey cypress that I had been ground growing before I moved. I used standard fencing material, 1x6x 5/8" rough redwood and cedar. Some of it was reclaimed from a section of fencing that I had torn down and rebuilt. I sized the boxes so that they were roughly square with 3 - 1x6 as the bottom. I put the boards right next to each other rather than leaving spaces to add screen and then I drill two drainage holes. Between the holes and the cracks between boards there is plenty of places for the water to escape.



I counted the other day and I have about 40% of my trees in grow boxes or pond baskets.

 

[Jason_mazzy]

I think the screen is to stimulate finer root system through air pruning.

 

[mcpesq817]

Look up Anderson flats - they are fantastic. They are about 15"x15"x5", screened bottom, and heavy duty plastic that holds up well for years. Will save you a lot of time and expense to go through building boxes if this size will work for you.

I think I bought mine from here (I've been using TFLAT5). Shipping can be a bit higher because they don't nest perfectly within one another. But, still a fairly inexpensive alternative.

http://www.stuewe.com/products/anderson.php

 

[Poink88]

Fourteener,
Do you use a standard dimension for the builds or do you size them to each particular tree?

How about this:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-18-Qt-Dishpan-Black/17011370

or

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-12-Quart-Dishpan-Black/16351104

I mostly use the 12-qt of these. I also use the 18 qt if I need to. For really big trees, I buy the bussing tub from Ace Restaurant supplies. Very sturdy and cheap at $6.00 each.

 

[Poink88]

At first I built them for the tree. Now when I reuse them, I go with what is close. The advantage of building your own comes when you gather some tree with a strange shape and build a unique box. I have a pine in a box that is 18 inches wide and 3.5 feet long. Too much box can equal too much soil which can create an environment that is too wet.

Try adding styrofoam blocks (not the water absorbing type). It should reduce the soil volume if need be. I save some of these in my attic from electronic packaging...while not in use, they help me reduce my electric bill as well.

 

[Poink88]

Anything in particular you recommend to wrap them in? Or would just a regular plastic garbage bag suffice?

I use heavy duty (contractor grade) trash bags and packing or duct tape. After wrapping, tape it tightly so the soil won't shift and damage the remaining roots. I don't put holes on mine until it gets home since they are transported inside my sedan anyway (and won't get cooked) and help keep the upholstery clean .