AusBonsai

just be carefull if you hide them around the garden that you remember where you put them, I've lost trees that way (Ok they turn up eventually,usually when they grow taller than the surounding shrubbery), but the point is, that you forget where they are. and beware of people with whipper snippers....

paddles wrote:just be carefull if you hide them around the garden that you remember where you put them, I've lost trees that way (Ok they turn up eventually,usually when they grow taller than the surounding shrubbery), but the point is, that you forget where they are. and beware of people with whipper snippers....

this is true. put a marker of some sort that you know where your tree is. like a rock that you will recognise or something that will remind you they are there
and with the people whippersnipping...if they snip your trees you can always snip there fuel line..

Japh
I use old fence pailings and build a box. Just like the rugged look more than the white poly box. Plus my wife really got sick of all the white boxes we had when we rented.
Also the dinner plate idea is a ripper.

Ok, I'm going to try to get a grow box sorted this week. I would love to do a wooden box, but unfortunately I don't have any spare wood in my near vicinity. It'd be much more expensive to make a wooden box! lol

I'll try to get a polystyrene box tomorrow and some bonsai soil... will have to find a plate somewhere too... or even a decent rock and make it into a roots-over-rock arrangement

Japh just a sugestion, if you go to your local Vinnies or Salvo store you can pick up plates and tiles and what ever you find for next to nothing. i have found many bonsi items in our local stores.

PETRA DIRKS wrote:Japh just a sugestion, if you go to your local Vinnies or Salvo store you can pick up plates and tiles and what ever you find for next to nothing. i have found many bonsi items in our local stores.

Great idea, Petra! Thanks I'll stop by there tomorrow too.

and for the timber grow boxes you will usually find that dumps have recycle centres that end up having timber. you can usually get a pile for a couple of bucks

You guys have all the thrifty tips, don't you!! I'll see what I can rustle up around the place then... I need to get more resourceful, clearly.

Japh wrote:You guys have all the thrifty tips, don't you!! I'll see what I can rustle up around the place then... I need to get more resourceful, clearly.

lol, yea, you get that way when you have to try and get around the missus to get want you want, the less it cost the better off ya are (in my case anyways )

Gday Japh,
I use polystyrene box's for all my growing on and 90% of my cuttings, an experiment I tried last year did not give the success rate I'd hoped for.
The reason for the use of them is they provide warmth to the roots which is what makes plants grow.
When it gets hot ( difficult in Tassie ) it keeps them cool.
Also they are cheap usually nothing from the shops it saves them dumping them. I do not cut them down. I also put Cling wrap over the top when I have low growing plants mini hot house. It has worked for me for as long as I can remember.
The holes I punch in are covered with old news print as this breaks down with time and does the job of mesh with out the cost.
Chinese elms are one of the easiest to start with as has already been said fed well, as in fertilising they grow very quickly. Pup

Pup wrote:Gday Japh,
I use polystyrene box's for all my growing on and 90% of my cuttings, an experiment I tried last year did not give the success rate I'd hoped for.
The reason for the use of them is they provide warmth to the roots which is what makes plants grow.
When it gets hot ( difficult in Tassie ) it keeps them cool.
Also they are cheap usually nothing from the shops it saves them dumping them. I do not cut them down. I also put Cling wrap over the top when I have low growing plants mini hot house. It has worked for me for as long as I can remember.
The holes I punch in are covered with old news print as this breaks down with time and does the job of mesh with out the cost.
Chinese elms are one of the easiest to start with as has already been said fed well, as in fertilising they grow very quickly. Pup

great advice there. that would be the sheet metal worker brain.. smart people those sheet metal workers are

We have plenty of spare timber lying under the deck Japh.

i'm sure dad wouldn't mind if you needed some. Its only gonna rot away where it is
nothing important.

I'm gonna make one myself when i get the chance!

Thanks, I might have to come steal some then!

Til then, I might run over to the shops tomorrow and pilfer some polystyrene boxes.

Good luck!

I wouldn't mind one if they're free!

Ok, so I'm getting ready to re-pot the Chinese Elm into a grow box. I've pilfered some polystyrene boxes from the local fruit & veg (the larger stores Coles et. al. no longer do polystyrene I've been told, plastic boxes only now) and bought some bonsai soil from the local nursery.

Here are my supplies so far: I'm a little unsure on the size of the box (the other box is for planting a cutting of another tree later on)... it seems possibly a bit narrow?

I believe I still need to find a cheap dinner plate, and something to act as a filter over the holes. Someone suggested newspaper... which may work. I'm thinking 3-ply of newspaper would be a good amount but may have to adjust that. Can't see it lasting long enough, while still letting the water through in the meantime...