Not All Gopher Baskets Are Built The Same
How to use gopher baskets and why ours are the best
What are gopher baskets?
Gopher baskets are metal wire cages planted in the ground with a plant inside. They prevent the pruning of roots by underground burrowing gophers. Many are familiar with what a gopher basket is. Still very few folks understand the material and structural variability. This will determine the effectiveness and longevity of the gopher basket. There are several choices out there with many differences in quality and price.
What makes a great gopher basket?
The ideal gopher basket needs to have the exact right size opening to foil burrowing rodents. It needs to be very easy to fit root balls and have the right fit for small bulbs all the way up to a tree size. The ideal gopher basket will not decay in the soil and leech magnesium. And, of course, last forever and be able to be reused.
The perfect gopher basket
I believe we have designed the perfect gopher basket. Some trial and error led us to the finalized design we sell today. All of our Gophers Limited Inc baskets are made of 304 grade stainless steel and a hefty 18 gauge wire, and have heavy reinforced stainless steel top rims and bottoms. Additionally, we manufacture these superior baskets to match the dimensions of many standard plastic pots that most nurseries sell plants in. For example, the common 1 gallon pot will fit exactly into our 1 gallon basket and so on for our 5 gallon, 15 gallon and 25 gallon.
Gophers Limited Inc 5 gallon size gopher basket
Gophers Limited Inc gopher baskets – Great results!
With our baskets you will experience easy transplanting, the stability of the baskets when laid out for landscaping projects, and tough thick rims for easy handling. Plus, they look fabulous in the garden; the shiny perfectly round top rims are a great accent to any plant.
What size basket do I need?
Briefly, I will give you some general reference as to which size basket is best for some plant families. The 1 gallon is great for flowers, herbs, bulbs, succulents and other smaller plants.
The 5 gallon, our most popular size, is perfect for most bushy or vine-like vegetables like tomatoes, celery, zucchini, carrots, parsnips and peppers. But where these baskets really shine is in the rose garden. Rose growers we have talked to are convinced that using gopher baskets are the best way to ensure the long life of these long-lived plants. Fortunately, our baskets have never failed and they are worth paying for a quality item that will protect exotic roses.
Our 15 gallon is perfect for larger shrubs, fruit trees, blueberries and more.
Our newest size basket, the 25 gallon, is in high demand for larger orchard trees, ornamentals and the popular cannabis varieties.
What about lawns, artificial grass or turf?
If you are replacing or installing a lawn or turf consider the quality of wire you would like to use to protect the life of your lawn and/or artificial turf. Lawns or turf can last 20-30 years. Our stainless steel wire resists soil acids and rust. Hence, why buy wire that only lasts 3-5 years when you can spend a little more and have protection for the life of your lawn.
Gopher Baskets and Our Gopher Wire Rolls – You get what you pay for
All things considered, you get what you pay for. Our gopher baskets and rolls of gopher wire are more expensive than others we have seen. If you do the math, most galvanized or very thin stainless baskets have a short life (2-5 years). By comparison our baskets and rolls are projected to stay intact for 20-30 or more years above or below ground. We haven’t had an issue yet otherwise. To conclude, when considering the peace of mind our quality gopher baskets will provide long term may justify the cost to you.
Thomas Wittman – Founder & CEO Gophers Limited Inc