Plastic bonsai pots

[Jamie]

i am sure we could source some KC i will see what i can come up with


jamie

[Pup]

Lee's Bonsai world. Here in WA if you google up there web page I cant remember it off hand but they do have some I know.

Cheers Pup

Edit these are Mica that he has.

[Jamie]

Lee's Bonsai world. Here in WA if you google up there web page I cant remember it off hand but they do have some I know.

Cheers Pup

Edit these are Mica that he has.

i havent checked that one pup i have sent a few emails out though, thanks for the lead i will get onto them

jamie

edit- sent an email to them aswell, what are they like for prices pup?

[Ron]

Just for interest's sake, the same seller I initially referred to also has these mica pots and says "These Mica Pots are unbreakable and have good heat retention properties to keep the roots of your bonsai trees warmer during the winter months."

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/BONSAI-MICA-POT- ... 4ce81bf5b9

[Jamie]

at least the mica has a bit of thickness about it, i would feel more comfortable using the mica as a root reducing pot rather than a plastic one, and the mica ones arent bad for price wise either. i am sure we can find a supplier here in Aus. that we can bulk order from and get cheaper.
i have sent out emails, just waiting on replys.


jamie

[Jamie]

bonsai world is a no go, they dont have any mica pots, i am waiting on a reply to see if they will get them in, and from two other places.


jamie

[MelaQuin]

Plastic bonsai pots are very useful!! Definitely worth getting! You are styling a tree and its final shape/size is unknown so you use a bonsai style plastic pot because it is lightweight, several pots can be stored together taking up less room in the cupboard, the depth is what you want to develop the roots as you want and you are not increasing your bonsai pots with yet another that could easily end up being the wrong style or design for tree. The tree in a plastic pot sits on your bench looking far nicer and more inspirational than styrofoam or the deeper plastic pots and the plastic pots last a long time.

I have several and really like them. When I'm working with trees too heavy for me the minimal weight in a plastic pot as opposed to the ceramic ones is important. It is better than a cheap Chinese pot because the salts don't leach out, destroying the surface. Also, if I am working with basic stock to tart it up for sale as a partially trained stock plant it is nicer presented in an inexpensive plastic pot than wasting money on a ceramic pot and I can keep the cost reasonable. Yes, long live plastic bonsai pots... now I'll go back to Ebay and check it out in depth. I can get small sizes at Bonsai South but not the larger ones.

[john tapner]

I've been using mica pots for years. One of the benefits is that they don't retain the heat on a hot day and it is easy to slip a tree out and into a good bonsai pot if a good display is needed. With a good bonsai pot costing upwards of $50 and about 80 trees in my collection it is a no-brainer about which pots I'm going to use in the garden. Another type of pot that I use to advantage is an old pool filter basket. They are generally free from the local pool shop as they are generally thrown out in the rubbish bin.

John T

[Jamie]

after recieving a few emails back it has come to my attention from several places that mica pots are just as expensive as ceramics these days, and this is from bonsai nurseries, as the mica pots come in from korea it is uneconomical for the nurseries to stock them as they can sell ceramics for a cheaper price.
if you wanted to get them in from the UK then i would be looking at getting a bulk order and trying to get major discount on price per pot and shipping.

mel- these plastic pots you have, what is the thickness of the plastic?

jamie

[techpetal]

I have a few of the Mica pots and they are good for the transition stage. I guess it largely depends on what sort of ceramic pots you want to buy. Cheap Chinese imports that are of dodgey quality and salt pouring out of them for the first six months or quality Japanese and local ceramics. Unfortunately the good stuff costs. I'd rather train into a Mica and then buy the right quality pot for the tree nearing its completion.

Each to their own.

Tech

[Luke]

I think it is time to bust this bubble of prices, how much does it really cost to take a cutting?

indeed! i am with you !!!
The price bubble of many items out there is simply ludicris!!!
The question is.... Where is robin hood and his merry men to set things straight..
if everyone tried.... our simple needles could together burst big bubbles.....
is it fear or lazyness that stops action?

luke

edit one!..... this topic is about plastics.... my comments are abit off topic! ummm
if i had an amazing 30/15/9 cm classy plastic pot.... i could quite easily move any plant growing in it to a 'glazed clay pot further on......
we do have the technology!
lol peace... cheers from luke

[Jamie]

after going through bonsai4me.com this morning i came across this article or more so how-to guide on making training pots. after finding out mica is just as expensive if not more than ceramics these days, i thought about this thread.

i think this is an excellent cost effective way to make training pots without forking out to much in $$$ for the cost of 5 plastic pots is enough for the cement in this procedure and thinking most of us either get the news paper or have access to it, this is a brilliant idea for a rainy day job in the shed.

http://bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/ATPaperBonsaiPots.html

PAPER training pots ! it sounds stupid but is quite brilliant, and it would not cause any harm to the trees either even with the cement as long as the pot has been left to cure properly there is no way it would leach anything.

i will probably be giving this a try one day. for a bit of time, and some cement i would prefer to use something like this if mica isnt available.

JMO though, so


jamie

[Bretts]

There was discussion of shipping in some Mica pots as a bulk ausbonsai member share deal. I will chase up the contact that the member had. The other good thing about Mica pots that has not been mentioned is the ability to drill holes in the rim for guy wires

[Bretts]

Oh and too right about the price bubble. I asked a friend to pick me up about 100 plastic pots 100mm from bunnings and was flabbergasted at the price. Luckily they called me and I didn't get them.
I searched everywhere and found some a bit cheaper on ebay with postage included. Although bunnings does honour the price guarantee on ebay price (as long as it is not a clearance sale or auction) the catch is that it must be the same make. What bunnings does is set up a deal with the manufacturer to make them exclusively for them hence there is no chance of being hit with the price match
I did make them agree to the price guarantee (costs them alot for a complaint and they add up) but ended up just going with the ebay deal.

This is what I was thinking with Bunnings and the small proprietor the other day. We should take it to them. Start doing cuttings and sell them in the driveway.
Sell them out of the boot on the side of the road on the way to bunnings.

[Ron]

... PAPER training pots !

I've seen biodegradable paper propagation thingies in $2 shops. Somewhere I came across the idea of getting several toilet paper cylinders, putting a rubber band around them, fill them with potting mix and pop in the seeds. When the seedlings are ready you just pop the toilet roll in the pot or the ground and it dissolves (haven't tried it myself but have saved up a lot of cylinders for all those 'Bonsai' seeds I bought on eBay when I first started ).