Is this pot shape ok? Or not ok?

caerolle

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So, for a while now I have been looking for grow pots for some little Japanese Maples. I would prefer something rectangular, but while these seem to be trivial to find in the UK, not so much in the US. I know a lot of people use Anderson flats, but I have not gotten around to calling Stuewe to see if they sell small quantities to the public. I found a place that sells pots like I want here in the US, but they are out of the size I want. Anyhow, I am still looking into sourcing shallow, rectangular pots, and may even build some wooden boxes this winter, but I had a question about a couple pots that I got excited about and bought and now have doubts about.

I ran across these shallow rounds pots locally, and got a couple different ones. I thought they would be great as grow pots, but after learning a lot more, I am worried that I would have a large moisture gradient toward the outside edges. The larger pot (striped) is 15-1/2" ID at the top, 9-1/4" ID at the bottom, and 6" deep. The smaller pot (pink) is 13-1/2" ID at the top, 8" ID at the bottom, and 5-1/4" deep.

Pots_04.jpgPots_02.jpgPots_05.jpgPots_03.jpg

I recently have seen some pots like these advertised as bonsai training pots, so perhaps they are ok. Thoughts?

Thanks! :)
 

Shibui

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As long as there are good drain holes in the base the plants will not care about the shape or color. Deeper pots are fine for growing pots provided you root prune well.
 
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I've used that shape and size for training pots, and yes Steuwe and Sons will ship small quantities. I've purchased 10 but the shipping makes it more practical to order more
 

sorce

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Any pot works of you understand it's properties.

Pour some water in it dry. See where it stands. Know it.

Watering plastic and vitrified Ceramics is different than watering Terra Cotta and wood boxes.

Some trees do better in some things than others.

Sorce
 

AlainK

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It depends what species you want to use them for. Colanders are better as grow pots for pines for instance, but these are cheap and fine for many deciduous like maples. I often drill holes around the base to make sure the mix is free-draining, that's all.

The only thing is that most of them have horizontal grooves, vertical ones would be much better to force the roots down instead of circling the pot when they grow, like ancient Japanese bonsai pots.
 

caerolle

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Thanks, I appreciate the feedback! I just worried about the edges toward the top being dry toward the outside edges.

I do very much believe in good drainage! Here is pick I took that showed part of the inside of the smaller pot. I drilled these holes some time back, and probably would make bigger ones when I used it. IIRC, these are 3/4" in diameter. I have not drilled the large pot yet, but yes, it will have lots of big holes, too. Also, may or may not be a good diea, but I put a layer of ~3/4" - 1" lava rock in the bottom of my pots to hopefully avoid uneven drainage.

Pots_01.jpg
 

penumbra

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Similar to these pots, keep an eye open for hanging baskets that have been retired. Many people buy them planted and toss them at years end. Take off the hanger (or leave it if table tops are scarce) and you are good to go. Drainage in hanging baskets is almost always excellent.
My apologies for hijacking the thread but I didn't think this warranted a separate thread.
 

JudyB

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Personally, I like training maples and other deciduous in wider but very shallow pots. This still gives the roots plenty of room to support developmental growth, but also trains your roots to a shallow and spreading shape. Much like the ebihara method, but without the board.
 

Pitoon

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So, for a while now I have been looking for grow pots for some little Japanese Maples. I would prefer something rectangular, but while these seem to be trivial to find in the UK, not so much in the US. I know a lot of people use Anderson flats, but I have not gotten around to calling Stuewe to see if they sell small quantities to the public. I found a place that sells pots like I want here in the US, but they are out of the size I want. Anyhow, I am still looking into sourcing shallow, rectangular pots, and may even build some wooden boxes this winter, but I had a question about a couple pots that I got excited about and bought and now have doubts about.

I ran across these shallow rounds pots locally, and got a couple different ones. I thought they would be great as grow pots, but after learning a lot more, I am worried that I would have a large moisture gradient toward the outside edges. The larger pot (striped) is 15-1/2" ID at the top, 9-1/4" ID at the bottom, and 6" deep. The smaller pot (pink) is 13-1/2" ID at the top, 8" ID at the bottom, and 5-1/4" deep.

View attachment 308381View attachment 308382View attachment 308383View attachment 308384

I recently have seen some pots like these advertised as bonsai training pots, so perhaps they are ok. Thoughts?

Thanks! :)
Anything that will hold the media will work......the rest comes to aesthetics and how much you want to spend to please your eyes.
 

caerolle

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Similar to these pots, keep an eye open for hanging baskets that have been retired. Many people buy them planted and toss them at years end. Take off the hanger (or leave it if table tops are scarce) and you are good to go. Drainage in hanging baskets is almost always excellent.
My apologies for hijacking the thread but I didn't think this warranted a separate thread.
Yes, I agree on the hanging baskets! They tend to have a better profile than regular flower pots, for what I want. In fact, I use the ones pictured below for a 2-gallon size pot. I get them at a certain Home Depot for just a few dollars each, throw away the plastic hanging cables and the bottom. I don't even put a screen in them for potting mix I am currently using, just use a layer of lava rock. These are 12" ID at the top, 8-1/4" ID at the bottom, and 6-1/2" deep.

Pots_07.jpg

Pots_06.jpg
 

caerolle

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Personally, I like training maples and other deciduous in wider but very shallow pots. This still gives the roots plenty of room to support developmental growth, but also trains your roots to a shallow and spreading shape. Much like the ebihara method, but without the board.
Yes, that is what I am going for, wide and shallow! I got these because they were easily available, and look nice (I live in a condo, so have to worry a bit about not having my area look like a ratty nursery, lol). I am probably going to order some kind of rectangular trays or build some wooden boxes for most of my trees, though, for various reasons. Not the least of which is those will nestle against each other better when I have to do winter storage than round ones, which would have a lot of gaps. I have a long time to decide, all my trees are very small and will not go into the larger containers until at least the beginning of next year, maybe not even then. I just love to plan and think and learn, so am continuously looking for options and thinking. :)
 
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