Quick verdict
Eight flexible stainless mesh baskets sized for 5 gallon root balls that line the planting hole so gophers, voles and moles cannot reach the roots. Five gallons is the size for shrubs, roses, large perennials and young fruit trees in their first years. Stainless outlasts the galvanized baskets that rust through, and the mesh folds to the hole shape. The rim must stand above the soil or gophers walk in over the top.
Strengths
- Protects roots of shrubs and roses from gophers and voles
- Stainless steel lasts far longer than galvanized
- Flexible mesh shapes to the hole and crimps to fit
- Eight baskets plant a shrub border
- Feeder roots pass through the mesh freely
Weaknesses
- Five gallons is too small for a maturing fruit tree
- Rim must be left above grade
- Cut mesh edges are sharp; wear gloves
The overall YardToolLab Score is out of 100. Section scores are out of 10.
The Size for Shrubs
Between the 3 gallon baskets for perennials and the 15 gallon ones for fruit trees sits the size most gardens plant most: shrubs, roses, large perennials and young trees in a 5 gallon pot. Noamus’s 5 gallon baskets are flexible stainless mesh, eight to a pack, that line the hole and stop gophers and voles reaching the root ball from below.
This review is based on the listing specifications and on how stainless root guard baskets perform generally. We have not planted with these baskets ourselves and the brand is a generic importer.
Planting
Dig the hole a little larger than the basket, set the basket in and press it to the sides, backfill a few inches, set the plant at its correct depth and fill around it. Fold the rim up so 2 inches of mesh stands above the soil; gophers that cannot dig through will climb over a buried rim. Keep mulch off the rim.
Stainless
Galvanized gopher baskets rust through in wet soil in three to five years, and the plant loses its protection just as it becomes valuable. Stainless lasts the life of the planting. For roses and shrubs you expect to keep for decades, that is the difference that matters.
Roots
Fine roots grow through the mesh and the plant establishes normally. A young fruit tree in a 5 gallon basket is protected through its vulnerable first years; for a tree meant to stay fifty years, the 15 gallon size gives the main roots more room.
Moles and Voles
Moles eat grubs and leave roots alone, but their tunnels are highways for voles, which do eat roots and bark. The basket stops both reaching the root ball.
Who Should Buy It
- Gardeners planting shrubs and roses in gopher country.
- Anyone who has lost plants from below.
- Vegetable growers protecting high-value plants in open ground.
Common Owner Complaints
Sharp mesh edges and rims buried by mulch. Gloves; keep the rim proud.
Technique Tips
Trim the basket height with snips if the hole is shallow, leaving enough mesh for the 2 inch rim above grade. Press the mesh flat against the hole walls before planting so roots meet no folds. Water in with the basket in place to settle soil against the mesh, and note where each basket is for future digging.
Beyond Shrubs
The 5 gallon size also protects a clump of dahlias or a stand of lilies, whose tubers and bulbs gophers prize, and a tomato or pepper plant in gopher country. Lift the basket with the plant at the end of the season and reuse it.
Alternatives to Consider
Noamus 3 gallon baskets for perennials. Froidesente 15 gallon baskets for fruit trees. Hardware cloth across a raised bed base protects everything in it.
Verdict
For shrubs and roses where gophers live, a 5 gallon stainless basket at planting is the protection that lasts. Leave the rim above the soil and plant without worry.
Full specifications
Noamus 8-Pack 5 Gallon Stainless Steel Gopher, Mole and Vole Root Guard Baskets FAQs
Three for perennials and vegetables, five for shrubs, roses and young trees, fifteen for fruit trees meant to stay for decades.
Dig the hole, set the basket and shape it, add a little soil, set the plant, fill and firm, then fold the rim so 2 inches stands above the soil surface.
Moles do not eat roots, but their tunnels let voles in. The basket stops both reaching the root ball.
No. Stainless is why these outlast galvanized baskets, which fail in a few years in wet soil.
