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Growing in pots

I think the biggest problem is most people who grow in pots use pots that are too small. When I first started out I read that 5 gallon is fine and pretty much the standard. However I now use a 30 gallon container to for every 2 pepper plants giving them 15 gallons each.
 
"The pictures reveal that the roots "sense the size of the pot" and restrict the growth of the plant."

Thats why the best grow medium is air ;) A reason aeroponics and hydroponics yield more per square foot then conventional.

If you look at the point of a soilless media the whole point of it is to provide and anchor for the plant with great air porosity.

Just like LGHT made the example of the size of the container is the ONLY limiter in this.....

If you grew one plant in the soil, and another one in a 55 gal drum of promix hp using a hydroponic fertilizer I can tell 100% the one in the soilless 55gal drum will grow faster then in ground. The reason is air porosity. Soilless mix is expensive, the native soil is free.....
 
Capsicum said:
"The pictures reveal that the roots "sense the size of the pot" and restrict the growth of the plant."

Thats why the best grow medium is air ;) A reason aeroponics and hydroponics yield more per square foot then conventional.

If you look at the point of a soilless media the whole point of it is to provide and anchor for the plant with great air porosity.

Just like LGHT made the example of the size of the container is the ONLY limiter in this.....

If you grew one plant in the soil, and another one in a 55 gal drum of promix hp using a hydroponic fertilizer I can tell 100% the one in the soilless 55gal drum will grow faster then in ground. The reason is air porosity. Soilless mix is expensive, the native soil is free.....
Click to expand...
Air ?........OK ! Does leaf litter count ? :shh:
roofpepper.jpg
 
I'd love to see the particular details and data from this study, as the conclusion that roots sense and signal the plant to stop growing when it reaches the pot walls is questionable with only the info provided thus far. Even in ridiculously small containers I don't recall any plants that stopped growing by 44 days after seeding, long after the roots had reached the side walls, the bottom, then turned and went sideways. I accept that the plants grew slower but not that there was any signal involved, just a matter of efficiency in delivering the required amount of nutrients without an excessively nutrient dense or soggy soil which can then burn the plant or rot the roots.

Of course we know that pot size is a limitation but the leap from that to their theory is not supported by some MRI scans at a mere 44 days without more data, that time period could be a cherry picked number to support what they wanted to conclude. I do think it's quite possible that in ideal conditions a pot twice the size can allow for a 43% larger plant but then I ask myself, why not then use two pots without doubling the soil in each pot to realize a 100% increase instead of only 43%?

The other question is what if they used wider pots so the roots traveled further in the looser top soil. Don't get me wrong, their findings could be right but something doesn't quite add up.
 
http://www.airpotgarden.com/


[background=rgb(240, 240, 240)]Air-Pot containers get the best out of all plants because they develop a remarkable root system. And vigorous roots support healthy and prolific plants.[/background]​
[background=rgb(240, 240, 240)]Like many clever tools, it is actually very simple – the Air-Pot ‘air-prunes’ roots and this constant pruning prevents any root circling and promotes the growth of more and more feeder roots. It is these fine, fibrous roots which use all the available water and food very efficiently, to help develop great top growth and excellent fruit.[/background]​
[background=rgb(240, 240, 240)]But good roots can only develop in healthy soil/compost - soil that is alive.
Air-Pot containers also allow more air and better drainage than in any other container, another vital element that makes Air-Pot grown plants much healthier and happier.[/background]​
[background=rgb(240, 240, 240)]Roots are the foundation for all good growing.[/background]​
 
thegreenman said:
http://www.airpotgarden.com/



[background=rgb(240, 240, 240)]Air-Pot containers get the best out of all plants because they develop a remarkable root system. And vigorous roots support healthy and prolific plants.[/background]​

[background=rgb(240, 240, 240)]Like many clever tools, it is actually very simple – the Air-Pot ‘air-prunes’ roots and this constant pruning prevents any root circling and promotes the growth of more and more feeder roots. It is these fine, fibrous roots which use all the available water and food very efficiently, to help develop great top growth and excellent fruit.[/background]​

[background=rgb(240, 240, 240)]But good roots can only develop in healthy soil/compost - soil that is alive.
Air-Pot containers also allow more air and better drainage than in any other container, another vital element that makes Air-Pot grown plants much healthier and happier.[/background]​

[background=rgb(240, 240, 240)]Roots are the foundation for all good growing.[/background]​
Click to expand...

Yes, when i first heard about them I thought they were a waste. but it is clear how well they work.
 
I only grow in containers...and I have found through the years that a 5 gallon container is large enough for a first year plants that approach 6' if not over, especially the Trinidad Varieties...second year gets a 10 gallon, third year and beyond get 25s...one note is that when the pots are sitting on the ground and undisturbed, the roots actually grow out of the drain holes of the containers and "root" themselves into the ground...these plants are the healthiest of all....

I have also found that potting up in steps produces a more compact root ball thus a healthier/happier plant...seed starting tray to 3.5" container to 6" container, to 5 gallon pot works well for me...
 
This is a clear example of just because they did a "test", do not listen to a word of it ;) It is going agains science.
 
Exact quote "For every plant species we looked at, pot size was the factor limiting its growth." So where is the issue?

That means that they gave the plants every single bit of nutrition they needed and only changed the pot size. It doesn't matter if they were grown in concrete. The media stayed the same, the nutrition stayed the same only the pot size changed.
 
millworkman said:
Exact quote "For every plant species we looked at, pot size was the factor limiting its growth." So where is the issue?

That means that they gave the plants every single bit of nutrition they needed and only changed the pot size. It doesn't matter if they were grown in concrete. The media stayed the same, the nutrition stayed the same only the pot size changed.
Click to expand...


"So where is the issue?"

Because this is the first sentance in the article.

"Plants grown in pots never reach their full potential, images of their roots show. "

"never" reach their full potential...?

This would be more like it- When all other conditions are perfect, the volume of grow medium is the what limits plant growth.
 
But that is not how you write an article. You need a catchy title and first sentence to grab attention so that people will read the WHOLE article.
 
I think it's fair to say that the BBC article has sufficiently simplified things enough to make drawing any conclusions meaningless.
 
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