growboxes

remraf

Seedling
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
USDA Zone
5
Has anyone ever used styrofoam boxes to grow in? Large salmon boxes. Any thoughts on reinforcing the bottoms?
Might have to anchor to the ground,would have to be a lite weight growing medium.Tying in might
be a headache. I am tempted to try but will probably use wood. Thanks
 

snobird

Mame
Messages
108
Reaction score
1
All I know that about 13 years ago there was an Australian website of a guy in Queensland who claimed that his trees grew faster an better by planting them in styro boxes, apparently because it kept the root zone at an even temperature. For stabilizing the tree in the box I'll push through some bamboo sticks through the sides and tie the tree to that. If the boxes are thin walled I'll go for the wooden ones then.
 

Brian Van Fleet

Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Messages
13,959
Reaction score
45,886
Location
B’ham, AL
USDA Zone
8A
A lot of the Japanese Bonsai Today articles show trees grown in styro boxes. I've got a few trees in Anderson flats with very small root systems, and I packed the voids with big pieces of styro to keep the weight down, and not fill the container with something that would hold water and keep the soil wet. No problems. Tying down may be your biggest challenge, otherwise, I think they'd do great. And, you can get creative using some sticks and wedges to tie-off with in the bottom of the box to keep some of the tension off the styro itself.
 

Brian Van Fleet

Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Messages
13,959
Reaction score
45,886
Location
B’ham, AL
USDA Zone
8A
Here is one example...
 

Attachments

  • Pondy 4 Potting (2).jpg
    Pondy 4 Potting (2).jpg
    150.8 KB · Views: 87

bob shimon

Mame
Messages
122
Reaction score
9
styrofoam boxes

Our local aquarium supply store receive their fish shipped in styrofoam boxes that they give away. I use them for our collected redwoods and sierra junipers, and they work fine.
 

Bones

Seedling
Messages
10
Reaction score
0
Styrofoam boxes which are used for dispatching fish to fish counters in supermarkets are usually 1 inch thick. Styrofoam boxes are also used to transport certain vegetables such as broccoli and I have found these to be of a similar thickness.

I normally use a 2" diameter hole saw for drainage holes and use drainage mesh as usual.

I can confirm that there seems to be a big advantage as to the rooting of trees in them which I put down to the insulatative properties of the styrofoam.
 

Mike Jones

Seedling
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
I've not used for ages but when I did I secured four lightweight alloy strips to each upper edge. Drilled some small holes in them and then wired across the tree down to the metal strips to secure the tree in the styro.

I get pallets for free so make wooden boxes myself thee days. reminded me though of how successful collecting was using these kind of boxes. I used to heat a piece of copper pipe 22mm, specifically the end of. I then simply touched the base in several spots to create perfect holes.

If I was wishing to secure the styro down I would first rest on three small wooden dowels to get an air gap underneath then use twine through the metal strips and simply nail the guy twines down or secure the twine to the ground in whatever way worked.

I used to get loads of boxes from a Koi importer.

Mike
 
Top Bottom