Problem solving: The case of the out-of stock colander

[Paul G]

Problem#1: Although my JBP, scots, and mugo seedlings can handle the sun, several of them were roasting in the UV-absorbing black nursery pots, even with twice-a-day waterings.





Problem #2: The dollar store where I used to buy my 8” colanders stopped carrying them.

Solution: These…



There may have been threads on these in the past, but I have never seen them used on this site, so I’m throwing it out there in case the idea appeals to others with a similar dilemma.

These 8” baskets are $6 per dozen at my local restaurant supply store, so they are much cheaper than either colanders or pond baskets.

They are not without their drawbacks, however. They are shallower than most 8” colanders, which may or may not be a problem, depending on what you plan to do with them. All I know is that all 70+ of my seedlings are doing MUCH better now that they are out of the black nursery pots.



Another drawback is the lack of holes on the bottom and the excessively large ones around the side. I got around this by doing two things:

1. I drilled a pattern on the bottom. I was able to knock out seven or eight at a time by stacking them and using my drill press and a ¼” bit.




2. To keep the soil from spilling out the side, I cut oversized circles (say 9” or so) out of a large roll of plastic screen from the hardware store and placed it inside. Tip: if you want the screen to lay flat inside the basket, you’ll need to cut out a thin triangular wedge from the edge to the center, otherwise it will be all folds and wrinkles.


This worked so well with my pines that I tried it with a few JM cuttings after they had begun to root. So far, so good!!!




I hope this helps someone

Cheers,
Paul

 

[Daniel son STL]

What’s the point of a container with holes if not in the ground? Don’t understand...

 

[Nybonsai12]

Tiger Chef has a good variety of sizes without the solid bottom

Plastic Colander, Colanders | TigerChef

Shop for durable, long-lasting plastic colanders from Thunder Group and easily rinse off produce, seafood, and other large items, at our everyday low prices.

www.tigerchef.com

 

[Paul G]

Tiger Chef has a good variety of sizes without the solid bottom

Plastic Colander, Colanders | TigerChef

Shop for durable, long-lasting plastic colanders from Thunder Group and easily rinse off produce, seafood, and other large items, at our everyday low prices.

www.tigerchef.com

I like those!!!

 

[MrWunderful]

What’s the point of a container with holes if not in the ground? Don’t understand...

So the roots air prune.

And I have found great luck with 2$ pond baskets from lowes/home depot. They only last 3-4 seasons, but they are only 2$ each.

 

[Daniel son STL]

So the roots air prune.

And I have found great luck with 2$ pond baskets from lowes/home depot. They only last 3-4 seasons, but they are only 2$ each.

So they just die... instead of circling the pot. Gotcha

 

[MrWunderful]

So they just die... instead of circling the pot. Gotcha

The theory is that its like a constant, light root prune that forces root ramification. So they don't “die” per-say.

 

[Anthony]

Chinese and Indian stores on our side also sell
stainless steel colanders for very little.
Been using the same ones for over 15 years.

And a very big stainless steel colander on a Caribbean
pine, in a double colander experiment.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[ysrgrathe]

What’s the point of a container with holes if not in the ground? Don’t understand...

Colanders are the best way to grow pines. As Paul said, it induces ramification so you get fine feeder root instead of large circling roots.

Tigerchef sells Thunder Group as well, I use the plastic wash baskets. They have small holes so you don't lose soil, even the small stuff on top.

Thunder Group PLWB005 Wash Basket / Colander 8" | TigerChef

Buy the easy to clean, durable plastic Thunder Group wash basket / colander with an easy grip lipped edge and footed base for stability, at cheap online prices.

www.tigerchef.com

 

[Lorax7]

I've started using these little baskets that I found at my local Asian market. The slits on the bottom are narrow enough that the soil won't fall through. The holes on the sides are larger, so I just cover them with a bit of paper towel, which will eventually rot away. By the time the paper rots away, the roots should have already grown out to the sides and stabilized the soil so it's not going anywhere. Credit for the paper towel idea goes to Pauline Muth.

I haven't been using the baskets for very long, so I don't have any information yet about how long the plastic holds up to the elements. What I like about them is that the depth is about the same as a regular bonsai pot, so it doesn't require a huge volume of soil. I see that as an advantage over the Home Depot pond baskets that I was using previously. I use pumice, lava rock, and akadama for my soil mix and that can get expensive. So, I like it that these baskets don't require more soil than an ordinary bonsai pot would.

 

[parhamr]

Tiger Chef has a good variety of sizes without the solid bottom

Plastic Colander, Colanders | TigerChef

Shop for durable, long-lasting plastic colanders from Thunder Group and easily rinse off produce, seafood, and other large items, at our everyday low prices.

www.tigerchef.com

These are great! They start to get crunchy and brittle in year 3 or 4, depending on your climate.

 

[Shima]

and the excessively large ones around the side. One inside another with larger substrate in between can help this.

 

[Shima]

and the excessively large ones (holes) around the side. One inside another with larger substrate in between can help this.

 

[Shima]

Oops...my bad

 

[sorce]

I just needed your quote, sure you know this.

get crunchy

Anything for indoor use should be avoided for this reason. Unless of course someone doesn't mind wasting the money and cleaning/dealing with the mess they create.

Ok for 150 degree heat, as in a hotdog, not UV protected and safe for outdoor use.

Also, adding "screen" of a typical window screen hole size to the interior negates the effectiveness as a true "root pruning" device.
Which kind of leaves you with a brittle "pot of a couple layers" more than a colander.

Last, the cause of that "burning up" was likely too much water , possibly made worse by added heat, but not likely heat alone.

Much more likely, the handful of death ball fertilizer in a handful sized pot.

Sorce

 

[penumbra]

So the roots air prune.

And I have found great luck with 2$ pond baskets from lowes/home depot. They only last 3-4 seasons, but they are only 2$ each.

Same here.

 

[Nybonsai12]

These are great! They start to get crunchy and brittle in year 3 or 4, depending on your climate.

Yup.
I started with the dollar store betty crockers and they were mediocre at best. They didn't have as much drainage as these in the link and after a year or two in full sun they start to crumble. Next year will be year 3 for these and i figure it will likely be the last year for the JBP i have in them.

 

[penumbra]

What I like about them is that the depth is about the same as a regular bonsai pot, so it doesn't require a huge volume of soil. I see that as an advantage over the Home Depot pond baskets that I was using previously.

I assume the HD pond baskets are like the $2 ones from Lowes. You don't need to fill the pot completely. Some of my pond baskets are well over 10 years old but have not necessarily been in the sun all that time. The plastic is much stiffer than colanders I have seen. I will continue using pond baskets. The plants I have in them are growing phenomenally well. My trident maples went from 10 to 14 inches up to 5 to 6 feet tall in a season.