I agree with mike.. with an open medium like gritty mix, pots like that aren't very helpful. And you have to add a liner of some kind to prevent the gritty mix or 5:1:1 from just falling out. Now assume you're using standard potting soil. Would you get the same benefits with a DIY version? For the most part, yes. Do some exploration in the cannabis growing world - there's a particularly well known DIY version of these kinds of pots that apparently works excellently. A few holes aren't gonna do it though. There are some situations where using a peat based mix in a netpot/pond basket has been useful for me. Growing cuttings and seeds is one example - you get the benefits of soil blocks without all the headache. For shallow rooted plants like cucumbers and beans, you can just plunk the net pot right into the ground without disturbing the roots at all - makes a huge difference as far as transplant shock goes. Believe it or not, when the weather warms up, the soil in net pots actually stays moist longer and doesn't overheat like in black plastic pots. This is presumably because of the air circulation that doesn't allow the temperature to build up. Note, this is also touted as one of the main benefits of soil blocks. In a method a user here discovered (I forget the username), you can half bury net pot transplants in the soil instead of transplanting them during the summer. The top half of the net pot can then be mulched loosely with coarse bark. This keeps transplants from wilting even while they're still getting established. Again, a function of air circulation. It's definitely worked for me. For seed starting and cuttings, I've lately moved on to coarse diatomaceous earth and had even better results.

you might want to repost this and click on the "have" button before you submit. I know I almost didn't read it cuz it says "wanted". Just a thought.

Stew pot is actually closer, Linda. The style we currently call "Dutch oven" is a flat-bottomed kettle with a lid added. And is, of course, with its heavy, heat-holding design, ideal for stewing. Kettles originally were round bottomed (and some had legs), designed primarily to be hung over an open fire; either from a tripod or a crane. They did not have lids. There was a point, measured in gallons, where a kettle became a cauldren, but I misremember it right now. Thirteen comes to mind, but don't take that to the bank. Dutch ovens, of course, had three legs and a deeply recessed lid so you could put coals both under and on top, to provide even, dry heat. They were used on the hearth, not in the firebox. In the first quarter of the 19th century, "portable" cast iron stoves became popular. Initially kettles were still used by removing an eye and setting the pot right in the hole, over the open fire. Eventually they began modifying the pieces, flattening the bottom and adding a domed lid. A chicken fryer has a somewhat different configuration; being relatively wide for it's height (for stability), and with sidewalls that slope more sharply than those of a skillet. Chicken fryers, too, have domed lids; many of which are of the self-basting type. Now, if you really want to know about hearth trivia, ask me nicely and I'll tell you were the term "hob nobbing" comes from.

Continued... (He whispered, "This is for pot growers.") Always buying concentrates, diluting them properly. But he did tell me my trees were probably starving. All this brings me to my question. (It wouldn't let me cut out that last sentence in the original post. I had no idea we were limitd. and the way I talk?!?) I am way out of big pots. Does anyone have anything that's 5-7 gallons they don't need? I'll pick up anytime. I can't make the swap, so I'd need to come to you. I guess I should put this into the Wanteds, but I admit I haven't looked to see if this board was translated to Houzz. Thanks very much!!