Smart Pots

[Kenny Lingus]

guess it gets a big job watering those airy pots. (Used to drill 4mm holes 2/3 the way up on my large 4-5gallon pots, but when growing small sog plants in coco I find the roots spread as well as they can.)

Think it is brilliant for larger plants that are kept a while, but frequently timed up-potting, maybe with a slight root pruning at transplant will give good results too. (I just don't like the possibility of gnat larva having surface area access all over the pots, so regular full sealed plastic for me as I drip feed anyway.

 

[JungleBoi]

Chemical Root Pruning using Copper Hydroxide

Chemical Root Pruning using Copper Hydroxide

Here begins my attempt at chemical root pruning.

100g of Copper Hydroxide was mixed with 1 liter of white water-based latex paint.

The paint was brushed on the inside of 15 3"x3" square containers.

The containers are filled with either pure coco or a mix of coco and charcoal.

10 DPS Skunk #1 and 5 Legends Ultimate Indica will be placed in these containers.



The Copper Hydroxide

A Treated Container

Some of the Treated Containers with Coco / Coco+Charcoal

 

[Suby]

I`m actually excited about seing how the copper hydroxyde works JB, k+ for putting your money and time where your mouth is.

 

[JungleBoi]

I put all 15 seeds in, most of them having germinated already from a soak. I'll keep you updated.

 

[split kooks]

nice jungle!

cant wait for updates

 

[C21H30O2]

poor mans air pot.

poor mans air pot.

here is my go at air pruning. these plants have had a rough youth. i am hopping with some well made compost teas and some love they will get back on track.

 

[Suby]

that's fucking brilliant dude, this thread has really opened some eyes CC

 

[C21H30O2]

that's fucking brilliant dude, this thread has really opened some eyes CC

the idea stroke me last night as i was smoking the last of some of the most idea generating motivative grass valley (erowid is based out of grass valley) sativa. "why not just cut the bottom out of the pots and suspend them over a screen. all the roots would grow down to the screen and be air punned. not quite as good as the air pots but still get the same effect. i just put out a bunch of seedlings in 16 oz cups ill post pics in a couple days.

 

[sophisto]

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.

....This is the kinda thing we need in the mmj community...and every other community,....Life isnt about money it's about lovin what you do......Keeep on keepin on brother..


Great thread by the way.....Seen the title of the thread many times but never clicked in to take a peek....I guess I thought what could be smart about a pot....LOL, I guess I been missing out.....

 

[C21H30O2]

just moved these girls into a make shift greenhouse (seems to work well, but not quite finished). you can see in the pic the lil ones in 16 oz cups, they are waiting to be moved to another air pruning table like their older sisters.

 

[bdlt]

These things are a PITA to track down. No one seems to have the right sizes in stock.

~bdlt

 

[Dignan]

These things are a PITA to track down. No one seems to have the right sizes in stock.

~bdlt

That fact coupled with the price sounds to me like a perfect excuse to not use them.

Dig

 

[bdlt]

Well someone has to use them to give good feedback as to whether they work or not. I ended up buying the 1 gal pots. I'm gonna use them in a 4x4 flood and drain w/ coco and see how they work out. The 1gal aren't so bad. They were about $1.45 each. Though I did buy 200 of them. I'm gonna be selling them to friends so I'm not to worried about the excess.

~bdlt

 

[Dignan]

Coco gives the world's most dense root system anyway... coco and air pots, if the air pots truly air-prune, should be incredible.

I've just been skeptical from day one with this air pots stuff because I noticed about 6-8 weeks ago that WHAM! suddenly one day every single cannabis forum I visit had posts about air pots from new forum members. It sure smelled like spam to me.

Dig

 

[bdlt]

Hmm... Come to think of it you might be on to something. But I only spent 300 and if I can contribute to the community with my experiences then it's worth it. One of the things that I really liked about the Air Pots literature was the decrease in veg time. Coco + Air Pots could cut my veg time by 33% giving me 1 extra harvest per year. Or conversely extra root mass could increase my yields. I'm all for mad science. My plan at the moment is to run 6 plants in Perfect Pots, and 6 in Air Pots in the same tray. I'll compare yields / quality / growth and really get good (anectdotal) evidence as to whether they are viable in cultivating quality medicine.

~bdlt

 

[Clackamas Coot]

RE: Smart Pots

Regardless of the cost involved (up to a point obviously) and regardless of the problems in sourcing the SmartPots - they are worth each and every penny that they may cost you.

I would never think of using anything other than 'auto pruning pots' - and at the end of the day there isn't a dime's worth of difference on which product that you eventually choose to use, i.e. SmartPots, Air Pots, et al.

Just my opinion and nothing else.

CC

 

[Dignan]

I value your opinion, CC. Truly do. Thanks bru.

Dig

 

[bdlt]

Definitely excited about these Air-Pots. Might make a business out of selling them. Sending all my friends to the site and they are stoked about them! We shall see. The proof is in the potting.

~bdlt

 

[Lt. Dan]

Little experiment I got going on with some LSD clones. I planted 3 rooted clones a few weeks ago. I put the smallest of the 3 clones in the air pot. I'm going to transplant into 1 gallon containers to continue vegging and then into 3 gallon containers for flower. I think the largest air pots I have are 2 1/2 gallons so my 3 gallon square pots will have a bit more room. Hopefully the air pot helps the roots to utilize all the middle soil while the traditional containers are wrapping the edges. I would love to see the smallest clone in a smaller container outyield the other two

 

[Lt. Dan]

The medium takes the shape of the air pot container and you can see that in this picture. Most of the exposed roots are dead or dieing because of the air. This was a male plant that I destroyed but I did take a picture of his outside roots.

I started tearing the rootball apart to see the inside growth and it was amazing. The male was only in this air pot for 3 weeks and the lateral growth on the roots was amazing. I had already done alot of damage inspecting and fondling the roots before I reliazed I should have take more pics of the inside lateral roots.

I currently have 5 females about 3-4 weeks from harvest in air pots so I'll have more pics and information to share at that point.