Tree suggestions for my “pot” please

[It's Kev]

I had this awesome chicken soup that gets cooked in a coconut. After emptying all the nuttiness out I figured it will look interesting if I planted something in it.
I’m just not sure what’s gonna work. Of course I need to stabilise it somehow so it doesn’t roll around.
What kinda tree can I plant in here? I was thinking one of those mame cascading JBPs. What do you guys think?

 

[It's Kev]

I was thinking to get one of these cascading JBP

 

[Cadillactaste]

I see it more as an accent with it being so round. Like...a rabbit foot fern. The feet on them are cool.

 

[It's Kev]

I’m not really a fan of accent plants

 

[Cadillactaste]

That's fine...I just know the feet look like a giant tarantula. It always receives comments from all guests as to what is it!?! All feel it's so cool. But I understand.

 

[JudyB]

Some sort of cascading vine might look nice here, some sort of ivy...I think you'd need to add some drainage holes, and feet so it can actually get out the drain holes. I wonder if it will eventually break down the fibers with all the watering, but that could look cool in the process too.

 

[BonsaiNaga13]

I like the pine idea but idk how long the coconut will last. Had some young thai coconuts I cleaned like yours and set out to dry but they cracked before I ever got around to planting anything in them

 

[Shinjuku]

I really like the idea. It’s a creative pot, and you also have a story behind it, which makes it even cooler.

I thought of one thing to consider when it comes time to repot in a year or two. The diameter of the hole is smaller than the diameter of the widest part of the pot. So when you repot, it’s possible that the diameter of the root ball might be too large to fit through the hole when you try to pull it out. But to Judy’s point, the pot may already be breaking down by that point anyway.

I say go for it and post a picture!

 

[It's Kev]

That's fine...I just know the feet look like a giant tarantula. It always receives comments from all guests as to what is it!?! All feel it's so cool. But I understand.
View attachment 215609

This brings back memories, my grandma had one of these that crept all over the veranda.
@JudyB ill try to see if I can get my hands on a drill or something, and I’ll get feet so it doesn’t roll away (4 storey drop to the bottom)
@BonsaiNaga13 i went and ordered the pine, was only 3 or 4 USD, I’m not sure what the exchange rate is.

The coconut chicken soup is popular here, if it cracks or dissolves, I’ll just have more soup to get another coconut and shape the hole a bit bigger maybe

 

[BonsaiNaga13]

You can saw the top off if need be. I'm inspired to try one now. Just drill holes where the eyes are and figure out how to sit it sturdy, maybe make some feet for it

 

[It's Kev]

You can saw the top off if need be. I'm inspired to try one now. Just drill holes where the eyes are and figure out how to sit it sturdy, maybe make some feet for it

Like this?

I made a dent with a pocket knife and then just screwed. I’m amazed that it didn’t crack. I’ll do a few more for drainage holes.

 

[Deleted member 21616]

I would be inclined to plant something reminiscent of a coconut tree in there, like one of these palms for example. There are so many varieties to choose from, and I imagine some do better than others at being kept small.

 

[BonsaiNaga13]

Like this?
View attachment 215613
I made a dent with a pocket knife and then just screwed. I’m amazed that it didn’t crack. I’ll do a few more for drainage holes.

That works, It reminds me of those spherical pots you see in some bonsai books

 

[petegreg]

As mentioned, some ivy and maybe that pine could look good in that "pot". I would try to make the top more open and the cut not so clean and straight... Something like this

As for breaking down, when I was a boy I had a coconut shell sitting on the gravel bottom of my tank of fish and it lasted many years underwater.

 

[BonsaiNaga13]

As mentioned, some ivy and maybe that pine could look good in that "pot". I would try to make the top more open and the cut not so clean and straight... Something like this
View attachment 215634
As for breaking down, when I was a boy I had a coconut shell sitting on the gravel bottom of my tank of fish and it lasted many years underwater.

That's the shape I had in mind

 

[It's Kev]

As mentioned, some ivy and maybe that pine could look good in that "pot". I would try to make the top more open and the cut not so clean and straight... Something like this
View attachment 215634

Weirdly, this is almost ideal as I don’t have the tools to make s clean cut. I saw tiny little hacksaws at the supermarket that’s even shorter than the circumference of my coconut. I can maybe get one of those to open it up a bit.

 

[petegreg]

Weirdly, this is almost ideal as I don’t have the tools to make s clean cut. I saw tiny little hacksaws at the supermarket that’s even shorter than the circumference of my coconut. I can maybe get one of those to open it up a bit.

It could work. I thought you had already made that clean cut. In that case, concerning tools, maybe pliers could work, slowly and carefuly.

 

[It's Kev]

As for breaking down, when I was a boy I had a coconut shell sitting on the gravel bottom of my tank of fish and it lasted many years underwater.

P.S. I think wood can be kept underwater for a very long time especially in aquarium conditions when your water is supposed to be super clean. What aids wood rot is always being between wet and dry.

I’ll try out your pliers idea. I haven’t got my own place so I can’t build and break as I please, that’s why I haven’t gotten any man tools yet, also, in China, manual labour is frowned upon so I can’t just borrow from a buddy either. I don’t know why these guys don’t learn to work with their hands

 

[BonsaiNaga13]

It could work. I thought you had already made that clean cut. In that case, concerning tools, maybe pliers could work, slowly and carefuly.

Pliers might split it. A saw and sand paper should be fine.

 

[BonsaiNaga13]

And maybe glue the broken parts of the shell on as the feet.