Overpotting in a Pond Basket

Vance Wood

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I've used pond baskets several times and after removing the tree I see a dense rootball, but none within a cm of the edge of the basket. I assume that the soil there dries out too quickly. I use quite a course grained substrate though.
How long did you allow the trees to remain in the pond basket?
 

Anthony

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Hmm, how about this -

[1] Get a 55 US gallonnblack barrel.
Cut to 1/3 size.

[2] Take the proportions of an air pot's holes.
Drill the holes.

[3] Use coarse soil - plant tree.

Aha an idea to try - ping.

Did the above already with clay pots.
Let you know next year.
Good Day
Anthony

@Vance Wood ,

that is how our repots are, roots so dense we have to use a
saw to cut through.
Chopsticks would break.
 

Lazylightningny

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You definitely want to go larger if using a pond basket compared to a normal pot. With a pond basket the outer 1-2cm is basically a dead area where roots can't go, so the usable volume is a lot less.
I have several pond baskets with new roots poking out the sides., so this is not a true statement.
 

Vance Wood

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Hmm, how about this -

[1] Get a 55 US gallonnblack barrel.
Cut to 1/3 size.

[2] Take the proportions of an air pot's holes.
Drill the holes.

[3] Use coarse soil - plant tree.

Aha an idea to try - ping.

Did the above already with clay pots.
Let you know next year.
Good Day
Anthony

@Vance Wood ,

that is how our repots are, roots so dense we have to use a
saw to cut through.
Chopsticks would break.
If you have read any of my repotting posts you will find that sawing off portions of the soil ball is usual because of the pond basket etc.
 

peterbone

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I have several pond baskets with new roots poking out the sides., so this is not a true statement.
Maybe it depends on species and climate. Mine were mostly Hornbeam and I had them in there over a year. A climate with higher humidity would help roots grow nearer the edge. I've never seen roots poking out the sides.
 

Vance Wood

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I did not invent the pond basket, other people observing the success I had with the bonsai training planter back in the 80's figured that pond baskets would do the same thing as my bonsai training planter, shown as my avatar. So---I do know a little of the process. The reason for the bonsai training planter was to help reduce the size of the soil ball and replace large support roots with usable feeder roots. You use a device like this to reduce the mass of a root system and increase the quality of it as bonsai specific nature in a smaller package so to speak. If you over-pot in a screen sided container you are wasting your time, like using a corvette to haul gravel. You are not producing a fine root system you're fooling yourself.
 

Anthony

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@Vance Wood ,

understood, but we don't use pond baskets, just bonsai
pots, some in plastic and some in clay.
So the dense root bit may also be due to other factors.

Always enjoy reading your thoughts,
Good Day
Anthony
 
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