Smart Pots

[antimatter]

I may raise em off the floor next winter, the floor itself isn't chilly walking on it and is not cold concrete but the air below my knees is much cooler. Not sure cinder blocks would make much difference maybe tables but Im growing trees and they gotta get 4-5 feet tall before I flip them. I'll probably go back to plastic pots, I still gotta move these plants into my flower room gently..

The growth itself hasn't been that slow they are veggin pretty well but I wonder if they could be better if they had hardplastic to keep them warm and not breathable fabric.

 

[chef]

Slap some 1/2in styrofoam insulation on the floor, 4x8 sheet 8 bucks HD or Lowes.

 

[jjfoo]

raise them on a heavy course screen with a few bricks to hold up a stiff screen. This way the don't lose heat to the bricks so fast and then to the floor. They have a insulating layer of air which really protects them from the floor temp.

 

[choch]

raise them on a heavy course screen with a few bricks to hold up a stiff screen. This way the don't lose heat to the bricks so fast and then to the floor. They have a insulating layer of air which really protects them from the floor temp.

And allows for better air circulation around the entire pot for optimum air pruning.

 

[Blue Orca]

jaykush

As an interesting way to spend some time you might want to check out Darwin's theory on 'Root Brain' and today's verbiage of 'plant neurobiology' just for your own personal information. The tenets in this 'theory' will definitely redefine your understanding how and why plants behave the way that they do in various nursery pots.

Well worth your time from my perspective.

Blue Orca

 

[Clackamas Coot]

jaykush

As an interesting way to spend some time you might want to check out Darwin's theory on 'Root Brain' and today's verbiage of 'plant neurobiology' just for your own personal information. The tenets in this 'theory' will definitely redefine your understanding how and why plants behave the way that they do in various nursery pots.

Well worth your time from my perspective.

Blue Orca

I'm familiar with Darwin's 'Root Brain' theory and have done a huge amount of research on his basic tenets as well as the further studies done on this subject and it's fair to say that the jury is still out on Darwin's theory on this specific topic.

Having said that it is also true that many of his observations have been substantiated by peer-review studies in several environments.

At the very least it's interesting and perhaps even accurate. Hard to say given the number of articles available for review in the internet and both sides have a number of studies/articles to back up their positions.

Interesting if nothing else.

CC

 

[onegreenday]

some people suggested hydroton in the bottom of the smart pot for drainage.
But , if u do that you loose the dirt connection at the bottom of the bag.

You want to keep your media in contact with the bottom cloth so you can feel the moisture content of your media.

and decide when to water/feed. way better than plastic.

you can feel the girls breathing onto your fingers through the SP bag.
plastic can't touch that. no wayyyyy
I can hold the SP in my hand and 'feel' the exact moisture content of my soil/media

 

[jjfoo]

This may not help drainage but rather harm it, these pots drain well I don't know why someone would want to make them drain more. The more common thing people see with these pots are you need to water more.

http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~Linda ...ural Myths_files/Myths/Container drainage.pdf

 

[justiceman]

Man these pots seem like an awesome idea. I have done a bit of research. No to mention the good info in this thread. I haven't gone through that much of it yet though. I was wondering if it is advised to transplant from a smaller smart pot to a bigger one? i am assuming NO because the roots would rip as they are attached to the pot. I am assuming it would be better to start small plants in small plastic pots and make there final container a smart pot?

I am going to do coco next run and I am considering using smart pots with it.

 

[GET MO]

my best pull came from putting the clone strait into #2 for veg and flower, let it ride it out. got 4 oz off an affgooy, the regular potted ones got about 1-1 1/2 oz a piece.

 

[azad]

same here man,very impressed,im gona try the 6 litre air pots with soil and coco.

 

[onegreenday]

Man these pots seem like an awesome idea. I have done a bit of research. No to mention the good info in this thread. I haven't gone through that much of it yet though. I was wondering if it is advised to transplant from a smaller smart pot to a bigger one? i am assuming NO because the roots would rip as they are attached to the pot. I am assuming it would be better to start small plants in small plastic pots and make there final container a smart pot?

I am going to do coco next run and I am considering using smart pots with it.

you can pot-up with the smart pot. Most of the roots at the bag/soil interface have been pruned all ready & when you remove the bag a few roots will break but after transplant ; the roots will fill the larger bag.

 

[mad librettist]

if only they could be square...

 

[secondtry]

Hey there,

some people suggested hydroton in the bottom of the smart pot for drainage.

That won't help drainage, it's a myth. But what it does do is raise the perched water table and increase the % of unavailable water (that which the plant can't use), and increase the water-filled porosity verses air porosity (when smaller media parlites wedge between the hydroton thus lowering the pore space.

It's best to use the same media in container only, no so-called drainage layer.

To increase drainage grow in a taller container, the height is a controlling factor of water held and drainage of water, more water drains from a taller containers due to a greater % of air porosity.



HTH

 

[mad librettist]

hey 2nd,

If I am doing a container with no holes at the bottom, should I still put gravel?

 

[secondtry]

@ CC,

Nice thread. I thought I would offer my experiences with a different root-restriction product. There are different kinds of root-restriction: girdling (like my bags), air pruning (like SmartPots), trapping (like SmartPots) and chemical (as paint not in any pots I know of). I have a good bit of info on all of this but I just wanted to write this:

I used "Knit-Fabric Inground Containers" from RootMaker brand (HERE) as a 2nd grow bag: I use 5 gallon plastic grow bags and use the knit-fabric bags inside of the grow bag with about 1/2-1 inch of media between the two bags. Thus roots get pruned while the media does not dry out fast. I have used this for outdoor and indoor grows but cannabis roots are smaller than the holes in the bags so there was no effect.

Next time I will try SmartPots and the also RootMaker brand version called "RootTrapper® Soft-sided Container" (HERE). I really like the RootTrapper model because the pots are white on the outside so should be less media heat (until canopy covers media), I will do a side by side with SmartPots verses Soft-sided Container...


Supposedly RootMaker was the first company to come out with root-restriction bags, check out their site, they have every kind of root-restrictions for patio, above ground and below, but no chemical bags. Check out the commercial link, that is where I bought my bags:
http://www.rootmaker.com/retail_select.php

Have a good one

 

[secondtry]

Hey Mad.L,

Why would you grow like that? I wouldn't suggest it. I would grow with holes and put that in a container like a rez to catch run-off. Having water at the bottom of container is a welcome sign for problems.

HTH

 

[Clackamas Coot]

@ CC,

Nice thread. I thought I would offer my experiences with a different root-restriction product. There are different kinds of root-restriction: girdling (like my bags), air pruning (like SmartPots), trapping (like SmartPots) and chemical (as paint not in any pots I know of). I have a good bit of info on all of this but I just wanted to write this:

I used "Knit-Fabric Inground Containers" from RootMaker brand (HERE) as a 2nd grow bag: I use 5 gallon plastic grow bags and use the knit-fabric bags inside of the grow bag with about 1/2-1 inch of media between the two bags. Thus roots get pruned while the media does not dry out fast. I have used this for outdoor and indoor grows but cannabis roots are smaller than the holes in the bags so there was no effect.

Next time I will try SmartPots and the also RootMaker brand version called "RootTrapper® Soft-sided Container" (HERE). I really like the RootTrapper model because the pots are white on the outside so should be less media heat (until canopy covers media), I will do a side by side with SmartPots verses Soft-sided Container...


Supposedly RootMaker was the first company to come out with root-restriction bags, check out their site, they have every kind of root-restrictions for patio, above ground and below, but no chemical bags. Check out the commercial link, that is where I bought my bags:
http://www.rootmaker.com/retail_select.php

Have a good one

secondtry

Every August the Oregon Association of Nurseries (formerly known for decades and decades as the Oregon Association of NurseryMEN until a few years ago when the MEN voted in a woman as president so things got changed pretty quickly) holds a wholesale trade show for the horticulture industry. In spite of the economy, they still had over 650 exhibitors with attendees from around the world - literally.

The products like SmartPots, Rootmaker, et al. are widely used with sapling growers, specifically Japanese maples (big, big profit), conifers, etc. At the trade show, Far West, everyone is passing out free samples, literature, etc. I've used the Rootmaker products for growing Japanese maples as well as some of the plastic auto-pruning pots. For saplings we opt for the 40 gallon SmartPots for increased height and you're paid by the nursery brokers by the foot. Not on all plants but on the high dollar plants that's at least a basis of discussion.

Depending on the variety of Japanese maple, you can get as much as $750.00 for plants exceeding 3' in height with a 4' canopy.

There is also a line of the cloth pots out of China which are bio-degradable (re-cycled denim) and depending on their specific product, the time to degrade can be as little as 1 year and as long as 4 years. This is an important product for sapling growers, i.e. no transplanting (shock) and because saplings are generally planted in the fall when the trees are dormant, by the time the following summer is in full swing the roots are already pushing through the cloth once the surrounding soil begins to cause the bags to break apart.

RE: Hydroton (sp?) or even better - pumice

While it may not apply to cannabis (I could probably make both sides of the argument), in a cloth pot larger than 25 gallons, having 4-6" of a solid base (well - maybe semi-solid is probably a better term) there are definite advantages when you have to relocate the pots for whatever reason as well as the actual shipping of the product. Pots sit on the floor of the dry vans to maximize the load factor, IOW they're not sitting on wood pallets.

For anyone living in Oregon, I would recommend joining the OAN because with this card you have wholesale prices available at all of the wholesale nursery houses. Grow stores in Portland sell Sunshine Mix #4 for around $45.00 (before the 'good bro' discount) and the price at any of the nursery suppliers is around $24.00 and even less if you buy a pallet (which is 12 bales if memory serves me correctly).

CC

 

[Clackamas Coot]

There is an 'aftermarket' version of the SmartPots product from a supplier out of Florida. They take the SmartPot and put 2 handles on the pots making repositioning easier.

Probably not necessary for a typical cannabis grower but for outside growers (The Boys of Summer) there are definite advantages I would think.

CC

 

[mad librettist]

Hey Mad.L,

Why would you grow like that? I wouldn't suggest it. I would grow with holes and put that in a container like a rez to catch run-off. Having water at the bottom of container is a welcome sign for problems.

HTH

honestly? I saw vonforne do it successfully. monkey see monkey do.