Fabric pots in plastic containers

[flylowgethigh]

So, as I conjure up the pot holders for my flower tent, I have come up with a 7 gallon tote. The bottom drains well, but a 7 gallon bag pot will not have any air circulation from the sides - surprise, they fit well.

Is this an issue, or should I heavily ventilate the sides of the tote with liberal application of a 3" hole saw? Will that allow water to run out those air holes, or do bags drain to the bottom? If I want side holes, how high from the bottom (maybe retain a little bottom moisture better, for the roots)

I am using as good a soil base as I can gather locally, supplemented by Coot's stuff from Soilbuild.

Edit: Talked with the soil guy about how much water their soil needs, and it turns out they say I won't get a lot of waste runoff like with coir. This drainage system is overkill.

 

[Switcher56]

... then why use cloth pots in the 1st place?

 

[420empire]

I have heard about a guy from the podcast “shapeing fire” that they “updated” Smartpots so that the first 5-10 cm. Of the pot consist of hard placstic and the rest is fabric. This ensures that you keep your presious microorganism intact. What i would do if I was you, would be to cut long pieces of the sides of the pot vertical. So that your are left with a lower and upper part, and at few “pillars”. What your are left with is a pot that looks like the it have pillars, then put the fabric on like a sock. Hope it makes sence.
Good luck

 

[Switcher56]

I have heard about a guy from the podcast “shapeing fire” that they “updated” Smartpots so that the first 5-10 cm. Of the pot consist of hard placstic and the rest is fabric. This ensures that you keep your presious microorganism intact. What i would do if I was you, would be to cut long pieces of the sides of the pot vertical. So that your are left with a lower and upper part, and at few “pillars”. What your are left with is a pot that looks like the it have pillars, then put the fabric on like a sock. Hope it makes sence.
Good luck

Cloths pots are cloth pots. They have many advantages. Including maximum oxygenation of the roots, not to mention developing the highly desirable fine feeder roots.

My pot and what it sits on...

(click to enlarge)

Water your plants accordingly... It doesn't matter what you are growing in IMO, but how you manipulate your environment (which includes soil) to suit your growing needs.

 

[flylowgethigh]

The tote is part of the system I am developing, and also houses the 7 gal fabric pot. I will drill a bunch of side holes in the totes, and leave the bottom couple inches solid. There is a drainage grate on the bottom.

edit... so, I swiss cheezed the totes with hole saws. They'll breath now.

 

[Lotto]

I use a square plastic milk crate. A 7 gallon fabric bag fits perfectly inside. I move plants around a lot and these crates make it easy to do. The crates make tying down branches a breeze.

 

[flylowgethigh]

When I was buying the totes I thought the same thing about the crates. I am going to be collecting the runoff, and the tote is perfect. I put grating I cut from a plastic crate in the bottom. These will be in the flower tent only, part of a scrog.

 

[Double_Gulp420]

In some of my first grows milk crates were my go to for stacking storing etc. They work wonders!

 

[greenstrain]

Everyone has a different opinion, but cloth bags are too humid. I want my humidity low. I also want consistent drain. I find plastic more predictable. I finally, I can move plastic around easier.

Not sure if this is even relevant.

 

[Wolverine97]

I run 7 gal fabric pots, and my goal is always saturation with zero runoff. But I run a bio system, so no salts to flush out, ever. I still don't really get the point of the totes here.

 

[Switcher56]

I run 7 gal fabric pots, and my goal is always saturation with zero runoff. But I run a bio system, so no salts to flush out, ever. I still don't really get the point of the totes here.

I hear you good buddy

 

[Switcher56]

I understood the concept from the get go, and I don't water to run off either.

 

[flylowgethigh]

I have scrapped the small totes idea and have made bigger tubs with the SIP bed. These are big enough to hold a 10 gallon fabric pot in a SWICK watering system. I have 7 gallon pots in there now, but the pic showing one bag is a 10gallon bag. There is enough air between the fabric and the tub sides I think. What I like is to be able to lift out the pots if I need to do anything to them, like a drench. If/when I get a individual scrog on and filled in, there will be only the whole tub/pot/scrog combo that can be moved, and it will be heavy for all the water in the tub.