Suggestion for trough sizes

[Hans J]

Hello

Today I have visit a seller for stone troughs -now I need some help which I should buy .
They have it in 3 different material : sandstone - granit - limestone .
The sizes are 40x25x20 (L/B/H)- the weigth is 35 kg
                   65x35x25                               65 kg
I have no expieriences with planting in troughs -so I dont know what is a good size - my idea is to plant it with plants like Narcissus ,Galanthus,Erytronium, Cyclamen...

Thank you for any advices !

With best wishes
Hans
                   

[mark smyth]

When I get some money together I'll be buying the largest I can afford. You might regret buying the smaller one.

[Maggi Young]

Hans,  Ian says that you should do what his wife (me) does when she cannot choose.... buy them all!

These troughs are really heavy, so it will be very difficult to move them when they are full of soil and plants, so, whichever you choose, it will be important to decide where they will be placed before filling, you are not likelty to be able to move them afterwards. The smaller size is a little small , I would say, for planting the things you suggest... I would say it would be for Saxifraga and small Phlox at that size, even though 20cms is a reasonable depth/height for soil in a small trough. Of course, you can mound up the surface in any trough to increase planting depth.
The larger size is more versatile, I think, but rather heavy! I would choose that size.
That is why we make so many troughs from the polystyrene or styrofoam boxes... we can make them look like any stone and yet we can move them if we need to!

It is nice to get sandstone rock to dress a sandstone trough and granite rocks for a granite trough... this makes always a smarter look, I believe.
Have fun with them, whatever!

[Lesley Cox]

If you have the space for them, the general rule is, the larger, the better and especially buy the deeper one if you want to put little bulbs in it. Yes, it will be heavy. I once intended to mount my troughs on skateboards for quick and easy mobility, but the boards are too expensive. There must be some easy and cheap way to move the heavy ones when necessary. Any ideas?

[David Pilling]

I once intended to mount my troughs on skateboards for quick and easy mobility, but the boards are too expensive.

I've seen a wooden square with 2" castor wheels at each corner, from a garden centre, for putting planters on. I guess these are expensive, but the screw on plastic castor wheels are available in sets of four from DIY super stores for a couple of quid.

The same 2" castor wheels were popular in the TV stands of the 80's and 90's, spare stands are cheap, and the originals are a by product of scrapping TVs.

However the thing with all small wheels is that they won't roll over rough terrain.

[Hans J]

Hi all ,

 "Thank You" for all those suggestions - because this problem with the server from today was not able to write earlier .

Many greetings from a cold and rainy germany
Hans

[jomowi]

Hans go for the biggest, real stone troughs usually have thicker walls and bottoms than synthetic ones so the internal volume is lower.  Larger sizes will give the widest range of planting options and offer a greater thermal inertia than the small ones.  I also suggest you fit a drip irrrigation pipe system through the drainage hole to make watering easier,  Stone troughs are unlikely to be moved about so the pipework is no problem, I have had such a system for many years and it is well worth while.  If you do use wheels remember the trough will be very heavy and most of the wheels suggested above will either not stand the weight or will fail due to corrosion or the weather.

Brian Wilson Aberdeen

[David Pilling]

There must be some easy and cheap way to move the heavy ones when necessary. Any ideas?

A palette truck/sack truck, there are various neat low cost solutions that allow an individual to shift a heavy load.

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks David. Actually, I thought I had the best solution - and cheapest - of all, called Roger but he's torn the muscles off his shoulder doing something else and is to have surgery to reattach. With the best will in the world, I can hardly ask him, at present anyway.