Quick verdict
Ten flexible stainless mesh baskets about 13.5 inches square, sized for 3 gallon root balls, that line the planting hole so gophers and voles cannot reach the roots from below or the sides. Stainless outlasts the galvanized baskets that rust through in a few years in wet soil. Roots grow out through the mesh as the plant matures; the crown and main roots stay protected. For planting in gopher country they are cheaper than replacing the plant twice.
Strengths
- Stops gophers and voles reaching roots from below
- Stainless steel lasts far longer than galvanized baskets
- Flexible mesh folds to fit odd hole shapes
- Ten baskets for a shrub border or vegetable bed
- Feeder roots grow through the mesh unharmed
Weaknesses
- Three gallon size suits shrubs and perennials, not large trees
- Must extend above soil level or gophers climb in
- Mesh must be wide enough that main roots are not girdled
The overall YardToolLab Score is out of 100. Section scores are out of 10.
Planting Where Gophers Live
In gopher country a new shrub can vanish overnight, pulled down by the roots from below. The only dependable defence is a wire basket around the root ball at planting. Noamus’s baskets are flexible stainless mesh, about 13.5 inches square, sized for 3 gallon root balls, sold ten to a pack. Stainless is the upgrade over the galvanized baskets most garden centres sell.
This review is based on the listing specifications and on how root guard baskets perform against gophers and voles generally. We have not planted with these baskets ourselves and the brand is a generic importer.
How They Work
Dig the hole, drop the basket in and shape it to the sides, set the plant inside, backfill and fold the rim so it stands an inch or two above the soil. Gophers tunnelling from below meet mesh. Voles cannot reach the crown. Fine feeder roots grow out through the openings and the plant establishes normally with its core protected.
Why Stainless
Galvanized baskets work for a few years and then rust through in damp soil, often just as the plant has become valuable and the gophers have found it. Stainless does not rust, so the protection lasts as long as the plant. For roses, perennials and shrubs you expect to keep for decades, that difference justifies the price.
Size
Three gallons suits shrubs, roses, perennials, vegetables and fruit trees in their first years. Large trees eventually push main roots against any basket this size, so for trees use a much larger basket or accept protection for the establishment years only. The mesh is flexible and folds to odd hole shapes.
Above the Soil
The rim must stand proud of the soil. Gophers that cannot dig in will climb over a basket buried flush. Mulch around, not over, the rim.
Who Should Buy It
- Anyone planting in gopher or vole country.
- Rose and perennial growers who have lost plants from below.
- Vegetable gardeners protecting high-value plants in open ground.
Common Owner Complaints
Baskets too small for large trees and gophers climbing over a buried rim. Both are matters of size and installation.
Planting Tips
Tease the root ball a little before setting it in the basket so new roots head outward through the mesh rather than circling. Water well at planting to settle soil against the basket, since air pockets along the mesh dry roots. Note where each basket is; years later, when you move or divide the plant, you will be glad to know what the spade will hit.
Alternatives to Consider
Lining the whole bed bottom with half-inch hardware cloth protects everything in a raised bed. Larger 5 and 15 gallon baskets suit trees. Gopher traps reduce the population where baskets are impractical.
Verdict
If gophers or voles share your soil, a stainless basket around every valuable root ball is the one measure that works for the life of the plant. Leave the rim above ground and plant with confidence.
Full specifications
Noamus 10-Pack 3 Gallon Stainless Steel Gopher and Vole Proof Plant Root Guard Baskets FAQs
Dig the hole, set the basket in it, backfill a little, set the plant inside and fill. Leave the rim an inch or two above the soil so gophers cannot climb over.
Fine roots grow through the mesh freely. Main roots of a large tree eventually could be constricted, which is why baskets are for shrubs, perennials and small trees, or a much larger basket.
Galvanized wire in wet soil rusts through in three to five years, exactly when the plant is established and valuable. Stainless lasts the life of the plant.
Moles eat insects, not roots, but their tunnels let voles in. The basket keeps both out of the root zone.
