Hello friends, I am somewhat new. I am using these pots for growing currently. 4 plants in fabric, 2 in smart pots. I do like the smart pots with the handles. I don't think I will use them again because its a little messy when watering. I don't have allot of room and I like to rearrange them every week. The fabric are good but without handles it gets to be a pain to move them around. Same with watering also a little messy. I am very anal about being clean. What are your opinions ? I also read that washing them is tough due to salt buildup? Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Grasscity Forum mobile app
I would use some storage bins. Water, move pots to dry bin, dump runoff. Or you can try a sip method. Look up noobwannab's method. Friggin dummy proof.
Look for some type of drip pan, something like what goes under a washing machine Sent from my DROID GC app "live from the garden"
http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-growing/1151159-noobwannbs-self-wicking-smartpot-ghetto-setup.html
Has anyone really gotten better yields with the smart pots? Last year I tried them, put 4 same strain clones in two smart pots, and two 5 gallon buckets. The end result was almost the same for every plant. Except for the watering was a messy hassle. Do you guys really notice a better yield or healthier plant when you use them?
I notice a healthier plant and bigger yield with the SIP method over non-sips, it's just easier to sit a fabric pot on a bed of perlite than it is to make sip buckets, not that either one is particularly difficult. OP... Fabric pots can be washed and reused, just don't throw them in your dryer. Hang dry instead. (half the pot will end up in the lint trap leaving them thin and flimsy)
Just buy a small plastic storage bin to keep them in and use a sponge to clean up the excess water. I always thought they were more for avoiding root bind which shouldn't be a problem with the 5 gallon buckets. I personally have noticed a difference using a 2 gallon air pot vs a 2 gallon regular pot.
Yea Ive seen first hand how awesome the airpots are. There is no doubt about them being the best pot for, well pot!
I am in the process of putting together smartpot sips with my organic soil. Everything I have read, leads me to believe these three things in combination, will make it really hard for me to do much damage. Keep res full and litfa. SB
Here's my noobie brain working overtime. I know the smart pots are fairly inexpensive, but does anyone know if a tweed type fabric would work or not, found some today at the thrift store for a dollar. Prolly could make four or five 1gals. I am always thinking recycle, repurpose, my wife sews and she thinks I might be able to manage sewing them myself even...HAHA! Peace, Be careful out there. SB
hmm i use smart pots and fabric pots the main difference i have seen is with the smart pot the roots are sort of busting out the side of the pots ,they dont do this in the fabric pots and im not sure if its good or bad cause all plants are healthy and as far as yields i cant comment as i have only used smart pots. lastly i dont use catch pans just a tarp and a good old wet dry shop vac
I noticed nothing. I have 8 clones, 2 plants in 5 gallons, and 4 in 3 gallon. Of the 3 gallon, 2 are smartpots, and 2 are just a cheapo 3gallon plastic pot. If anything the plants I have in the regular plastic pots are bigger. I'll be 6 weeks tomorrow, so I can check in about a month on yield. I do believe that I have 2 skunk plants, 1 in a smart pot and one in a regular pot, and those are the same strains, so those would be decent to check on yield. They honestly look exactly the same though. The C99 in a plastic 3 gallon pot is getting big though. I'm not noticing anything significant though. I was hoping it would help something, but I'm probably going to switch 100% to DWC. The growth is just so much faster than soil. Although Organic soil does help yield a lot. I really like DWC.
Homemade smart SIP... View attachment 129898 I converted all my pots to SIPs yesterday and the plants have absolutely taken off. I plan on making several more smart pots to transplant the rest asap! View attachment 129901 They are makeshift SIPs but they work so far,. SB