AusBonsai

I've been chasing after colanders off and on for a year or so after first seeing RayM's posts on using them instead of pots. I didn't seem to have $2 shops around here, and I've been paying $4 - $5 and $6 for plastic colanders from Kmart and other discount retailers.

Today I visited DAISO.... now THAT'S a $2 store! $2.80, in fact....but goodness they have a lot of baskets and things to choose from, perfect as colanders! For $14.00 I got 5 of these baskets! They're 30cm x 22cm at the base, and around 12cm deep.

Since I have quite a few new plants to house, I reckon I'll be heading back to DAISO for more of these very soon.

Hi Mel
I had trouble finding them in size and numbers I wanted until one day I asked the manager
where I might find them. She was very happy to help, as retailers are. Had them in my
hot little hands three days later.

Hi Mel and robb,
Great to see you were able to track down some containers. You will have some fun watching things grow and you will be amazed at how the roots will come out through the holes. Try ground planting some also.

Mel it was great to meet you at the Ideas Summit last weekend.

Regards Ray

these ones a better than the round ones imo a have a few but havn't seen them in shops for a while... Daiso- the $2.80 shoppe to end all others!

Had them in my hot little hands three days later.

Well done Robb!

You will have some fun watching things grow and you will be amazed at how the roots will come out through the holes. Try ground planting some also.

I used some more expensive colanders last year, and have had some phenomenal growth, especially in the ground grown ones, so thanks again for your fantastic detailed thread on that!

Mel it was great to meet you at the Ideas Summit last weekend.

Same here Ray, a real thrill! I've read your book 3 times already, and am champing at the bit to start trying out the air layering techniques.

these ones a better than the round ones imo a have a few but havn't seen them in shops for a while... Daiso- the $2.80 shoppe to end all others!

The ones like this that I've seen in the other discount places were still $8 - $12, so when I saw them for $2.80 I pounced! I suspect the round ones would work better for ground grown plants, since it offers more surface area, and would be slightly easier to undercut the roots when lifting.. (just my theory...)

Ground growing combined with the colander.[ 1 year, oh and our temperatures stay below 93 deg.F to low 80's year around - 33.9 - 26 .7 deg.c for half an hour to 10 minutes]
Laters.
Tambrand

Celtis l.

That's impressive, Tambrand! We have a couple of weeks of lower temps here, but not many....so we also get great growth. I'll have to see if I can get some shots of before and after of one I have in the ground at the moment. It went in six months ago and has more than doubled in height in that time, so that it's well over 6foot now!

I was at Kmart recently and they were selling some small colander that also had a plastic dish which I plan to use for Fig training. I think the addition of a dish will assist with humidity, though I might drill a hole or two up the side so the plant isn't saturated for long if it rains as it will be in my shade house permanently.


Click here to see the Kmart website http://www.kmart.com.au/product/bowl-wi ... ted/937415


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I'd be adding a couple of rocks under the colander as well as adding holes to the outside bowl, just so the colander still allows air movement all around, and so the mix doesn't stay too wet. Yes, it should allow good humidity, but I'd have thought you'd already have plenty of that in Mackay??

I like the price though! Cheers.

They look pretty deep. You could always use the second half as a cover at night to protect the foliage from frost, or to keep up the humidity overnight?

*Edit* Just saw you're from Queensland haha never mind my comment about the frost haha.

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Mel you need to come down my way! These were $1 from memory and are about 350mm across.

For anyone in Melbourne's western suburbs, Footscray is the place to get them.

Cheers,
Pearcy.

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Mel you need to come down my way! These were $1 from memory and are about 350mm across.

\

bloody hell, how come they're so cheap down there? Does every single person need their own personal colander or something? sheeeesh....

oh well, It's cheaper for me to visit Daiso than it is to fly to Melbourne...but thanks for letting me know Pearcy!

melbrackstone wrote:I'd be adding a couple of rocks under the colander as well as adding holes to the outside bowl, just so the colander still allows air movement all around, and so the mix doesn't stay too wet. Yes, it should allow good humidity, but I'd have thought you'd already have plenty of that in Mackay??

I like the price though! Cheers.

Thanks for the advice, I hadn't considered air circulation! We do get lots of humidity, and last season, my figs didn't stop growing, though were slower than summer (of course).


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KirstieWilk wrote:

melbrackstone wrote:I'd be adding a couple of rocks under the colander as well as adding holes to the outside bowl, just so the colander still allows air movement all around, and so the mix doesn't stay too wet. Yes, it should allow good humidity, but I'd have thought you'd already have plenty of that in Mackay??

I like the price though! Cheers.

Thanks for the advice, I hadn't considered air circulation! We do get lots of humidity, and last WINTER season, my figs didn't stop growing, though were slower than summer (of course).


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We get growth on figs year round here in Brisbane too, so I can imagine that things would hardly stop at all in Mackay! But yes, I think air circulation will be important for your trees, and I'd possibly only use the outside bowl for the very coolest days, summer will likely cook your plants, even with a little extra space under the colander. That's just me guessing though... happy to be proved wrong.