Mesh sided alternatives to Anderson Flats? Like larger pond baskets?

[nathanbs]

I have the book and have the complete set of BT magazines. (though have not read all of them yet) It will sound arrogant but I never take everything they (or anyone) says. I always probe and see if there is any flaw in it...and IN MY MIND, that is flawed. I could be wrong but I cannot accept it (based on my logic).

Again, good luck if you decide to try it yourself.

its not arrogance but perhaps a little ignorance, conversely if one takes everything they read or hear as gospel than they are a little ignorant as well. I definitely think you tip the scale in the one direction and perhaps I do in the other. I have not done the complete 7-8 year process as I have not done bonsai that long but I have removed trees that have been in colanders for apparently many years and I have also grown trees in containers such as colanders and anderson flats that have grown through the small holes into the ground. So I think I have enough related evidence to form a logical conclusion of what happens when the second colander is added.

 

[Poink88]

This post (#7) by Eric Schrader from the following thread helps explain it a bit.
http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?10750-Double-Colanders

Personally, after having grown pines using the double method and also having removed the smaller collander (without doing root work) before putting into the larger one, I prefer removal of the smaller one.

I think the original intent of the BT article was that there would be no disturbance to the roots while potting up, thus increasing the speed of trunk growth. The reality is that at least in my case after 5-6 years in the smaller collanders the nebari are nearly reaching the outer edges of the smaller collanders which makes it worrisome to cut back that far all in one go to get them out of the smaller containers. I'd prefer to be able to remove just the bottom half of the rootball without disturbing as much of the area surrounding the nebari...
View attachment 33588

I will say - I've gotten some really fantasitically branches root systems from these containers.

 

[nathanbs]

This post (#7) by Eric Schrader from the following thread helps explain it a bit.
http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?10750-Double-Colanders

its a worry that's not warranted for anyone that has either done or witnessed how severely JBP roots are pruned back during repot.

 

[Poink88]

its a worry that's not warranted for anyone that has either done or witnessed how severely JBP roots are pruned back during repot.

Let's agree to disagree then.

Have a good day!

 

[coh]

You know, there was a somewhat similar discussion that occurred last year, both here and on IBC (I think). I can't recall the exact threads, but there were a number of people, including several in Australia, who were advocating the double colander approach (or even planting the colander in the ground once the fibrous root system was established). One guy claimed he had been using this method for years with good results. The basic claim was that they were able to maintain a nice fibrous root system inside the smaller colander, while the larger colander allowed "root escape" and more plant growth. They claim planting in the ground did the same thing.

Obviously you lose the benefit of air pruning at the edge of the first colander, but I would think the roots would tend to grow out into the larger colander (or ground) rather than circling inside the smaller one. Otherwise there would be no benefit. When it's time you just remove all the roots outside the smaller colander and keep what's left.

Now, I haven't tried this but being an experimenter, I probably will, at least with some of my less hardy trees that I'm trying to grow trunks on...the ones that can't be left outside during the winter. I'll let them establish in the colanders, then bury the colanders into loose soil/compost for the summer to try to maximize growth each season. We'll see what happens.

I doubt there's a right/wrong way here. Enough people have been advocating the double colander type approach to make me believe there's something worth investigating. Your mileage may vary.

Chris

 

[GrimLore]

I figured I would toss these out there, they come in different sizes. I have not used them but they look like an inexpensive solution. http://shop.arborday.org/product.aspx?zpid=886

Grimmy