Wooden container for cacti

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Lactus
Posts: 92
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2022 4:58 am
Location: Humboldt CA Zone 9

Wooden container for cacti

Post by Lactus »

Hello. I was thinking about building a wooden box for my S. eruca to lay in. Would a wooden container be a bad idea?

On another note, what medium would be best for the S. eruca. Should it be mostly sand? Rock? I have it in a mixture of cactus soil and mineral/sand.

Thanks!
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jerrytheplater
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Re: Wooden container for cacti

Post by jerrytheplater »

Wood will rot over time. I would not even think of using pressure treated wood. Cedar or Redwood maybe.

But why wood? Is it because you want a large container? If so, ever hear of Hypertufa? I have a few very small ones and one larger one. The large one is the only one I've had growing since it was first started. It has stood up to freezing winters outdoors unprotected at least since 2013 now.

Small Hypertufa planter made and planted by John Spain and sold at the Connecticut Cactus and Succulent Society show for $5.00 back in the spring of 2009. It is about 12" long by 8" wide and maybe 4" deep. Those are outside dimensions. Wall thickness is maybe 1.5" or less. :
rsz 2009-6-28 John Spain Dish Garden.jpg
rsz 2009-6-28 John Spain Dish Garden.jpg (158.4 KiB) Viewed 1011 times
Here it is frozen with sleet all over it taken Feb 2, 2010:
rsz 2010-2-2 John Spain Dish Garden.jpg
rsz 2010-2-2 John Spain Dish Garden.jpg (191.05 KiB) Viewed 1011 times
Last photo I have of the garden before I took it down was taken on March 27, 2015. I broke it down that season.
rsz 2015-3-27 John Spain Dish Garden.jpg
rsz 2015-3-27 John Spain Dish Garden.jpg (175.2 KiB) Viewed 1011 times
The large planter is not exactly Hypertufa. It has been reinforced with Fiberglas fibers. I bought it at a CT Cactus and Succulent Society show maybe in the spring of 2013. It is not exactly round, but it is about 24" x 20" and about 7" tall. These are all outside dimensions. Wall thickness is at least 1.5 inch. My first photo of it was taken 4-13-2014.
rsz 2014-4-13 Winter Hardy Dish  Garden.jpg
rsz 2014-4-13 Winter Hardy Dish Garden.jpg (164.97 KiB) Viewed 1011 times
It is still out on my deck and growing some Sedum and Sempervivum. Latest photo taken June 22, 2021.
rsz 2021-6-22 Sempervivum Dish Garden.jpg
rsz 2021-6-22 Sempervivum Dish Garden.jpg (189.84 KiB) Viewed 1011 times
There are lots of links out there that detail how to make these planters. Here's one of them: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Hypertufa-Planters
Jerry Smith
Bloomingdale, NJ
45 inches (114 cm) rain equivalent per year, approx. evenly spread per month
2012 USDA Hardiness Zone 6b: -5F to OF (-20C to -18C) min.
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Lactus
Posts: 92
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2022 4:58 am
Location: Humboldt CA Zone 9

Re: Wooden container for cacti

Post by Lactus »

jerrytheplater wrote: Wed Aug 24, 2022 2:23 am Wood will rot over time. I would not even think of using pressure treated wood. Cedar or Redwood maybe.

But why wood? Is it because you want a large container? If so, ever hear of Hypertufa? I have a few very small ones and one larger one. The large one is the only one I've had growing since it was first started. It has stood up to freezing winters outdoors unprotected at least since 2013 now.

Small Hypertufa planter made and planted by John Spain and sold at the Connecticut Cactus and Succulent Society show for $5.00 back in the spring of 2009. It is about 12" long by 8" wide and maybe 4" deep. Those are outside dimensions. Wall thickness is maybe 1.5" or less. :
rsz 2009-6-28 John Spain Dish Garden.jpg

Here it is frozen with sleet all over it taken Feb 2, 2010:
rsz 2010-2-2 John Spain Dish Garden.jpg

Last photo I have of the garden before I took it down was taken on March 27, 2015. I broke it down that season.
rsz 2015-3-27 John Spain Dish Garden.jpg

The large planter is not exactly Hypertufa. It has been reinforced with Fiberglas fibers. I bought it at a CT Cactus and Succulent Society show maybe in the spring of 2013. It is not exactly round, but it is about 24" x 20" and about 7" tall. These are all outside dimensions. Wall thickness is at least 1.5 inch. My first photo of it was taken 4-13-2014.
rsz 2014-4-13 Winter Hardy Dish Garden.jpg

It is still out on my deck and growing some Sedum and Sempervivum. Latest photo taken June 22, 2021.
rsz 2021-6-22 Sempervivum Dish Garden.jpg

There are lots of links out there that detail how to make these planters. Here's one of them: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Hypertufa-Planters
Wow. That's awesome! I had never heard of Hypertufa before. Thanks for the suggestion!!
DaveW
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Re: Wooden container for cacti

Post by DaveW »

I have even seen them grown in a length of plastic house guttering cut to the length needed with a couple of stop ends put on. Or you can use plant troughs since plastic ones are often available at garden stores.

OK if the plant only puts out a stem that grows in one direction rather than offsets. The stem of course roots down as it lies on the soil rather like strawberry runners. In age in the wild the old portion dies off eventually leaving the "devil" continuing to creep whilst dying off behind.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view ... ajaxserp=0
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jerrytheplater
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Re: Wooden container for cacti

Post by jerrytheplater »

I like Dave's idea with the plastic trough's much better than the Hypertufa. You just lay the gutters up lengthwise as your plant grows. But if you like the looks of Hypertufa ( and you can get creative with the outside design by inserting chips of rock etc.) You could always use the trough as a form to make the Hypertufa trough.
Jerry Smith
Bloomingdale, NJ
45 inches (114 cm) rain equivalent per year, approx. evenly spread per month
2012 USDA Hardiness Zone 6b: -5F to OF (-20C to -18C) min.
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Lactus
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Location: Humboldt CA Zone 9

Re: Wooden container for cacti

Post by Lactus »

DaveW wrote: Thu Aug 25, 2022 12:39 pm I have even seen them grown in a length of plastic house guttering cut to the length needed with a couple of stop ends put on. Or you can use plant troughs since plastic ones are often available at garden stores.

OK if the plant only puts out a stem that grows in one direction rather than offsets. The stem of course roots down as it lies on the soil rather like strawberry runners. In age in the wild the old portion dies off eventually leaving the "devil" continuing to creep whilst dying off behind.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view ... ajaxserp=0
Haha. I love that. That's a good idea!
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Lactus
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Location: Humboldt CA Zone 9

Re: Wooden container for cacti

Post by Lactus »

jerrytheplater wrote: Thu Aug 25, 2022 3:55 pm I like Dave's idea with the plastic trough's much better than the Hypertufa. You just lay the gutters up lengthwise as your plant grows. But if you like the looks of Hypertufa ( and you can get creative with the outside design by inserting chips of rock etc.) You could always use the trough as a form to make the Hypertufa trough.
That's true! And a good idea!
DaveW
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Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2012 2:36 pm
Location: Nottingham, England/UK

Re: Wooden container for cacti

Post by DaveW »

Plastic guttering can often be used to make an ultra long but shallow trough for plants, plus stop ends are available to cap it. You can cut it with a hacksaw or fine toothed saw to length and it is available from most Builders Merchants or DIY shops..

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view ... ajaxserp=0

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