Why do experienced growers still use plastic pots?

[Timj]

Thanks for the idea @Timj

I'm just passing on the idea from an auto-flower grower on another site. It works well. It allows root pruning of the fabric pot. But, without the gnat issues associated with air-pots. And the plastic outside pot helps with the fabric pot drying out. I also run some of my pots as SIP's with a few inches of lava rock on the bottom and a saucer under the plastic pot. They work very well in the greenhouse.

 

[I Care]

I’m more intrigued with the way they cut a hole in their 2x2 and have a well trained monster inside. Interesting approach to maximizing the square footage. Maximizing that cubic space with the limited height that comes with smaller environments, that is well thought out.

I just thought of something, while I was going to water the seedling.

What if your media dries and pulls back like this between watering?
Said not to be good, but it’s sort of an air pot now. It’s free and now I can water frequently. If this happens before the roots spin out it might be like the air pots.

 

[Timj]

I’m more intrigued with the way they cut a hole in their 2x2 and have a well trained monster inside. Interesting approach to maximizing the square footage. Maximizing that cubic space with the limited height that comes with smaller environments, that is well thought out.

I just thought of something, while I was going to water the seedling.

What if your media dries and pulls back like this between watering?
Said not to be good, but it’s sort of an air pot now. It’s free and now I can water frequently. If this happens before the roots spin out it might be like the air pots.

That was something I came up with to increase the distance between my plant canopy and my light. Here are a few pictures to show it better. That plywood and 2x4 stand only supports the tent,fan and light. The pot sits inside a 16"diameter hole that fits under the pot lip so zero light lose. The saucer is only in case I have any runoff.

 

[CharlesU Farley]

Did something yesterday that made me realize the number one benefit of using fabric pots, it's the _handles_.

I'm midway through flowering, so time to do it clip and trim of non-functioning leaves. So I got to pull _32_ of these out of the tents:

For a 68 y/o geezer, It was a damn good workout moving all those heavy ass soil bags. I could not imagine using any pot, fabric or plastic, if it didn't have handles.

 

[farmerfischer]

Afew familiar faces on this thread from RIU.. That's awesome..
Anyway, to stay on topic.. I use both fabric and plastic.. just depends on where I'm growing and what I'm using for soil/substrate...

 

[Lester Beans]

The handles are really.. well...handy!

I don't test runoff. No point. If the inputs are correct there is nothing to learn from testing runoff.

 

[Kimes]

I tried fabric pots, but not for me.

I use now mostly square 12 inch tall nursery pots for seedlings/early veg/sexing and 3 gall airpruning pots occasionally 10 gal airpots

 

[Dequilo]

I don't test runoff. No point. If the inputs are correct there is nothing to learn from testing runoff.

no truer words thank you for saying them

 

[CocoNut 420]

Run off tells you exactly what you're plants are taking, if you want run off will walk you through the grow without any problems.

Idk how anyone can arrive at run off tells you nothing, that's simply not true.

 

[aqualungs]

Did something yesterday that made me realize the number one benefit of using fabric pots, it's the _handles_.

I'm midway through flowering, so time to do it clip and trim of non-functioning leaves. So I got to pull _32_ of these out of the tents:

View attachment 18982171
For a 68 y/o geezer, It was a damn good workout moving all those heavy ass soil bags. I could not imagine using any pot, fabric or plastic, if it didn't have handles.

Defoliate with the plants in the tent/room, you are making more work for yourself. Maybe take one out of the tent to make room to get at the others, room to spin them and what not.

 

[Dequilo]

if you want run off will walk you through the grow without any problems.

looking at your plants will do about the same

 

[CharlesU Farley]

no truer words thank you for saying them

Some of us don't measure or test anything.

 

[Timj]

Some of us don't measure or test anything.

I have 28-10 gallon pots and occasionally I forget what number pot I'm using and what cycle it's on. I have high alkalinity well water. Running RO or rain water in the winter doesn't make sense. So by the 4th veg/flowering cycle the alkalinity will build up in the soil and lock out iron. So, I do check my run off under those conditions. It's happened several times in the past. I then make adjustments to bring that plant to the finish line. BTW, I run living organic soil. After the 4th cycle I need to recycle my medium.

 

[Dequilo]

Idk how anyone can arrive at run off tells you nothing, that's simply not true.

not sure where that was said please quote that for me

and thank you

Dequilo

 

[CharlesU Farley]

Defoliate with the plants in the tent/room, you are making more work for yourself. Maybe take one out of the tent to make room to get at the others, room to spin them and what not.

Defoliating isn't something I do until final harvest. I just trim dying / non-functional leaves to increase air flow around the buds. Definitely not enough room in the tents to maneuver around, at least for this old fart.

 

[CharlesU Farley]

I have 28-10 gallon pots and occasionally I forget what number pot I'm using and what cycle it's on. I have high alkalinity well water. Running RO or rain water in the winter doesn't make sense. So by the 4th veg/flowering cycle the alkalinity will build up in the soil and lock out iron. So, I do check my run off under those conditions. It's happened several times in the past. I then make adjustments to bring that plant to the finish line. BTW, I run living organic soil. After the 4th cycle I need to recycle my medium.

That sounds logical and makes sense to me.

 

[CocoNut 420]

not sure where that was said please quote that for me

and thank you

Dequilo

You commented on the post?
"There is nothing to learn from testing runoff"
There's so much information available in run off I'm a bit surprised at the comment.

 

[CharlesU Farley]

Run off tells you exactly what you're plants are taking, if you want run off will walk you through the grow without any problems.

Idk how anyone can arrive at run off tells you nothing, that's simply not true.

At what point is the data not worth the time and effort it takes to measure and adjust things? And while you're doing all those measurements and adjustments, are you actually able to observe and communicate with the plant and have the plant communicate with you?

I know that sounds like hippie dippy bullshit, but it's really not.

Please don't take offense, I realize I sometimes communicate with a sledgehammer and offend people when I don't mean to.

I totally and completely understand taking measurements to get usable data, that's science and I have a _deep_ respect and understanding of it. If I was in my 20s or 30s, I would be all over these adjustable controllers, temperature/humidity monitors, etc. so I could adjust fan speeds, control environmental conditions inside the tent, water the plants... things of that nature.

I just worry the current generation of cultivators have become so enamored with technology, trendy cannabis varietal names, and having apps to measure _every_ possible variable that they won't be able to understand what the plants are trying to communicate _to_ them.

 

[endgegner]

fabric pots do work well and do not sit in the landfill for the next 10 thousand years

The environment factor barely matters here. I have never thrown away a plastic pot. The problem with plastic is just that we throw it away, if you actually keep the pot, this is not a problem.
It is more those plastic bottles, packaging and so on.

 

[Timj]

You commented on the post?
"There is nothing to learn from testing runoff"
There's so much information available in run off I'm a bit surprised at the comment.

When I ran DTW in Coco-coir testing my run off was like a dog chasing its own tail. The plants rhizosphere will have a slightly different pH then our run off. When adding salt based nutrients I found the bottom of the pot would always have higher concentrations of those salts then the top 3-4 inches. I would find reading my plants foliage much more reliable than the results from my run off. This is just my personal opinion though. I don't claim to be an expert in any way.