I’ve noticed quite a few Yamadori bonsai have been placed into a wooden box not long after collection.
My question is are these boxes are suitable for newly collected Yamadori or will they work for any tree in training so to speak.
Many thanks in advance.
[quote=“BonsaiJourneyman, post:1, topic:704”]
My question is are these boxes are suitable for newly collected Yamadori or will they work for any tree in training so to speak
[/quote]
As this picture shows, you can make nice pots from wood. The container must give an environment to let the tree thrive. I grow my small saplings in colanders from the dollar tree. Great drainage and the roots seem to prune themselves when they hit the colander walls. The box or pot should not be too large so the plant internodes will be short and compact. …Short answer… YES you can grow trees in a box.
The trees that I get from collectors are often in a mesh sink strainer or plastic pan that has drainage and aeration holes punched or drilled into the sides and bottom.
Thank you for the reply Bob.
The main reason I was asking was that I have some left over wood from a project and was wondering if I could make up some boxes for my in development trees that need repotting.
Obviously they want be as elaborate as in the picture you shared but should still resemble a box lol
As for the Yamadori box…https://live.bonsaimirai.com/archive/video/post-collection-potting
I would think that using the same principles for creation of the box, good drainage, correct size for the tree, proper materials, etc. could be applied for trees in training. No need to let materials go to waste.
Thank you for the link Moon. I knew I’d seen a video from Ryan that mentioned about building a box for a tree they had collected so will check that out tonight and make some notes.
any container needs drainage and good oxygen access to keep the plant healthy. Side holes, adequate air movement below the container, and soil makeup are pieces of the puzzle. I fear that a flat bottom box on a flat surface inhibits gas and water movement, so use blocks or slotted shelves to ensure adequate gas and fluid exchange. The health of the tree is most important!
Learn to read the reaction of the plant to the environment and your horticultural practices. Then you will be using the health of the plant to your advantage.
Agreed Bob. I put 1x2 “feet” on my boxes for this reason.
One nice trick from the yamadori video that I learned was to drill holes (and a lot of them) smaller than the particle size of your aeration layer. Loved that little tidbit.
I think wood works great for training. The only thing I’d be careful of, is using chemically treated wood. I have two trees currently in training in wooden boxes made with some cedar off-cuts from when I built a fence in my side yard about a year and a half ago. Seems like a great way to reuse material, especially since cedar is naturally rot resistant.