Smart Pots & Air Pots

I have been reading alot about these pots on here and on the internet. One thing I want to get people's opinion on is, "can you grow a plant in these pots that would normally need a much bigger traditional pot to grow in?"

Say, I grow my plants in a 3 gallon container now. Could I grow the same size plant to harvest in a 2 gallon Air Pot or 2 gallon Smart Pot ?

Seems like these pots help the plant create one heck of a root ball in a rather small pot in comparison to one grown in a traditional pot the same size. With such an extensive root system utilizing the inside dimensions of the pot, one would think the plant could subsist much longer before needing to be transplanted or harvested??

JaK

Edited by jakrustle, 25 September 2010 - 02:22 AM.

Interested in these air pots in general, sub'ed

as far as root mass goes I would speculate that, YES, airpots/smartpots create a larger and more intricate rootball

as far as 3 gal regular pot vs 2 gal smartpot, I can guess that they might be about the same, but without doing an actual experiment and harvesting roots/weighing them...Can't say for sure

I grew 5 plants in air pots ( Root pots ) 15 gallon, 2 or 3 gal is soo small! But anyways they are great products

I'm growing in Smart Pots right now. It's my first grow so I don't have much to compare it to. However, comparing what I see on the exterior of the pots to the raspberries I just harvested out of Smart Pots, I would say my girls have done well to fill the soil with roots.

I am using 3 gal pots and I'm getting a better yield than I expected. I'm going to experiment on my next grow with 3 gal and 15 gal pots (I had them left over). I will say that the Smart Pots are outgrowing the plants I have in regular 5 gal pots.

I have been reading alot about these pots on here and on the internet. One thing I want to get people's opinion on is, "can you grow a plant in these pots that would normally need a much bigger traditional pot to grow in?"

Say, I grow my plants in a 3 gallon container now. Could I grow the same size plant to harvest in a 2 gallon Air Pot or 2 gallon Smart Pot ?

Seems like these pots help the plant create one heck of a root ball in a rather small pot in comparison to one grown in a traditional pot the same size. With such an extensive root system utilizing the inside dimensions of the pot, one would think the plant could subsist much longer before needing to be transplanted or harvested??

JaK

If you have size 11 feet can you stuff them into size 10 sneekers and still walk a mile? Probably but why would you. Even if you are growing ten plants at a time, using smaller pots will only save you 10 gallons/1.5 cu. feet/1 bag of soil. Spend the extra $15. If you come up short it is better to add a little pearlite/peat/coir rather than use smaller pots.

If you have size 11 feet can you stuff them into size 10 sneekers and still walk a mile? Probably but why would you. Even if you are growing ten plants at a time, using smaller pots will only save you 10 gallons/1.5 cu. feet/1 bag of soil. Spend the extra $15. If you come up short it is better to add a little pearlite/peat/coir rather than use smaller pots.

i think what hes after is smaller pots to allow more plants into a limited grow area....i use 3gal. now but for my next indoor grow i will use 2 gallon to increse my plant number...since these pots self prune i dont see the rootmass as a problem...so far i love em...do need to water more often though:smoke:i also plan to veg them for a shorter time..have seen amazing results

Edited by deacon, 29 September 2010 - 01:09 PM.

Airpots allow you to basically use half the usual sized container, meaning if you usually use five g containers you could get away with using 2 or 2.5g airpots easily.

I've been through a couple grows with 2.5 and 5g and they both could have supported much larger plants than I had in them.

A couple tips, water SLOWLY. An even saturation of the soil is what you're looking for, you don't want your water/nute mix just running down the sides and out the bottom. Also, since they do drain so well you should look to water just to the point of saturation, you don't want to see runoff, that'll be your micronutrients and other good things being leached out.

Also, get your plants in the airpots early on, you want your roots to expand in this pot. make the switch before your roots start to circle the ordinary container, you'll see tremendous root growth.

Hope this helps someone

(Edit: I have some pics of a couple large plants in airpots, theres a link to my grow in my sig. I believe pages 1-5 contain pics of airpotted plants.)

Edited by ironlung253, 29 September 2010 - 02:35 PM.

Airpots allow you to basically use half the usual sized container, meaning if you usually use five g containers you could get away with using 2 or 2.5g airpots easily.

I've been through a couple grows with 2.5 and 5g and they both could have supported much larger plants than I had in them.

A couple tips, water SLOWLY. An even saturation of the soil is what you're looking for, you don't want your water/nute mix just running down the sides and out the bottom. Also, since they do drain so well you should look to water just to the point of saturation, you don't want to see runoff, that'll be your micronutrients and other good things being leached out.

Also, get your plants in the airpots early on, you want your roots to expand in this pot. make the switch before your roots start to circle the ordinary container, you'll see tremendous root growth.

Hope this helps someone

help...thats exactly what i needed to know....thanks bro...plus reps comin'....deacon:smoke:

help...thats exactly what i needed to know....thanks bro...plus reps comin'....deacon:smoke:

Right on, I haven't seen many grows in the airpots, and I NEVER reply to questions like these anymore. Figured there wouldn't be too many people jumping to reply to this, due to the lack of info ya know?

Right on, I haven't seen many grows in the airpots, and I NEVER reply to questions like these anymore. Figured there wouldn't be too many people jumping to reply to this, due to the lack of info ya know?

thanks bro...know what ya mean...i pass on a bunch of treads where i could help people cause i dont wanna get involved in a meaningless shitstorm...to bad thats the mentality around here:(the air pots are awesome but too much coin now...maybe later...i'm sure your the same way i am...always lookin' to tweak the grow:hello:...this time..smart pots:smoke:

Edited by deacon, 29 September 2010 - 02:49 PM.

Deacon/Ironlung, man you guys gave me just what I needed. Deacon, thanks for the assumption of me being short on space because that's the problem. Every inch is important. I am short on space and want to optimize on numbers. Sounds like these pots have been good for everyone. Now, I will go with the 2.4 gal Air Pot. Real easy to transplant out of if I have to and easy to re-use and wash.

JaK

Say, I grow my plants in a 3 gallon container now. Could I grow the same size plant to harvest in a 2 gallon Air Pot or 2 gallon Smart Pot ?

JaK

Sorta. Kinda. Not really. All of the above.

What the auto-pruning nursery pots DO provide is a healthy environment for the plant rootball. This is accomplished in a couple of ways.

1. It maximizes the amount of available oxygen to the soil's rhizosphere. Since we're trying to grow and maintain aerobic microbes they need oxygen. Basic Science 101 in high school and probably maybe even middle-school.

2. It maximizes the ability for the root ball to maintain the proper temperature levels for maximum health and vigor.

Where you and I will probably differ has to do with what is the ultimate goal in doing any process whether it's a feeding schedule, pruning, applying foliar applications - whatever. If the goal is to simply maximize growth rates then I'd suggest that hydroponics may be a better path.

If the goal of a gardener is to create the optimum environment for the plant's genetics to 'show their stuff' and to maintain the plant's vigor and resistance to disease then you can see that you're dealing with opposing agendas/goals.

Before I got sick and we had to sell our farm(ette), I made most of my money on growing strawberries. And I grew the best - over 15 varieties from around the world and 12 of those were heirloom varieties. IOW it was the quality of the end product that was the driving force.

I wasn't trying to grow the 'most' strawberries possible - my goal was to grow the best strawberries that I could which meant that I could charge pretty much what I wanted to with the top chefs in Portland and Seattle.

From my perspective it's important to lay out your agenda for your own perusal/study. What are your goals? Do you want maximum yield? Better go with hydroponics and deal with that learning curve.

Do you want to grow the best medical cannabis possible? With taste, smoothness, punch, disease resistance, have the ability to maximize the genetic code contained in that plant and such? Then you're better off with hardcore organic terrorist methods/processes, IMHO.

In my career in the wholesale produce industry one of my AOR (Area of Responsibility - heh) was to test new products. I've been 'taste testing' hydroponic produce for over 25 years. Tomatoes, bell peppers, cukes, lettuce, strawberries, et al. and it ain't happening. Ever. No way. No how. End of discussion.

The Dutch haven't been able to pull it off. The Canadians in British Columbia haven't been able to pull it off. It's simply factory food - on the same level as McDonald's or Taco Bell. You don't have to have the 'best' in that industry - you only have to sell the most.

Just a couple of random thoughts.

LD

Deacon/Ironlung, man you guys gave me just what I needed. Deacon, thanks for the assumption of me being short on space because that's the problem. Every inch is important. I am short on space and want to optimize on numbers. Sounds like these pots have been good for everyone. Now, I will go with the 2.4 gal Air Pot. Real easy to transplant out of if I have to and easy to re-use and wash.

JaK

no problemo bro...we all learned what we wanted:wave:

Sorta. Kinda. Not really. All of the above.

What the auto-pruning nursery pots DO provide is a healthy environment for the plant rootball. This is accomplished in a couple of ways.

1. It maximizes the amount of available oxygen to the soil's rhizosphere. Since we're trying to grow and maintain aerobic microbes they need oxygen. Basic Science 101 in high school and probably maybe even middle-school.

2. It maximizes the ability for the root ball to maintain the proper temperature levels for maximum health and vigor.

Where you and I will probably differ has to do with what is the ultimate goal in doing any process whether it's a feeding schedule, pruning, applying foliar applications - whatever. If the goal is to simply maximize growth rates then I'd suggest that hydroponics may be a better path.

If the goal of a gardener is to create the optimum environment for the plant's genetics to 'show their stuff' and to maintain the plant's vigor and resistance to disease then you can see that you're dealing with opposing agendas/goals.

Before I got sick and we had to sell our farm(ette), I made most of my money on growing strawberries. And I grew the best - over 15 varieties from around the world and 12 of those were heirloom varieties. IOW it was the quality of the end product that was the driving force.

I wasn't trying to grow the 'most' strawberries possible - my goal was to grow the best strawberries that I could which meant that I could charge pretty much what I wanted to with the top chefs in Portland and Seattle.

From my perspective it's important to lay out your agenda for your own perusal/study. What are your goals? Do you want maximum yield? Better go with hydroponics and deal with that learning curve.

Do you want to grow the best medical cannabis possible? With taste, smoothness, punch, disease resistance, have the ability to maximize the genetic code contained in that plant and such? Then you're better off with hardcore organic terrorist methods/processes, IMHO.

In my career in the wholesale produce industry one of my AOR (Area of Responsibility - heh) was to test new products. I've been 'taste testing' hydroponic produce for over 25 years. Tomatoes, bell peppers, cukes, lettuce, strawberries, et al. and it ain't happening. Ever. No way. No how. End of discussion.

The Dutch haven't been able to pull it off. The Canadians in British Columbia haven't been able to pull it off. It's simply factory food - on the same level as McDonald's or Taco Bell. You don't have to have the 'best' in that industry - you only have to sell the most.

Just a couple of random thoughts.

LD

good stuff here lumper...whats your take on coco...thats what im runnin...and its simple and effective...thanks bro...peace deacon:smoke: and one more thing...should smart pots be raised up so air can get underneath them...

Deacon, I don't think there is a need to raise them up, but you can do what you think is best. From the design online I have viewed online with their video, I see that the bottoms of the pots are fully ventilated and they are set UP from the bottom of the outside walls. Since the walls are ventilated also, you should be getting air into the underside of the pot.

I guess my answer to you would be to make sure the bottoms stay clear of debris. If you had them outside, I would make sure they didn't sink into the ground, which would eliminate or seriously diminish the ability for the roots on the bottom to be air pruned.

They do make these pots so they will exactly that - grow into the substrate beneath them. This I imagine is good too, since the roots would be growing into a media as beneficial as the pots are providing, or better.

JaK

Has anyone had this expierence with Smart Pots?



I added a fair amount of mycorrhizae to my soil. Could this fuzz be Powdery Mildew, or do you think it is a beneficial fungus from the mycorrhizae/compost teas?

Has anyone had this expierence with Smart Pots?



I added a fair amount of mycorrhizae to my soil. Could this fuzz be Powdery Mildew, or do you think it is a beneficial fungus from the mycorrhizae/compost teas?

holy shit, i did exactly that, and exactly. except my pots are worse, i washed em last run and it seemed to wash out.

that same thing happened to me, i figured it was normal but weird..

my strawberry blue pot is a little browner, but no sign of root rot?

its definitely odd , it looks as if it would prevent roots from air pruning.


please get back to us on an answer anybody?

I added a fungal compost tea to my plants a few weeks ago, so I'm hoping that this is the result of that. In that case, I would be very happy and pleased

If it turns out to be PM that is brewing in my soil, I would be very disappointed. It is however located only on the part of the pots that is out of the light the most. All 3 pots have them. My pots are not really moist, except immediately after watering. I let the roots get very dry before re-watering. Very low humidity where I live also.

Stankie, have you ever used any additives, fertilizers or are you all organic?

JaK

No chemicals. Well, epsoms salts is it. All I have used is one bacterial compost tea and one fungal compost tea. Then I add fish/seaweed hydrolysate and alfalfa tea, and carrot juice once.