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Hello everyone,
I am about to replant and the guy at the local shop suggested these Air-Pots.
I have never seen them before and never heard of them on a book or a video.
Does anybody here has any experience, Negative or Positive comments, let me know what you think!
Thank you for your time!
More on my Grow on this Topic.
Attachment 297563
New stuff to me, look pretty good though. Cost?
The cost seemed reasonable. They have this material on big boards,
so they can cut it, roll it and make it whatever size you want, but here is a sample price list.
1lit Dimensions: Diameter - 12cm / Height - 14.5cm 2,40 €
3lit Dimensions: Diameter - 18cm / Height - 23.5cm 3,60 €
6lit Dimensions: Diameter - 22cm / Height-28cm 4,60 €
10lit Dimensions: Diameter - 25,5 cm / Height-32cm 6,60 €
15lit Dimensions: Diameter - 29cm / Height-34cm 7,90 €
20lit Dimensions: Diameter - 34,5 cm / Height-31, 5cm 9,90 €
30lit Dimensions: Diameter - 41,5 cm / Height-31, 5cm 13,70 €
37lit Dimensions: Diameter - 41,5 cm / Height-37, 5cm 14,90 €
45lit Dimensions: Diameter - 41,5 cm / Height-43cm 16,30 €
I know people using these or similar and they swear by them! I'm sure they work very well, better than a plain pot.
I'm wondering about repotting, roots look like they would go every where
This might show my ignorance ( oh well I embrace it ;)….but are these strictly for hydroponics?
No they can be used with soil too.Quote:
Originally Posted by crystaliscious
That's what I asked too, but they said something like "that's the whole point".Quote:
Originally Posted by tlranger
The root tips close to the holes dry out and die. This causes the plant to create double the amount of roots and at a faster rate...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sabina
Double the roots huh?
Sounds right up my alley- BUT, I think I might get one for my cacti, one for my tulsi and one for my african violet- test em on them first…..
But they are interesting looking, cannot wait to hear more about them…..
About the same thing as grow bags.....Lot's of air to the roots.....and yup...the roots love it....and from my own experience,you gotta work pretty hard to get the plant badly root bound.....It takes more watering, but i think that's a good thing and it also helps to keep root rot out of the picture :twocents:.......J
Very interesting... you guys have been talking double the roots and/or Just more roots!, for awhile now.
My question is, I really try to be done in two months, which gives me about a three foot plant when finished, if I spend time and energy growing roots, is the plant going to explode the last month and catch up to the others and hopefully pass them?
I understand the importance of a good root system, in school(college) we were being for large root system to scavenge better this bigger yields, and out in cali were digging trenches as deep as we can with a backhoe to encourage massive roots but these are full season grows, and we want scavenging potential. But inside I thought that's what we are for.
Now if I am told were growing for roots, for meds or something, I'll bow out respectfully. :jointsmile:
My purpose for wanting to double my roots is for meds…..Quote:
Originally Posted by tlranger
Bowing out respectfully, was betting Crystal was. There was a guy once, always said many parts are edible(useful).
not possible to transplant from realistically. These are for the final location.
Shovel at first glance I was sure you wrote the final solution��..got scared for a minute
Air Pots have been big for quite a few years in Europe - I think they were first invented in Scotland out of recycled tires - or recycled something else.
I see people on other forums who swear they make a huge difference.
They say they're a little tricky to pot up until you get the hang of it, but well worth it. As the roots reach the holes, they're air-pruned & the damage stimulates the plant to put out more roots. It's also supposed to give you a better root growth pattern rather than a tangled root ball.
I've also read reviews where people say they're no better than grow bags.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shovelhandle
Howzit Shove?
Have to disagree on that.
I looked into them and they are just as easy to un-wrap as they are to assemble. :)
That, and since there's less "circling" they love to be root pruned, so transplanting is a piece of cake.
It's the bags that I think of as their ready for harvest house.
You almost have to cut them to up pot.
So it's mo' better to Stack them, cut around the base, and snatch the bottom out like a tablecloth trick.
If you're gonna wreck a bag anyway. :(
The bags are mo' betta for me though.
I flower outdoors.
The thought of a thousand points of entry for Fungus Gnats just makes me shudder!
With the bags, I can cover the surface with dryer sheets and not even have weep holes to worry about.
No quote me though, this is my first bag grow.
If it's stellar, I'll buy a bolt of that fabric and roll my own!
I can sew, and I'm very, um, frugal. :)
For good, first hand info, google "air pot grow log".
Makes ya wanna try 'em.
Aloha,
Weeze
weezard had a good point - if you have any problems with fungus gnats, you might not like them - again from what I've read.
seems like most people either love the air pots or hate them - kind of like everything else.
That was my initial impression, too! ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Shovelhandle
Think I got the first one about a year ago. They work well, I suppose, just not for my schedule...
I grow in soil, and am used to watering every other day. The air-pots dry out too quickly on the perimeter, IMO.
In order to use them effectively, I would have to water differently. (at least daily) One day would be a good soaking, the following day would be to water around the edge, very slowly, to try to wet the edge. Otherwise, it gets dry as a bone. Too dry! :( If they get too dry, the soil available to the roots is restricted. (What's the point of a 3 gallon pot, where only 2.5 gallons are usable?)
And the watering kinda sucks, too. :( They tend to weep a good bit, especially if they've gotten too dry.
IMO, they are better suited to hydro, where they would get wet several times a day.
I prefer the Smart-Pots to finish in. They don't dry out as rapidly, and the root systems are comparable.
Only use the smallest Air-Pots, now. They are great for getting the root system started, and up-potting is a breeze. :thumbsup:
YMMV ;)
Weez. The pots I've seen are solid one piece plastic. One product is call 'gorilla pots' another is Botanicare "Hercules" pots. I'm not sure about the DIY materials but are they more like a grow bag or are they made of hard plastic like a regular pot but with slits and corrugated sides? I've never used them myself so you are probably correct. It may be possible to get the plant and soil out of the pot. But having to cut one open would not be good. They aren't as cheap as grow bagsQuote:
Originally Posted by Weezard
I've seen the solid ones you mention.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shovelhandle
The Air-Pot version consists of a round disc for the bottom, which establishes the diameter of the pot. The side is a flat piece, that wraps the bottom, and is secured with two thumb-screws. Twist out the screws, and the sides come right off. :thumbsup:
Hello and thank you so much for your opinions. I think I will give them a try at the plants early stage to develop a good rooting system quickly. Then it will not be possible to water so often like once or twice every day. I use normal pots for now, I think I let this one too long in the old pot, what do you think? Thank you for your time.
Attachment 297904
They are root bound
Yes I thought so, it must have been terrible for her. It's 4 days since I changed them and they already look healthier!
5 gallon bucket or bigger is what people should use. air pots aren't necessary, just a gimmick for a soil grower to spend money on. may be a different story if you're hydro, but the issue is size of openings of the pot, particularly at the bottom. You want a pot that provides just enough support to hold onto hydroton pebbles or similar stuff, yet not have openings so small that the roots have difficulty growing width-wise, getting fatter as they get longer. Pots with small holes are really too small as the roots get fatter, they need space to grow.