Using SMart pots properly

Ironhead uses smart pots I believe (coco/perlite 50/50) and he gets absolutely killer plants http://forum.grasscity.com/coco-coir/1371748-ironheads-method-success.html?p=21695999

 

I have 4 -13 gal. pots that are great. makes the whole process easier. feed every 6-7 days

 

I've been using smart pots for a while with organic soil. I grow with HID and LED lights and never had a problem with soil drying out too quickly.

 

I like to put lava rocks in my tray underneath my smart pots, so that they never have "wet feet" as it were. I grow in soil. if you don't blend enough coco/peat into your soil, it can dry out too quickly.
 
The hydroton was probably an aeration amendment.

 

I hated smart pots until I read about sip (sup irrigated planters) they dried out to fast. A sip solved that through the process of wicking. I'm gone a lot. When I would come home my plants in smart pots were always dried out faster then plants I had in plastic containers. It makes sense, more air getting to the moist soil is of course going to dry it out faster. Then on the other hand, more oxygen to the roots is a good thing. This solves both.

 

 DarkEetrius the hydroton I have seems quite hydrophobic and floats on water. that's why I said probably. I am not too familiar with hydroton, I have only used it for plant support in DWC, and in addition to lava rocks in my trays underneath my smart pots.
I only have to water my 15 gal smart pots twice a week. so its not that bad. When I was doing 5 gallon plastic pots it was literally a daily watering. by the end of flower.

 

How much veg time/size of plant are you going for? If you're doing a short veg with lots of smaller plants, 7 gallon may be over kill and would take up space that could be filled with another plant

 

ahhh i see, you had me confused bro. 1 plant really isn't a sog.

 

Retaining moisture defeats the purpose of a smart pot. They are suppose the dry out quicker and provide better air to the roots. If you want to retain more moisture just use a normal pot.

 

not exactly. Smart pots are for air pruning, more oxygen to the roots and to help prevent over watering. No where do they boast about drying out faster. That's just an unfortunate side effect of added aeration. I grow organic, the last thing I want is my soil to completely dry out. Drying out does damage to the micro organisms. Maintaining an optimal amount of moisture prevents this. A smart pot in a sip helps maintain that optimal amount of moisture.

 

if you have a net that's a scrog ( screen of green) grow, not too be confused with a sog ( sea of green) grow

 

Yes I'm aware that they air prune. Regardless of how they are marketed smart pots do dry out faster, and are used fairly often for for that reason. I would consider it a benefit more than an unfortunate side effect.

They do work great for sip pots, but once again there isn't any reason to add hydrotron to retain moisture. In a sip I would want a more aerated mixture anyway.

 

Great thread. I've never looked back from fabric pots. Dump out a 5 gal bucket after harvest and kick it... rootball is weak and mushy. Try breaking up a 5 gal "smartpot" rootball after harvest... shit is thick and dense. OK you can counter that by "potting up" if you feel like doing the extra work.
 
1" of hydroton in these saucers
10 gal fabric pots, organic supersoil... hard to fuck up. I don't personally keep a "sips" reservoir as I've had more problems than others, but it's a simple matter to water them every 3 days or so.
 
Some growers use 10 gal pots to hold an inch or so of perlite/hydroton, with a 7 gal pot nesting inside so you can pick up the whole thing without the roots spilling your drainage material all over the place. I've never used this method as my hydroton hasn't failed me yet, but it's an interesting take on the sips method and makes a lot of sense if you need to move your plants around a lot.
 
Looking forward to hearing more tips!