Smart Pots

I just transplanted into 25-gallon outdoor Smart Pots. A slight lip was left on each pot for summer mulch. Organic grow media is:

25% G&B fortified potting soil
25% perlite
25% peat moss
25% decomposed cow manure

After a few days of transplant shock recovery, I'll apply an AACT recipe and then another at the beginning of flowering. Otherwise, just water.

Looks good. Those girls are going to be huge @_@

I wish you the best of luck.

monkeybones said:

Looks good. Those girls are going to be huge @_@

I wish you the best of luck.

Click to expand...

Thanks. I'm a long time in-ground grower (started out indoors in the early days and couldn't face what I considered crummy yields for all the time, effort and expense) and this is my first year for outdoor containers. A fellow grower used them last year and when I saw his yields my first thought was why am I killing myself every year digging those big fucking holes.

damn can you tell me how you made those, did you staple or tie them or what?

Schotzky said:

damn can you tell me how you made those, did you staple or tie them or what?

Click to expand...

I bought them. See Smart Pots.

You should do a side by side comparison with superoots air pots
I'm pretty sure they come from the same company that makes smart pots

jdizzle22 said:

You should do a side by side comparison with superoots air pots
I'm pretty sure they come from the same company that makes smart pots

Click to expand...

I've read conclusions on other forums by people who have used both that they offer the same enhanced growing conditions as versus traditional containers. I chose Smart Pots due to price ($10 per 25 gallon pot) and anything bigger than 10 gallons in the air pots has no bottom.

I didn't know the biggest pots didn't come with a bottom, but I guess it makes sense structural integrity wise.
Aren't smart pots only good for a small number of grows though? The website of the company that makes the air pots had a note about how they discontinued their smart pots because of a material shortage, and that they thought the size of the wholes was too species specific (wasn't ideal for a wide enough variety of plants)

jdizzle22 said:

I didn't know the biggest pots didn't come with a bottom, but I guess it makes sense structural integrity wise.
Aren't smart pots only good for a small number of grows though? The website of the company that makes the air pots had a note about how they discontinued their smart pots because of a material shortage, and that they thought the size of the wholes was too species specific (wasn't ideal for a wide enough variety of plants)

Click to expand...

I don't know their lifespan. I do know growers using smaller versions, five and seven gallon, merely put them in a washer/dryer after each crop. I'll have to examine mine after the season to make that decision, but if possible would like to reuse the same soil with replenishment.

I was looking at the 65 gal container and it had a bottom

$15 for it

TCurtiss said:

I was looking at the 65 gal container and it had a bottom

$15 for it

Click to expand...

A 65 gallon Superoots Air Pot with a bottom? Here's a blurb from one of their distributors who sells up to ten gallon sizes:

"The Air-Pots do come in larger sizes, some large enough to grow a fairly substantial tree in! We do not stock these big sizes because they come without bases and are primarily designed for use by professional nursery growers. In the near future, you may purchase large trees from a nursery that uses these extra-large Air-Pots, and you will be getting a superior tree as a result."

madodah said:

A 65 gallon Superoots Air Pot with a bottom? Here's a blurb from one of their distributors who sells up to ten gallon sizes:

"The Air-Pots do come in larger sizes, some large enough to grow a fairly substantial tree in! We do not stock these big sizes because they come without bases and are primarily designed for use by professional nursery growers. In the near future, you may purchase large trees from a nursery that uses these extra-large Air-Pots, and you will be getting a superior tree as a result."

Click to expand...

I will pick it up later today

smart pots are the best, won't use anything else

topset1976 said:

smart pots are the best, won't use anything else

Click to expand...

I had those plants inside in traditional plastic three gallon nursery pots. When put outside during fair weather for hardening, after a few hours of direct sunlight that plastic could burn my fingers. After a day of full sunlight the Smart Pots are no warmer than the ground around them.

I've used my 1 liter smart pots about 5 times each now.. no noticable difference.. they always look so nice and black when i get them from the washer

blahblahblah123 said:

I've used my 1 liter smart pots about 5 times each now.. no noticable difference.. they always look so nice and black when i get them from the washer

Click to expand...

So they are reusable? That would be nice. Do you wash/dry, or wash and air dry?

No you only wash them, it says so on the instructions. They dry really fast.. i usually just pull them outa the wash and plant. I love them, they do exactly as advertised.. once the roots hit the edge they stop and start working on a new root. Makes for dirt thats completely and perfectly filled to the brim with roots.. every available bit of dirt. Good for people like me who don't have space for larger pots..

Your plants will dry out a little faster with them, but i just changed my soil mix a bit to counter.. less perlite. I ended up with thicker stems by removing the perlite anyways..

Only thing I dont like about them,is they have no handles on them,to pick them up.But they are a great invention,good airflo,stretchy material lets the roots buldge out,without getting root bound.

JoeCa1i said:

Only thing I dont like about them,is they have no handles on them,to pick them up.But they are a great invention,good airflo,stretchy material lets the roots buldge out,without getting root bound.

Click to expand...

Ah yea.. good point. Not only that but you can't tie down or LST very easily with them.. i just use them for SOG tho..

I'm gonna dig 4 holes that are 2 cu. feet, and fill them with 15 gallons of soil each. I transplanted about 60 gallons of soil and perlite to my grow spot today, along with a shovel and pick axe. Ima dig holes to china tomorrow, since i don't have the money for smart pots. I should have some monsters this year