Smart Pots

[Cali smoke]

Thanks a lot MoleMcHenry!

 

[PHB]

Very interesting. Unless I'm misreading the article it appears that the air pruning pots often under perform the standard nursery pot. It will be interesting to read their findings from this spring after they measure the trees once again.

Thanks Clackamas and Mole

PHB

 

[PHB]

Spin-Out is a copper based paint that you can spray on the insides of plastic pots to prune the roots, basically doing the same thing. The manufacturer also sells pots with spin-out already in place. This was talked about on OG back in the day.

Pond baskets are another idea. Check google for images. The big box stores carry them in the pond dept. I'll be giving the local stores a check right now...

Pond baskets are an interesting idea. I also found pond planting bags that look very similar to Smart Pots. Hmmm

PHB

 

[Clackamas Coot]

Very interesting. Unless I'm misreading the article it appears that the air pruning pots often under perform the standard nursery pot. It will be interesting to read their findings from this spring after they measure the trees once again.

Thanks Clackamas and Mole

PHB

PHB

Keep in mind that the plants used, Red Maple, do not compare well with a softwood annual like cannabis. Growing tree stock is a slow process in general, but in particular some of the maple varieties break old records. Kind of like trying to get a fast grow with 'Purple Urkle' as an example.

Personally I would never consider using any of the auto-pruning products for trees other than the Air-Pot brand specifically. Even then the project would have to pay really well to justify the insane cost of these units.

The pricing is satisfactory for many hobby cannabis growers perhaps, but the professional nursery industry has shown little interest in any of the auto-pruning container products/systems for growing this type of tree stock (ornamental trees) given the time that they will have to spend 'out in the field' to get to market size, i.e. these are not annual cycles.

Especially considering that the plugs that were used originated from tissue culture propagation - quite a bit different from the cut 'n clone process that many cannabis growers use.

Just weigh the information and review which issues that are raised for each specific product are relevant to your project. For example, one criticism of the SmartPots' product was very detailed and accurate as it relates to growing hardwood tree stock. But those areas have absolutely nothing to do with growing an annual softwood plant.

HTH

CC

 

[Cali smoke]

Hey everyone, here's my 5 gallon smart pot grow...

May 6 = Day 6 of 12/12. From the bottom clockwise, snowdog, og kush, og kush, satori, satori cutting - not pictured, black domina in 8.5l hempy bucket, in the middle snowdog.

So far I love using the smart pots. The cocogro medium only dries out when the plant is sucking up nutes. To check if they need watering, I just place my hand at the bottom of the pot and gently poke it to check for moisture. I'm observing a small amount of root tips popping out and turning brown as the days pass. I'm hoping to grow some 5 star dank with this setup.

thank you clackamas for the article.

 

[jrw]

Wow! Pretty plants.

Keep us updated please

 

[PHB]

Keep in mind that the plants used, Red Maple, do not compare well with a softwood annual like cannabis. ...

Very good point CC, thanks. What findings from the article apply most to mj in your opinion/experience?

What do you think of the potential of pond baskets as an alternative container? They seem much more readily available and are fairly affordable based on my limited searching.

Thanks,
PHB

 

[Guest]

The only problem I have found with pond baskets so far is in the sizing. I like 2-3 gallon square pots. Pond baskets are generally very shallow. I am wondering if drilling tiny holes in our regular pots wouldn't have a similar effect. Lots of tiny holes spaced apart an inch or so, so as to not hurt the structural integrity of the pot.

Of course, that would be ridiculously time consuming...

 

[queg]

These are cool, I'd use them if I was still soil growing.

I was a spin-out user before going coco/drip. It's a copper based spray paint applied to the inside of pots. I used it for my 1 gal vegging pots.. made it so I could veg for longer period in a small pot with no ill effect and get a dense, healthy root ball before 5 gal transplant and flowering.

With coco/drip I use the square net pots.. within a week of transplant I can see all the root tips pushing out through the holes and then drying out.. kinda felt bad about it til I realized it's the same effect.

 

[Clackamas Coot]

Very good point CC, thanks. What findings from the article apply most to mj in your opinion/experience?

Thanks,
PHB

PHB

What I hope people will take away from the article/test is that all of these auto-pruning products/systems do what they're intended to do, i.e. maximize the root structure/mass in the pot.

To repeat myself, when a tree is ready for shipment, the transportation process is almost always done at the time of the year when the trees are dormant. There are a number of reasons why you would want to do that and a major reason is that the branches are bare and can be restrained to minimize the amount of cubic feet that a specific tree is using inside the trailer. When the trees are dormant there is less chance of damaging the branches & trunks because the loader can restrain the trees to preclude them rubbing against each other. Hard to explain unless you've seen a nursery stock truck being loaded at origin. Pretty interesting.

There are a number of methods used to assess transportation costs and one of those is often the 'cubic foot' method on shipments where there are multiple pick-ups and/or multiple deliveries.

So the search for a viable alternative to standard nursery pots (known as 'lip-curl pots') has been ongoing for the past 10 years. Tree growers are sought after because that's where the serious money is in raising nursery stock. The challenge is to push the growth of the tree as quickly as possible reducing your operating cost per plant by getting a tree ready in 3 years as opposed to 4 or 5 years.

So this test was using a very hardy tree variety, i.e. Red Maple which are popular with plant brokers, landscape designers, et al. Most of the complaints and observations about all of the products tested have almost nothing to do with raising softwood annuals, per se.

What the review can do is help folks determine what is the best bang for the buck, i.e. all of these products will provide with the ultimate goal of plant & root health, vigor, growth rate, etc.

BTW - several weeks ago I picked up some used Air-Pots from another nurseryman up the road. I cleaned them up and planted 2 clones each of my 2 favorite strains that I grow. I've grown both of these strains for over 4 years and know what to expect and when. I had been using the SmartPots' products and was (and am) very happy with these pots in every way, price, build quality, ease of use, etc.

Having said that, the Air-Pot product is a better product. The Air-Pot is far more durable than any of the competition and will provide one with years and years of service.

I would also add this - if one is seriously contemplating using the Air-Pot brand pots, then you better jump on it. These folks have a great product and are absolutely clueless what it takes to market a product to the nursery stock industry on price, distribution, etc., etc., etc.

Get them while they're available as it's doubtful they'll be around much longer than a year or two.

There's also the reality that a manufacturer somewhere in the world will simply pop a mold from their pots and begin pumping them out for really cheap money.

Conclusion: Root-pruning systems can be an integral part of an organic-based garden particularly in the areas of root mass and overall plant growth rate and health.

They provide a cooling system for the root ball that is extremely important in the summer months. An increase in frequency and volume of water needed is to be expected but that's a small price to pay for what you're getting in return.

Highly recommended - shop price & availability. At the end of the day all of the products reviewed will pay for themselves in many ways with yield increase at the bottom of my list and perhaps other's as well.

HTH

CC

 

[B.C.]

Right on!

Right on!

Suby

In a real way I/we do just that for medical patients. I/we buy Sunshine Mix(es) and basically do the same recipe as Burn1 has posted here on various threads. We do add things like glacial rock dust, humic soil enhancers (a company out of Utah), and a basic all-purpose fertilizer which is usually a Down-To-Earth mix. Usual stuff you'd expect to find in a quality fertilizer. This makes it possible for the medical grower to simply water their plants. In some cases that has to be automated for patients in wheel-chairs or are in worse condition.

I/we then distribute the soil mixes to patients and help them with transplanting, getting the drip system set-up, etc. We charge only for our out of pocket expenses and a small charge for gasoline here & there.

The reason for all of this is that many, many medical patients have limited physical movement issues so that tinkering around with their medicinal plants isn't in the cards. They need something that is 'easy in & easy out' and at a low cost. Most of these patients have been abandoned by their medical insurance carriers, they're bankrupt - they don't have the money to spend on something that may or may not work. Using mixes like Burn1 has posted in conjunction with the SmartPots and with the teas that several of us brew and deliver to maximize their grow rooms help in this process.

I/we push hard to get new growers to use the SmartPot product not because it's the absolute best - it's not. But what it can provide at a very affordable cost to the grower is the ability to maximize their plant's potential when coupled with solid organic growing methods. Low cost coupled with maximum yields is a win-win deal for everyone who is involved in trying to help patients become self-sufficient.

Organic growing process are important for many medical growers basically because they're dying. Getting their medicine as pure as possible out of their little grow rooms is an important issue. Keep in mind that the majority of medical growers in Oregon are growing with 400 watt lights in the corner of an apartment bedroom. They've already lost their homes due to medical bills.

Sad deal all the way around.

Hats off ta you MISTER! mad props! that's a very comendable thing yer doin fer the med folks!.......Very good thread too, great input from everyone!.... Btw that's a good point about the trees not growin like bud does. Kinda unfair usein a plant that doesn't grow like bud for an example, huh ? ( hint-hint ) lol jus pokin fun at ya Clackamas. Keep up the good work my friend! Take care...BC

 

[MPL]

If I missed it I apologize, but where would be the best place to buy SmartPots from? I am not too worried about durability, just the root pruning aspect. I also want to water by immersing the whole pot into water or a nutrient solution. The SmartPots look perfect for me without breaking the bank.

Also, would you use a smaller SmartPot than you would if it were a regular "lip-curling" pot?

 

[Guest]

These are cool, I'd use them if I was still soil growing.

I was a spin-out user before going coco/drip. It's a copper based spray paint applied to the inside of pots. I used it for my 1 gal vegging pots.. made it so I could veg for longer period in a small pot with no ill effect and get a dense, healthy root ball before 5 gal transplant and flowering.

With coco/drip I use the square net pots.. within a week of transplant I can see all the root tips pushing out through the holes and then drying out.. kinda felt bad about it til I realized it's the same effect.

Square net pots??? Please tell where to find??? Sizes?

 

[Guest]

One more thing along the lines of just drilling holes in our pots - would it be better to drill multiple little holes in the sides of the pot, or would it be better to just cut slits along the edges like many of the pots on the internet?

My only concern here is I like the stability of a solid pot, you can drop it, beat it, shove it, move it however and it wont fall apart or lose much medium...

 

[Cali smoke]

If I missed it I apologize, but where would be the best place to buy SmartPots from? I am not too worried about durability, just the root pruning aspect. I also want to water by immersing the whole pot into water or a nutrient solution. The SmartPots look perfect for me without breaking the bank.

Also, would you use a smaller SmartPot than you would if it were a regular "lip-curling" pot?

MPL, you can order the smart pots from the link clackamas posted in the first post. Or here: http://www.americanag.com/proddetail.php?prod=PO373

 

[Lumberjack]

these are pretty cool but it was wondering if those as seen on tv topsy turvy things would work?

 

[Suby]

I got a quote for ~300$ for 10 x .5gal containers and 10 x 5gals, a bit pricey for my taste.
I'm sure they work amazing but not 300$ for 20 pots amazing, I think it's DIY time for Suby , I feel a tutorial and some McGuiverisms coming on :headbang:

S

 

[jaykush]

300$ holy crap. F that.

 

[Clackamas Coot]

Just imagine the sticker-shock for someone getting a quote on 5,000 pots for a commercial tree stock contract.

Delusional.........

 

[queg]

Square net pots??? Please tell where to find??? Sizes?

Like this. About 9" wide x 5" deep.

http://www.77hydrostore.com/acc050.html

For organic soil I assume you're looking for something larger..