Grow Bags Versus Pond Baskets

[mRNG]

Hey,
Although being interested in bonsai for the past decade, I just started with the addiction 1.5 years ago.
I see here on the forum the benefit using using pond baskets, but no information on grow bags that promote, so-they-say, the same benefits when growing above ground...air circulation and fine root growth.
Does the malleable factor of the bag possibly inhibit what we are trying to accomplish for developing product if it does need to be moved or rotated?
Even though this post is referencing my spring preparations, are there any downsides to using grow bags or pond baskets through the winter season in a temperate climate?
Here is the product I'm looking at: http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/...pot-longest-lifespan/growing-pouches-and-bags
Cheers!

 

[hemmy]

Here’s a link to my experience with 1 gal Rootmaker bags in cinder blocks. These were seedlings being grown on for caliper. The root ramification and top growth was great, plus the stability of the blocks was nice. But I left some too long and it was a real pain to remove them. Plus some escaped to the ground which overly thickened some roots. Now I’m just using the plastic air pruning pots.

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/field-growing-soil-prep.28935/page-2#post-480431

 

[sorce]

They are all completely different tools IMO.

NOTHING, works like the actual Air Pot.
But it's not exactly Bonsai friendly.

Throw colanders away.

A purposely shaped self made basket is the Bonsai version.
The one useful to us.

I prefer flat bottoms with no drainage holes.

Outdoe.


Indoe.

This way, when set on the ground, the roots can reach earth but you can cut them before they get too big. Since you can still see all of them.

FTR...
@Anthony I couldn't be happier with the results of this colander cut out of the ground.
The cut roots in the tray are already sprouting at cuts and back.
Only a few deeply shaded leaves lost.
And slow growth beginning now!
Not too long I suppose then to regrow them close feeders.
I'm about 2 weeks indoors.

Oh and them bags....
Just a joke ass way to act like the Swedes IMO....

Good for grow out of regular trees.

Waste of money for Bonsai.

People use em....
But I guarantee in x years they wish they hadn't.

Sorce

 

[Tieball]

I've used SpringPots before. I liked the stability of the sides and overall strength of the pot material. The SpringPot has a thick spring that winds from around the entire base up to the top...it holds the side cloth rigid and helps hold the rigidity when the pot is being moved. Because of the rigidity it’s not necessary to fill the pot all the way up to have it hold it’s shape....the top doesn’t flop down when filling or when it’s partially filled. Excellently made product.

I’m convinced though...that anything will work...basket, fabric pot, wood box or other. It comes down to how the tree is cared for throughout the seasons....whether you promote a growth environment or restrict the growth. Personally, I prefer the wood box....I’ve had my best growth results in the boxes....in all my seasons. The boxes are especially helpful in the winter months because of the insulation property of the wood...and as a soil coolant in summers. Periodic replanting.....my average is 3 years apart...helps control the roots and gives me opportunities to correct root situations. In the end after a lot of good growth I’m going to severely cut back the roots anyway.

Ground growing is still the best for my Deciduous trees.

 

[M. Frary]

I use colanders for air pruning all trees roots.

 

[M. Frary]

Throw colanders away.

Only after they fall apart. Send them to recycling centers in order to make more colanders.
Although. I have all of these elm clumps,lime 17 trees from 2/12" diameter I plan putting together as a forest. Too big for any colander so I plan building a box but the sides will be of that screen you sent. In essence a giant homemade colander like the ones you built. I'm forgoing the concrete though. It's going to be right at my strength limit once all the trees and substrate in it. It's probably going to be 4 feet long by 21/2 feet deep but only 4 or five inches tall. Im guessing maybe only 150 pounds when wet but a very awkward 150 pounds.
Long ape arms are a must.

 

[Quince]

I kept trees in bags for the first time this year so I haven't seen enough to make a strong endorsement. However, I was surprised by how stable the containers were when the DE/Rose Stone mix settled in. They are also easy to modify. I chop the top three inches off to get a bag that's about as wide as it is tall.

 

[AZbonsai]

My latest grow box. Made out of fraize boards that are used to keep air circulating in the attic. This one is 17x20. The boards cost about $1.50 apiece.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Telperion Farms uses grow bags commercially growing Bonsai stock. Junk plastic baskets have bad disadvantage of drying out in hot weather if not over attentive to watering. Grow bags can be left in ground checked for(escaping)roots periodically and watered much less.

 

[Anthony]

@sorce ,

just in case you missed it. The idea behind the surface roots escaping into
the ground was to get ------------------- coarse, elevated surface roots.
[ If the tree in nature has them ]

This is also the original idea behind the double and triple colanders.

Have you tried the tile under the plant to control the surface roots ?

Think of this ------- it is entirely possible to tile the plant, preserve the surface
roots / thicken the trunk , and cut off all of the lower roots.
Then enter your tree into a very shallow pot and make the trunk look huge.

I am not a fan of the thin branches to make the trunk look big, and prefer
what I would call harmony.
As seen on our trees down here.
First branch - 2/3 or 3/4 trunk
second branch - 1/2 trunk and so on.

What ever you decide in your design, best wishes.
Good Day
Anthony

* Oh the original air-pot mutated the test Tamarind, now it has permanetly
smaller leaves than the other trees.

 

[twisted trees]

I use colanders for air pruning all trees roots.

I use colanders for spaghetti.

 

[sorce]

surface roots.

Good point!

I put a couple trees directly at the bottom of these this year, like Smoke goes to the bottom of a pot.

I guess Part of my thing is NOT allowing surface roots to grow fast....
"Stradivarious Roots"

I always seem to end up with overly large or lopsided roots, so I'm trying to build them with feeder roots, these ones that go down and out, will be traced up and cut off, in hopes to ditch a half inch or so of height each year.

Sorce

 

[sorce]

screen you sent.

I was thinking about telling you how nice a half inch of that screen epoxies down would hold a muck wall....

But you don' like slabs, and they'e as heavy as concrete......
So your'e going to pot this monster?

Slick!

I got some teen number of Hawthorne seedlings I'm
Thinking about foresting up in spring.

Cuz who the hell wants to pot that many individual trees?

Gangster as hell these haws I tell ya!

Burned some aphids off one, it put out three new leaders and remains stronger than most!

Sorce

 

[flyinmanatee]

I use colanders for spaghetti.

Fine angel hair or thicker linguine?

 

[twisted trees]

Fine angel hair or thicker linguine?

I'll never tell.

 

[flyinmanatee]

I have some 7 gallon grow bags, take me forever to use. If anyone wants to try one let me know and I could mail them one.
Predicated on not having to send llama-back to Kathmandu.

 

[M. Frary]

So your'e going to pot this monster

I'll probably just get it in order and growing good in the box then sell it.
I'm not really a forest planting type of guy but these things are all grown together in clumps and will look great as a group planting.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I only use pond baskets for smaller trees that are in development. For larger trees in development I like using Anderson flats. 15 3/4" x 15 3/4" x 5" deep. They cost $3.50 each and last indefinitely.

 

[pweifan]

I only use pond baskets for smaller trees that are in development. For larger trees in development I like using Anderson flats. 15 3/4" x 15 3/4" x 5" deep. They cost $3.50 each and last indefinitely.

View attachment 167234

Where do you buy these? I tried locally and didn't have any luck.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Where do you buy these? I tried locally and didn't have any luck.

Stuewe & Sons, Inc

They're only $2.60 each... if you buy 1,000 or more