Pots Pots Pots - Help - for a Forest Planting

[BonsaiBobbie]

I seem to have gotten ahead of myself...

I saw @shibui sale of various JM and Trident seedlings, and have an order on the way, especially for a forest planting "yay".

I suddenly realised I don't have something suitable to plant the forest in. Which is about 20 No. Trident's.

I've got a seedling tray, which measures about 30cm by 30cm. I was thinking start in there with the initial intended arrangement until I find something suitable to display on.

ie work on the basis of something would be narrower, perhaps a little longer (?) and when found, make the adjustments.

Thoughts?

Things I'm factoring in:
- my existing Tridents are already starting to push out leaves, so I don't have much time
- Yet to see what the goodies from @shibui will look like and how the planting will work
- Money - I can't afford to spend much if anything at the moment
- Really unsure of the best approach for a forest, it a grow pot style arrangement and then display pot

Cheers

[Keels]

I just created a couple of forests in old gardening trays. You can purchase similar trays off ebay etc they are pretty cheap (under 10 bucks). i just look for large gardening tray, here's a link to an example "https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/132446637338 . good luck

[TimS]

Polystyrene boxes are my emergency go to; cut down to desired height and use a screwdriver to poke holes in the bottom and you have a pot that will last 2 years in full sun before the polystyrene starts breaking down.

[Raging Bull]

Polystyrene definitely the way to go. Go to a fruit & veg shop and ask for a broccoli box. I started my trident forest that way. The polystyrene insulates the soil in summer which is a good thing if it's in the sun. After a couple of years select the trees you want in your forest and re-pot them in a group or two, depending on the arrangement you want. I split mine into two groups with a path between them. After another year or two, with the accompanying root prunes they can be planted into a shallower pot. I've included the progression of mine, also originally from shibui. I started with 30 and 29 survived, which I thought was a very good outcome.

2017.07.19 1e.jpg

2017.08.22 02e.jpg

2019.08.11 02e.jpg

2020.06.26 03e.JPG

2022.07.16e.JPG

[BonsaiBobbie]

Polystyrene definitely the way to go. Go to a fruit & veg shop and ask for a broccoli box. I started my trident forest that way. The polystyrene insulates the soil in summer which is a good thing if it's in the sun. After a couple of years select the trees you want in your forest and re-pot them in a group or two, depending on the arrangement you want. I split mine into two groups with a path between them. After another year or two, with the accompanying root prunes they can be planted into a shallower pot. I've included the progression of mine, also originally from shibui. I started with 30 and 29 survived, which I thought was a very good outcome.

2017.07.19 1e.jpg

2017.08.22 02e.jpg

2019.08.11 02e.jpg

2020.06.26 03e.JPG

2022.07.16e.JPG

I just created a couple of forests in old gardening trays. You can purchase similar trays off ebay etc they are pretty cheap (under 10 bucks). i just look for large gardening tray, here's a link to an example "https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/132446637338 . good luck

Polystyrene boxes are my emergency go to; cut down to desired height and use a screwdriver to poke holes in the bottom and you have a pot that will last 2 years in full sun before the polystyrene starts breaking down.

Thank you all. Just the kind of lateral thinking I was needing, and when you suddenly "panic" you don't think rationally!

[BonsaiBobbie]

Is there nothing my laneway can’t provide?

15mins after seeing your responses…

Box on left already has the holes for me too.

B87F3857-7899-46C6-B7B0-6A6E63CFD578.jpeg

[shibui]

You may find the potting mix leaks out the large holes in the polystyrene fruit box. Put some stones or mesh over the holes before filling with mix.

I use seedling trays for most of the groups I put together. There's plenty of room for 20 or more seedlings in one of those. If you can't fit 20 in you are putting them too far apart.

Polystyrene fruit boxes are good if you want to grow the trees on to thicken the trunks. Arrange the trees as a group in the box but let them brow freely next summer and they will usually double in thickness. Just need to keep an eye on them in case the outer trees grow faster than the inner ones so occasional pruning may be required.

[BonsaiBobbie]

You may find the potting mix leaks out the large holes in the polystyrene fruit box. Put some stones or mesh over the holes before filling with mix.

I use seedling trays for most of the groups I put together. There's plenty of room for 20 or more seedlings in one of those. If you can't fit 20 in you are putting them too far apart.

Polystyrene fruit boxes are good if you want to grow the trees on to thicken the trunks. Arrange the trees as a group in the box but let them brow freely next summer and they will usually double in thickness. Just need to keep an eye on them in case the outer trees grow faster than the inner ones so occasional pruning may be required.

Thanks Neil!

[MJL]

Ha! I just saw this thread and note a big yes to all the options mentioned! Saved me typing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BonsaiBobbie]

Thanks MJL!

[BonsaiBobbie]

In searching for eventual display options, I've come across this place...

www.stonelife.com.au

Based in Sydney, with a display centre in Kirrawee and will delivery any order any size across Australia. I put an initial query in, and got a prompt response. Given I was only after a small piece of stone and it would take effort for them to find something to match, I was surprised they responded.

But the owner pointed me to better products etc.

When I get to that stage, I'll let people know.

[BonsaiBobbie]

Here is the forest all potted it.

Not 100% happy with the planting / layout. I think I want to move some of the plants to the right right a bit further apart / away.

But tempted to leave for the moment, and then later (ie next winter) deal with it then, once I've seen what is happening.

[bonsaibrightlogpolar]

It happens to the best of us. Seeing @shibui's sale got you all excited about those JM and Trident seedlings, and a forest planting sounds like a "yay" indeed! As for planting them, starting in that 30cm by 30cm seedling tray sounds like a solid plan. You can work with the initial arrangement there until you find the perfect display option. Something a bit narrower and maybe a tad longer would do the trick. Once you come across the right setup, you can make the adjustments and make that forest shine. Keep the positive vibes flowing and enjoy the journey of finding the perfect display for your awesome seedlings!