I see that these pots are not really that expensive, but as a way not to spend any more cash than I need to, would you think it would be possible to line my exisitng buckets with a felt like fabric? Maybe like the liner of a Sorel boot, would this possibly have the same pruning effect as the smart pots?
First off, im an outdoor grower and planning on growing some giants this season(hopefully). Im thinking of getting some smartpots but my question is would using these mean that they lose more water then regular pots? If so, how much more? I live in florida and it gets very hot in the summer. Also, what size should i be better going with a 5 g or 7 g. Thanks in advance
good question, though it's not really the felt that gives 'em their magic but the materials ability to breathe very well as well as allowing the roots to grow through it. if you simply lined a hard sided container with felt, the roots would grow through the felt but still come up against the bucket and circle like they normally would. you want to expose the roots to Co2, this is what really causes the pruning effect and gives you the extreme lateral branching that we're after. these things are no joke... save your buckets for brewing tea or collecting rainwater, for planting cannabis it's a no brainer, smart pots all day...
think of smart pots almost like the ground. when you water plants in the ground, if you have a good soil, the water usually drains very well. same effect with the smart pots, they don't retain water like a traditional container. 1 or 2 good soaks a week should do you fine. a benefit of smart pots is that they will keep your root zone MUCH cooler than a traditional hard sided container, allowing your plants to withstand higher temps than they otherwise would. if you're gonna be growing outside, go with the bigger pots. they will be able to hold more water if heat is going to be an issue. not to mention they'll give you a bigger root mass. if you need to upgrade sizes you can simply place a smaller smart pot on top of a bigger one filled with soil, water as usual and the roots will grow down through the bottom of the smaller pot into the larger one. transplanting made easy!
This works well and there is no transplant shock at all. I do this all the time. I sometimes use smaller less costly grow bags, and when the vegative plants become root bound, I just cut slits in the bottom and set them on top of the smart pots. Or any container. Good technique. Smart pots do have some great advantages...
You guys really got me sold, I'll be getting me some smart pots soon. Are there any other places to get them or do you just have to order them form the company?
picked mine up from my friendly local hydro shop. They're starting to catch on so you should be able to find them locally. Check your garden centers and nurseries. Good luck and happy growing!
These look really cool. I'm going to pick up some smartpots for my next grow. I'm curious to see how they drain from the waterings.....right down the wall; too cool! Anyway, I'm sure some restaurant tubs wouldn't be a bad idea to hold the water during feeding. These products are the exact things that I'm looking for to dial my process and room one step closer to a bigger, better, easier, and smoother grow!! Great read
Another benefit that I have found with using smart pots is the ability to massage the pot and loosen the soil that gets compacted from time and watering and allows the roots to breath and feed better.
Our friend btc has a good grow w/Smart Pots going right now..... http://forum.grasscity.com/indoor-gr...xperiment.html
Im also using smart pots and you can see the grow in my sig... flowering and about another month to fininish
maybe cut some small holes or slits in your existing pot would be sort of the same thing if your plants already have a home. You couldn't move your grobags anymore after that though cuz they would probably rip. Sounds like smartpots are the way to grow
I briefly read up on the smart pots and have to say they look great. I was wondering if they are hard to make?
I thought the same thing, sort of, like lining a bucket with the felt from a Sorel boot, or some other type of wool or cotton fabric. Or maybe, if you could find a bolt of that kind of fabric, you could get wire clothes hangers, and form them into a bucket or pot-shape, then lay the fabric using the wires as a form and sew with a monofilment fishing line, you can then use the wire as suppport. My questions are what type of fabric is it?, is it wool, cotton, synthetic? , all the info I see on these pots have a trademark symbol, does that mean the guy came up with the fabric material or just the use of the material?
just by looking at it, it seems like some sort of synthetic material. I've definately seen this type of material in some other application but cannot remember where... The bottom of the pot is much thicker though the the outside of the pot.
Thats what i was thinking if I could get a bulk roll of the material i could just cut big circles put soil and the root ball in the middel and tie up the edges around the stem like wraping a bottel of wine. Then just cut a few small holes at the top to feed a tube in for water. The material looks just like waterproofing felt I used to use when I was a waterproofer. Or now that I think about it it looks like that heavy duty weed control blanket landscapers use on decrotive rock gardens!
Looks like the same stuff to me. Sorry to cut smart pots profit but we are in a resesion sorry fergot price $74.88 for a 6ft.x100ft. roll Description Heavyweight woven ground cover is a cost effective landscape fabric. Used by nursery growers in their container grown plant display areas, and permanent landscape areas, it controls weeds and will withstand daily traffic of customers. UV protected, this fabric is also rot and mildew resistant. Ideal for indoor greenhouse walking paths, windbreaks, silt fence and permanent landscape areas. Withstands heavy foot traffic Rot and mildew resistant Water permeable Withstands UV rays Potting alignment stripe every 12 inches MFG Brand Name : Easy Gardener MFG Model # : 30117 MFG Part # : 30117 Specifications Assembled Depth (In Inches) : .059 in Assembled Height (In Inches) : 72 in Assembled Weight (In LBS) : 15 lb Assembled Width (In Inches) : 1200 in Close Window Close Window