Has any of you ever used either one…?
- Smart Fabric Pots
- Plastic Sir Pots
0 voters
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I have only heard negative things about air pots, dries too fast, tips over, causes stretch being too narrow…
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personally i use cheap fabric pots off amazon and they work well - you could also just get a big roll of felt or landscape material and sew your own fabric pots to any custom specs
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Eco felt is made from recycled plastic bottles. Use nylon thread (cotton may rot) and sew your own. That’s what I like to do anyway.
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Since I like rigid sides to containers, line plastic mesh baskets with the
landscape barrier cloth and fill with soil. Best of both, rigid sides and
fabric to air prune, keeps the soil intact if you need to move them.
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I have used Air pots through 3 grows and like them a lot. Roots develop quickly and dense. I hand water and you must water slowly so not to lose some out the sides. Never had a problem with tipping over and i am convinced they promote rapid growth when compared to solid plastic pots. I’ve never used smart or fabric pots so I can’t speak to them. In all candor, I fail to see how a pot could influence stretch in any measurable way.
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I saw a study on TREES, (i know this is a mj site) the study showed it took trees 16 months to show any effect of using a fabric pot.
I have tried, and probably never use again fabric pots for my plants.
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It is a trait plants use to water themselves with condensation. The roots don’t like to grow outside the water ring caused by the canopy. Narrow root pattern makes a narrow canopy a wider root pattern a wider canopy.
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hmm i want to read more in to that cause it does sound like it makes sense, but then again i’ve seen fairly large bushes in 1 gallon pots, so i think you can use training to widen the canopy
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Hadn’t even seen those air pots until I got on here. Maybe just overlooked them or they aren’t available at my nearby shop. They look cool, all blade runner-esq…
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Yea, they had those before people started using fabric pots i believe. I have never used them. Supposedly the roots just grow straight. Airpots can have roots grow down and around on the insisto of the pot.
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So if I understand it’s more the diameter and volume of the pot and not so much the material its made with or the holes in it that could effect stretch.
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No need for sewing felt. I like it!
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That is my understanding.
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Makes sense. What is the diameter of pots you prefer? How does pot depth affect plants? You’ve got me thinking about crafting some pots myself. I’m in a 4X4 tent.
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I am using no. 15 or 20 smart pots so they are pretty wide. Outdoors i think i used no. 45 smart pots.
This tells dimensions.
https://smartpots.com/product/black-smart-pot-with-handles/
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Your media and feeding programs also is a factor. Hydroponics in rockwool you can get away with less media volume per say, but, yeah pot size does have a direct effect on plant mass.
What i didn’t like about fabric pots were the dry spots (I used yucca extract). I found the best way was to dip the entire pot into a larger bucket until the air bubbles stopped. Too much work if you have more than one plant.
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Thanks brother. I’m going to give these rascals a try. I’m too quick to get comfortable with things. I’m also old and high so naturally resistant to change.
Thanx again ryasco!
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if you are going to use them, make them yourself. I have a sewing machine, and buy the fabric by the meter. I have made them with 4 different materials, and 2 thicknesses on two of the materials. ( I think it is called felt, but, honestly I don’t know) I wished you lived in Mexico I would send you a bunch for free just to get rid of them. I have them in black, grey and white. never understood why they don’t make em white more often.
(a postive note is that you can go a size or two smaller than a plastic pot without effecting yeild.)
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I’ve tried using smart pots in my little 2’x3’ grow. Had a couple of issues. One drying out to fast I live in the desert and mice chewing holes in them. Amazing what a mouse can do in a short time. Did get a larger yield than I get using 7 gl. buckets per plant. My wife bought 10gl instead of the 5’s I asked for. I could only get 2 in the box at a time were as the buckets I get 4. Went back to using buckets until I build a bigger box. Once I do I will try running them again.
One note on the 10gl smart pots. They will fit over milk crates and it makes (for me) them fit together and easy to move.
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