My DIY smart pot method.... I just recieved the fabric stapler, botched-it magnetic staple remover and fabric staplers in the mail, because a row of single fabric staples is better than a double layer of regular paper staples. the stapler brand is Ace Fastener- a division of peace industries. model: clipper 702 stapling plier. the fabric I use is from home depot. It's the kind that's made of recycled corn material, and supposedly contains no chemicals. It works just as well as brand name smart pots in my experience. it does tear more easily than the other types of landscape fabric. Cut the pieces you will be using- I just ''winged it'' on this one but I have also used templates to make sure the base is the right shape and dimension. if you winged it like I did, your base will be too wide for the sides to reach around it: just hold the sides together and get an idea how much smaller it should be, and trim it down (if you have to decide to trim more or less, trim less- we need some room for staples). then begin stapling them together. I chose the straighter side for the bottom: then when you staple all the way around you will be left with a bit of extra fabric on the end. That's a great great thing. that extra flap will give us an opportunity to form the shape of the pot- sorry if the picture doesn't show it, but I don't have a flash feature. Cut the side flap diagonally, so the least excess fabric is at the bottom of the container and the most is at the top. then staple the sides together: that's it not just plant and water in! I planted ground cover in mine, it has been suffering in a 4'' container all summer long, so we'll see how it goes. thanks for stopping by
Very cool forbin! I think I may just try this but without the staples of course. I would prefer to sew the pot together just in case of any rust the staples may produce. Overall these is a great tutorial Forbin and I just love seeing those grow thinkers tinker
Cool indeed. I've been thinking about making some of these for next year outdoors, wanting to go very large and possibly irregular shapes. I thought I was going to have to learn to sew! well, maybe I still should...please keep us informed how the staples hold up. Also, Downgirl, if you read this and know, I'd be curious to know how cheap a sewing machine could be to do this kind of project, or whether even sewing by hand would work? thanks
I have made a few of these pots by sewing by hand. I use mono fishing line for the thread. It takes about half hour to finish by hand. A small portable sewing machine is also powerful enough to sew this fabric. The grey pots are the homemade ones. 18" in diameter and 18" tall.
Yes, landscape fabric from the garden center or lumber yards. Some of the really cheap fabric is spun too thin, but if it is the only kind available, it still works if you double it up. I only use the spun type fabrics, but I think the woven ones would work too. You can also find a felt-like pond lining at some garder centers that works, but is more expensive. The OP's idea to staple the pieces together is a good one if you don't want to sew them. PW
Nice idea! I wonder how the corn fabric will hold up. As far as I know, the only fabric made from corn is rayon. Being a cellulosic fabric, rayon might be susceptible to mold and eventually break down. I was thinking of using a polyester non-woven fabric (like a heavy weight stabilizer), and sewing it. I'm not familiar with landscape fabrics though, and they might be better. By the time you're done it's not really cheaper than smart pots, but the advantage is you can make them the size you want.
Hey yall! thanks for stopping by! Yea there's been some rust and so I'm adjusting it for the new ones- less staples, lighter and less water retentive coco mix. I transplanted my first three (using the diy pot) today. while I was glad with the root system's integrity, I am hoping for better results next transplant in three weeks when I send them to bloom (not feminized so likely only 2 will flower) I am also expecting that the TD in to bonsai will be really well rooted by the time it goes to flower (probably around 1-2 months from now). The rust will really be kicking in by then, it will be clear then how major of an issue that is. and yeah I am not really saving a whole lotta money. So far I've spent around 45$, $30 for the stapler kit and $15 for the corn celulose- which is an admittedly some what weak material that is perhaps not best for root pruning. it might also be more conducive to mold especially if the medium is water logged for extended amounts of time. the plan is basically to burn through these materials, and see how far they get me
That staple gun is a nice item to have, though. And your plants won't be likely to have an iron deficiency! Were any roots stuck to the bottom when you transplanted?
The rust from the staples will not be a negative factor in the growth of the plant. The only problem I see from the staples is the rust staining floors or carpets. PW
edited out that link, thanks vash, I'm looking into different lanscape fabrics for the next few weeks I watered before leaving for a few days and had left the veg closet closed. when I returned the TD was looking nice, but her diy pot was caked with white fuzz, on the exterior. so I gather it's the celullose... it also has a somewhat slimy feel to it (not too surprising). I'm thinking to look into some other fabrics, probably the spun type. mainly to avoid molds but also I have used smart pots and I suspect the celullose fabric is inferior to smart pots when it comes to root pruning purposes. now that I think about it it was kind of absurd that I bought into the green packaging in the first place without thinking about the obvious results of using recycled plant matter. well, I'll post an update picture in a few weeks for that ground cover. It has cool white flowers so hopefully it'll come back. lastly I'd like to say thanks for all the comments- it's been useful!
The dupont fabric says it's made of polyethylene, which is a type of plastic. By "spun" do you mean non-woven? Your black fabric looks like it is non-woven. The smart pot is made of non-woven polyester. As long as air and water can pass through, and the material is inert (like plastic or polyester), it should be work. !
I'd have to spend over $100 on Smart Pots to get what I need. I think a roll of fabric is around $25 and will give me many more pots.
So, I bought a 50 foot roll of weedblocking fabric from Ace Hardware yesterday for $20. It comes in three toughnesses: economy, durable, and super duty (or some shit like that). I went with the durable. Anyway, I came up with a very easy to sew template for a square/rectangular pots that doesn't involve sewing in a circle (which is a total bitch to do) only straight lines. Takes about 5 minutes to sew a 5-8 gallon pot. I will post my work once I get a chance to take some pics. I'm never gonna buy pots again hopefully!
No, the smartpots aint 2$ each. Even wholesale in bulk. The ones I want are 18.95 on that site, so generic ones, maybe 7$, just saw 5 for 69. But it is still cheaper to make them. Marapa, I bought my girl one for 169, and I thinkIt will do it...ill post on it soon. Gettig some "craft felt" from joann fabric this week or next, which is non-woven polyester made from recycled plastic bottlez And hope to toke, fuck saving ones self the trouble, its about saving bucks...and not giving money to corporations, and self sufficiency. of course i go out in the rain to collect the eggs in the morning
Hey, good luck with your DIY pots. I found that the thread I used degraded after a month or two and the stitches busted. It isnt too big of a problem if you arent moving your plants around so much. But you probably want to invest in some strong thread. Anyway, here is a link for making a purse that uses a similar template as what I used but you can do it with just two pieces of your desired fabric. All you need to do is sew the two sides and the bottom, then pinch the bottom corners together and sew across to make a gusset. You'll have to experiment with the dimensions to get the shape you want, but it honestly takes like 5-7 minutes per pot once you get the hang of it. http://martilena.com/tag/gusset-zipper-pouch-tutorial/