Clear vs red solo cups

[zappa883]

Curious if potting in clear plastic cups in lieu of red or non see through can have negative growth results or mess up tithe root system ?

 

[meinchoh]

Roots aren't fond of light, so I would stay with red.

 

[richphitzwell]

as me said roots no likey the light, with that said colored thin plastic does not do much but its better than clear. if the cup is big enough for the size of the plant then you are good no matter.

 

[Justaguy]

Test it out. Coat/color/cover one half/side of the cup. Then, when you pot up check out the difference.

 

[Hammerfall]

transparent one you can see the roots which is good you know when to change pot size!

 

[geeme]

I agree with Justaguy - test it out! I don't have an answer, but a thought. There are people who don't use pots, but plant in a hunk of compacted dirt. When the roots reach the edge of the dirt, they either just stop, or take a turn back into the dirt. I haven't seen a good explanation of if they do that more because of the light or because of the exposure to the air, or a combination of both. But that might be a clue as to an answer to your question.

 

[frisky]

what if you put them in clear cups and wrap some paper around them to stop the light affecting the roots.. also when you think its time to re-pot them you can pull the paper off and look threw the clear cup to see if its root bound or still has a while to go. just a thought.

 

[zappa883]

Being able to see the roots was my intention and so far the few I have in clear seem ok. The roots are visible but will verify if they reseek the darkness of soil .

 

[Jamison]

def go with the red.

 

[willard3]

Clear cups will allow more algae growth, a bad thing.

 

[Dulac]

Clear cups will allow more algae growth, a bad thing.

I think this is the drawback. I moved some plants from red cups to cut 2 liter soda bottles. The roots seem to do great but I'm getting a little algae.

 

[zappa883]

Why would a slight amount of algae be bad ? If it doesn't dominate is it harmful and why ?

 

[Dulac]

Why would a slight amount of algae be bad ? If it doesn't dominate is it harmful and why ?

so far it's doing no harm as far as I know. My plants and their root systems are growing fast. It's pretty cool to be able to see the roots.I will continue putting em soda bottles because they are getting root bound before I plant them in the ground.


Edit: The algae might of even disappeared as the soil has dried out more. I let them dry out nicely so I don't get overwatering issues.

 

[Sownseeds]

Maybe try using the clear cups so you can see the roots like you wanted but put the clear cup inside a red one and just lift it out when you want.

 

[zappa883]

Exactly what I've done, I find it interesting to be able to monitor the root growth and strategy .

 

[AlabamaJack]

Red Solo Cup, I fill you up, let's have a party....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKZqGJONH68

 

[zappa883]

Won't play I'll have to try on my laptop tomorrow.

 

[GreenTea]

Here's a crafty solution, use clear plastic cups, but tape a piece of paper around them so you can peak underneath and look for roots once your plant gets bigger. Best of both worlds!

 

[Capsicum]

I use green solo cups, they look the best.

 

[roper2008]

I know these are not peppers, but I had no problems with these cups last year. I'm
using some red cups this year only because they are bigger.