shopping If you've been hesitant to buy a root pouch/smart pot

[coheed196]

If you have ever considered buying any type of air pruning pot and decided against it for whatever reason, just look at these pictures.

This is a Bartlett Pear tree that I bought as a cutting back in October. It was just a single stick with a few (maybe around 10-15) little roots. I stuck it in some brand of bagged soil and into a 5 gallon root pouch. There it sat, only getting watered maybe once every 2 weeks and hasn't been fed anything other than what was in the bagged soil. I decided today that it was time to put her in the ground in our backyard. It took me about 10 mins or so to get the pot to let go of the roots/dirt. Here is what I found, and keep in mind this is a tree.

It got tall in 9 months.

Yea there wasn't but a handful of soil that wasn't part of the root mass

 

[smileyguy697]

Nice! I should have tried it.. Been kicking myself for a while now that i didn't. Next year tho for sure.

 

[coheed196]

Nice! I should have tried it.. Been kicking myself for a while now that i didn't. Next year tho for sure.

You should get them, they aren't expensive at www.greenhousemegastore.com I believe a 10 pack of the 7 gallons is around $10-12 the difference they make is unreal

 

[smileyguy697]

You should get them, they aren't expensive at www.greenhousemegastore.com I believe a 10 pack of the 7 gallons is around $10-12 the difference they make is unreal

That's not bad at all! The grow store here wants an arm and a leg for them.. I was thinking about using the Walmart bags but then noticed the ones at aldis (not sure how big of a chain they are) has huge ones for a dollar or 2.

Not sure how many gallons they are but good sized for sure! They're also a lot bigger than walmarts

 

[coheed196]

Man those are huge, I don't believe they're a big chain but oddly enough my town is getting one in a few months. They're already building it.

 

[chicken_phat]

Beginner here. Why does a bag like that make it grow better than a regular plastic container/pot?

 

[smileyguy697]

Man those are huge, I don't believe they're a big chain but oddly enough my town is getting one in a few months. They're already building it.

Yeah dude they're huge! You can almost fit that second bucket in it. I have two of these reapers gonna go in them under the hid soon as i get some extra money to fill them.

Beginner here. Why does a bag like that make it grow better than a regular plastic container/pot?

It's because the air prunes the roots and they branch out into a thicker mass. In a bucket or pot they will grow in a circle around the bottom of the pot.

 

[Phil]

The only.... and I do mean ONLY..... downside I've found with root pouches is that they drain very well and the soil dries out faster, requiring more frequent watering.... but is that really such a bad trade-off for healthier plants? I think not. Go with the grow bags! They're cheaper than pots, and you get better plants!

 

[Al-from-Chile]

Beginner here. Why does a bag like that make it grow better than a regular plastic container/pot?

 
roots NEED oxygen ... those bags are permeable. Also if a root touches the fabric, it dries out, and just like a medusa creates 2 or 3 smaller roots laterally ... so instead of those huge circling cable-like roots you see above (that do no good) you get plenty of smallish roots, which max. the root-to-soil-surface (allowing for more nute's to be absorbed)
 
check out some vid's on youtube
 
al

 

[Pepper-Guru]

The only.... and I do mean ONLY..... downside I've found with root pouches is that they drain very well and the soil dries out faster, requiring more frequent watering.... but is that really such a bad trade-off for healthier plants? I think not. Go with the grow bags! They're cheaper than pots, and you get better plants!

Not necessarily. It really depends on soil structure as well. Different "soils" dry differently. With these containers I make sure and not go over 20% aerators. This really helps with the watering. Granted we have had great rain this year, but I haven't watered one single time the entire season. 

If you have ever considered buying any type of air pruning pot and decided against it for whatever reason, just look at these pictures.

This is a Bartlett Pear tree that I bought as a cutting back in October. It was just a single stick with a few (maybe around 10-15) little roots. I stuck it in some brand of bagged soil and into a 5 gallon root pouch. There it sat, only getting watered maybe once every 2 weeks and hasn't been fed anything other than what was in the bagged soil. I decided today that it was time to put her in the ground in our backyard. It took me about 10 mins or so to get the pot to let go of the roots/dirt. Here is what I found, and keep in mind this is a tree.

It got tall in 9 months.

Yea there wasn't but a handful of soil that wasn't part of the root mass

THIS ROCKS

 

[coheed196]

Thanks Guru, I had seen the results on the pepper plants but wasn't sure how a tree would do. Apparently it does just fine.

 

[compmodder26]

Not necessarily. It really depends on soil structure as well. Different "soils" dry differently. With these containers I make sure and not go over 20% aerators. This really helps with the watering. Granted we have had great rain this year, but I haven't watered one single time the entire season. 

 
I concur with Guru (not that he needs me to concur to validate his statement ).  I took his advice and only used 20% aerators in my mix.  That combined with a 2 inch mulch and grass growing around the sides of the pot to insulate, I've not had to water a single time this year.  Now I have added compost teas every 2 weeks, but the plants weren't in need of any water when I applied them.  Which brings me to another great upside of these.  They drain so well that it's almost impossible to overwater.  The mix holds on to the amount of water it needs to and the excess drains away nicely. We too have had a very wet spring and summer.  But my plants have thrived during the wet periods, showing no ill effects from the excessive rain.

 

[Proud Marine Dad]

I am using regular 5 gallon nursery pots and 5 gallon Lowes buckets this year and the soil stays moist better than last season since I mixed my own soil.
With 5 parts home made compost, 3 parts peat moss and 1 part perlite it seems to retain moisture a long time and we get zero rain in the summer here for the most part.

 

[Trippa]

Man those are huge, I don't believe they're a big chain but oddly enough my town is getting one in a few months. They're already building it.

Aldi supermarkets are a pretty large international chain I believe which started in Germany ... They have been in Australia for years now and there's more of them popping up constantly especially in newer developments
Approx 9221 locations to be exact (according to the reputable Wikipedia )

 

[stickman]

I think the combination of air-pruning pots and a low pressure drip irrigation setup on a timer are an extremely low stress and affordable growing system. I've been using Airpots for the most part because I like their durability, but I picked up a Dirt Pot this year to try alongside of them.

 

[coheed196]

Aldi supermarkets are a pretty large international chain I believe which started in Germany ... They have been in Australia for years now and there's more of them popping up constantly especially in newer developments
Approx 9221 locations to be exact (according to the reputable Wikipedia )

Yea i guess I should have specified that they aren't big around where I live. I've never seen one in personother than the halfway built one 30 mmins away from my house. But i also live 35 mins away from the nearest Walmart and 13 mins from the nearest gas station