Does anyone know how many times you can wash and reuse the Smart Pots?
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Smart Pots
- Thread starter Clackamas Coot
- Start date
Maj. Cottonmouth
I've used the very same SmartPots for over 3 years. Wash throughly between cycles and you're good to go.
There is no 'shelf life' as such.
HTH
CC
I've used the very same SmartPots for over 3 years. Wash throughly between cycles and you're good to go.
There is no 'shelf life' as such.
HTH
CC
I love good news, thank you.
You're welcome.
Peace.
CC
Peace.
CC
G
guest
I'm on my second round with the Smartpots, they are certainly unique. I used coco chips the first time, but am startin to convert to regular (straight) coco in E&F tables. The bottoms of the pots hold moisture pretty well, but watch they don't get waterlogged. I think top feed/drip is probably the best overall watering/fertigation method for most any medium, but to answer your question Absolut:
No, I don't think you have to water more often, the bags wick water pretty well (about 2 inches above water level in a flood situation) but since the bottom stays wet this keeps the bottom half of the bag pretty moist itself.
I really like that I can wash these and then stuff em in a box when I'm done, love having a compact storage method for things.
No, I don't think you have to water more often, the bags wick water pretty well (about 2 inches above water level in a flood situation) but since the bottom stays wet this keeps the bottom half of the bag pretty moist itself.
I really like that I can wash these and then stuff em in a box when I'm done, love having a compact storage method for things.
wonder about drilling some smal small holes in the plastic pots I have already
I guess a test could be in order..
good link CC, here is the main site page if people didn't click on the logo or the english tab here very cheap "pots" !!
EDIT: ok, drilling holes in plastic pots no go, way to long a process , you need them to be molded with mini holes..
I guess a test could be in order..
good link CC, here is the main site page if people didn't click on the logo or the english tab here very cheap "pots" !!
EDIT: ok, drilling holes in plastic pots no go, way to long a process , you need them to be molded with mini holes..
Habeeb
SmartPots is only one of several options for auto-pruning pots. Many/most are made from plastic so drilling holes in regular lipped nursery pots would definitely accomplish the same end result.
Do a search on auto-pruning pots and you'll see the wide variety of options available. Most of them are for commercial growers but you can get some ideas on doing you own thing.
CC
SmartPots is only one of several options for auto-pruning pots. Many/most are made from plastic so drilling holes in regular lipped nursery pots would definitely accomplish the same end result.
Do a search on auto-pruning pots and you'll see the wide variety of options available. Most of them are for commercial growers but you can get some ideas on doing you own thing.
CC
I am also a first time grower going organic and using the Smart Pots and I am very happy with them so far and I have ready many good things here about them. As a newbie be careful of overwatering, don't be afraid to let them get pretty dry between watering. Try to fill all of your Smart Pots the same amount and try to get used to the weight of them dry. Lifting seems to be one of the best ways of telling how much water is left in the soil. But remember I am a total newbie. Define good advice, read, read, read and when you think your eyeballs are going to fall out and your brain is going to explode, take a puff, chill and then come back and read some more. I have only been here a little while but I have found many helpful folks here already and I am sure they will correct any misstatements I may have made.
Correctly hydrating potting soil in SmartPots
Correctly hydrating potting soil in SmartPots
Maj. Cottonmouth
One thing from my experience that you may find helpful is that when you water a plant in a SmartPot (or any of the fabric nursery pots) it's important to apply 1/3 - 1/2 of the water directly around the stalk of the plant - wait until you see water coming out of the bottom of the pot and THEN apply the rest of the water around the edges of the soil.
The reason to do this is that if you start watering the top of the soil evenly you'll have water running out of the sides quickly indicating that the soil if fully hydrated. It is not.
I grow in #5 SmartPots and in the flower cycle I have to water every other day to maintain a fairly consistent hydration level. The soil mix that I use allows for a full watering without drowning the roots.
In commercial nursery growing the method of watering the SmartPots is to use a ring of very slow emitters (only 1/4 gpm set every 4" on center) about 2" from the stalk of the plant. They water 40% of the volume of soil, i.e. a 5-gallon SmartPot would be watered with 2 gallons of amended water.
HTH
CC
Correctly hydrating potting soil in SmartPots
Maj. Cottonmouth
One thing from my experience that you may find helpful is that when you water a plant in a SmartPot (or any of the fabric nursery pots) it's important to apply 1/3 - 1/2 of the water directly around the stalk of the plant - wait until you see water coming out of the bottom of the pot and THEN apply the rest of the water around the edges of the soil.
The reason to do this is that if you start watering the top of the soil evenly you'll have water running out of the sides quickly indicating that the soil if fully hydrated. It is not.
I grow in #5 SmartPots and in the flower cycle I have to water every other day to maintain a fairly consistent hydration level. The soil mix that I use allows for a full watering without drowning the roots.
In commercial nursery growing the method of watering the SmartPots is to use a ring of very slow emitters (only 1/4 gpm set every 4" on center) about 2" from the stalk of the plant. They water 40% of the volume of soil, i.e. a 5-gallon SmartPot would be watered with 2 gallons of amended water.
HTH
CC
Yah we come full circle
Yah we come full circle
We come to a circle.
The HEMP stalk makes the fibre
which weaves into cloth
which holds our soil
where we plant our seed
which grows into stalk..........
Yah we come full circle
We come to a circle.
The HEMP stalk makes the fibre
which weaves into cloth
which holds our soil
where we plant our seed
which grows into stalk..........
(Except that it's probably not hemp cloth... but nice thought. =) )
-s
-s
no the pouches are old plastic bottles and imported.
This is a business idea for whomever likes it.
A little hemp cloth, a little sewing machine and voila;
hemp smartpots..........
I'm planning for my next grow to try a 10x10 room with four big trees, five vertical bulbs between the trees in an X, like the Krusty bucket system. But instead of putting together the whole DWC bucket system, ala Krusty, what about using four of the 30 gallon smartpots filled with coir? Some hydroton in the bottom, and drip emitters in a ring on top. Anyone see any problem with that?
Thank you for the advice CC I will be trying this next time I water, so do you use an equal amount of water around the edges as it takes to run through the middle?
During veg, about how much water do you use on a #5 and how often do water?
Thanks
M
mrred
the veg time biggest mistake i made first time growing was vegging to long, didnt even know the sex of my plant
The other day I watered my plant by placing the whole 2 gal smartpot in
a small rectangle wash tub of 3 gal.
Pretty much saturated the whole bag in a couple minutes.
I took it out and watered from the top around the stem the whole top soil is moist now and then I water the amount I want to leach out of the soil/bag.
it worked good. many methods of watering but those few minutes the "smartpot" watered itself in the washtube.
Of course you can drown your plant like that if
you leave it submerged in water for too many minutes
(canna has a 15-20 minute rule) under 5 min soaking is my limit;
any I work on other stuff while it's taking a bath in nutrient/water.
Has anybody bottom-fed their smartpots by keeping them in a tub/big-saucer
and if they need a gallon of water then just pour the gallon in the saucer?
called bottom-feeding?
M
mrred
i seen a story on pbs garden show about a tree company ussing grow bags to stop root circleing, they love it, they was using a grow bag white white on the outside, i seen the name but i forgot it, anyone know who makes these kind of bad with the white outside?
