Color of fabric container

[Noonin NorCal]

We have always used Goe's in tan color for outdoors, using tan we thought it would be best for the soil/roots to keep somewhat cooler. this year we are stepping up in size and all the shops around us only carry the black Geo's. I was wondering if it really does make much of a difference or am i just overthinking it, like everything else when it comes to growing. Thanks

 

[Noonin NorCal]

I was also wondering if anyone has done a side by side grow, Goe's vs. Smart Pots? Or if there is much of a difference? Ive always used Geo's but looks like we will be trying Smarties this season

 

[_tessarecting]

Doesnt matter.

 

[Noonin NorCal]

Doesnt matter.

On color or Geo Pots vs. Smart Pots?. It makes since though that the black containers will be hotter in the middle of the summer?

 

[_tessarecting]

If you get heat issues just mulch it

 

[Noonin NorCal]

Word, the soil we get says you don't have to add any additives for 60-90 days i believe. I always added extra perlite and worm castings though. After the 60-90 days ill probably add the top layer of Mango Mulch which is good stuff we used it in previous years

 

[_tessarecting]

I might throw down some oak leaves on mine if I have enough

 

[Stone House]

I would think the sides of the geo/smart in black would adsorb the heat making the soil warmer. The tan pots being such a lighter color should reflect the sunlight making the soil cooler. I know this is true of black plastic pots, you can cook the roots.
On very large geo/smart pots the side height is minimal compared to soil surface area so I doubt there would be much heat absorbed by the pot.
Mulching helps a great deal for insulating the surface soil, not much help for the sides.
Again this is just my guess, never did a temp test to find out but I always buy tan pots.

 

[dono]

Maybe they have all black because everyone already grabbed all the tan.

 

[plantingplants]

I had black fabric pots last year.. I wanted to try and cover them with that white shade cloth to reflect heat. You could try that. I never got around to it.

 

[Terpy Tommy]

Black attracts light and converts it into heat the lighter the pot the more it reflects the light creating dead air space is the best solution to keep the sides of black pots cool & mulch for the top

 

[MedResearcher]

The summer heat can/will cull back the roots from the edges, so you loose some amount of possible soil/medium that you paid for.

Tom Hill recommended wrapping them in burlap. Probably worth it, also you could use straw and pile it up around the outside of the pot. Straw would also help absorb any runoff coming out of the pots.

Utilize more of your soil and cut back on a little bit of the cannabis waste discharge

Mr^^

 

[_tessarecting]

Ive seen 12ft tall plants in black 100gal smarties in hotasfuck butte county without even mulch because the plants shaded the pots...if they work there they will work almost anywhere

 

[z-ro]

Geopots are thicker and will last longer without sagging or deteriorating. Tan ones still get hot and I feel like they let more light in to the root zone.

 

[Lochinvar]

I go with tan. feel the pot with your hand----black is hotter

 

[hamstring]

Great thread I have questions myself.



Of course the black is hotter. Black bags are better for seed starters because black heats up helping the seeds germ in lower temps.

Unless your using 5 gal bags I agree that the surface area on top of the bag is larger than the sides.

In guerrilla growing the bags are covered by native vegetation so the top of the bag gets the most sunlight. I always collect a bunch of last seasons dried brown grasses crunch the shit out of them and use them as mulch on the tops of the grow bags. It also makes the bags much less visible from above.



My problem is with moisture loss later in the season. By the end of the season my bags in the swamp are always dry all the way down to the bottom. The roots are nested underneath sucking up moisture and the plants all look fine but I was thinking of adding some camo tarping around the bag later in the season to keep moisture loss down.

What do other guerrillas do?

Hope I'm not hijacking your thread

 

[dono]

z-ro, I am definitely digging the GeoPots over SmartPots's, but the GroPro's aren't too bad either considering the price.

I suppose time will tell whether the extra thickness truly counts, as perhaps maybe it might have a weaker fiber structure or different material or whatever.

 

[VonBudí]

What do other guerrillas do?

wrapping mine with chicken wire with a thin layer of dried grass, leaves etc stuffed in between, have a feeling though it will be a high way for slugs & bugs to get up to the plants.

even up at 50°+ black smart pots get roasting hot, if seen folks paint them white always wondered if you could limewash them

 

[Stone House]

I really wish the smart pots would come out with cammo colors.

 

[dono]

Maybe you can just pay a hippy with dreadlocks to tye-dye it