5 Gallon Buckets or 5 Gallon Smart Pots

[captainkirk]

What do YOU prefer and why ?

 

[c526]

buckets- hard to do hydro in fabric pots


with my limited experience with fabric pots,I didn't really like them,I like to move my plants around,with these things it always moved my soil more than I liked

I liked" the smart bags" from the grocer/walmart that are ony 99 cents,better than the "real" smartpots

 

[Outragedpluto]

I prefer Air-pots. They work like there fabric brethren but are plastic and hold up to the moving much better. I take my plant out almost everyday to examine and I don't get a lot of dirt falling from mine. In the beginning when I first planted I got more. But now that it has settled I don't get anything falling out.


Only con I would have is that you have to water them slowly or the water just runs out the sides. I remedied this with 4 chopstick stuck in the soil almost the whole way down. Right before watering I wiggle them around and it creates 4 small holes for the water to fall into to absorb deep into the soil. It has worked wonders since I started using the trick.

Hope this helps!! Happy growing !

 

[Outragedpluto]

Something else i would like to point out is the size difference between 5 gallon bucket and a 5 gallon equivalent air-pot. I say equivalent because the air-pots are not made by there gallon size, rather they are made by dimension more or less. Im not an engineer so i can not say for sure lol.

Dimensions of 5 Gallon bucket:
14 1/2 inches tall by 11 3/4 in wide

Dimensions for 5 Gallon equivalent air-pot
12 1/2 inches wide by 11 1/2 inches wide


Now that i have them typed up they are not so different haha. But it is nicer that it is 2 inches shorter so you have 2 more inches to go up haha!!


Here is a picture of my Air-Pot

Edit:
Note that mine are the 2.2 gallon equivalent. I have a 2 foot tall by 20 inch wide LST lady 3 and a half weeks into flower with it right now. If i would have done my spikes and layering right i would have had enough food for the whole process but i did not. If you want to grow TLO style i suggest these pots!!!

 

[DrOfDank]

Fabric. I bottom-feed (meaning I just pour the nutes into the tray and let the plants suck it up), so I don't have any issues with water going through the sides. More oxygen, bigger plants, bigger buds.

 

[Outragedpluto]

Fabric. I bottom-feed (meaning I just pour the nutes into the tray and let the plants suck it up), so I don't have any issues with water going through the sides. More oxygen, bigger plants, bigger buds.

I have been trying to figure out a way to bottom feed with my Air-pots. With how big the holes are i feel i would just have a slurry of mud come pouring out if i were to bottom feed. Also the way the air-pots are designed is that bottom of the soil is a good 3 inches from the actual bottom of the pot, meaning it would take a lot of water to just get the water to bottom of the soil. And since i use jugged distilled water that would not be economically good for me. I need to get my RO water system so i do not have to buy water anymore. It can get pricey when the little ones get big!!! I use almost a gallon of water per watering lol!!!

 

[DrOfDank]

I have been trying to figure out a way to bottom feed with my Air-pots. With how big the holes are i feel i would just have a slurry of mud come pouring out if i were to bottom feed. Also the way the air-pots are designed is that bottom of the soil is a good 3 inches from the actual bottom of the pot, meaning it would take a lot of water to just get the water to bottom of the soil. And since i use jugged distilled water that would not be economically good for me. I need to get my RO water system so i do not have to buy water anymore. It can get pricey when the little ones get big!!! I use almost a gallon of water per watering lol!!!

I can't see a way to do it with your soil sitting 3 inches high. That does suck about your water. They need to stop messing with the water. If it isn't good for plants, then it isn't good for people. We've shared the same water supply for as long as we've been here. Mine isn't terribly bad, though. I just use tap water PHed to 5.7 (veg) & 5.9 (bloom) for coco and I'm good to go, but I understand everybody living under the power of the state isn't as lucky.

 

[JJ Bones]

It's hard to answer your question without knowing what the application is. What gardening method?

 

[captainkirk]

Soil is my growing method with 5 gallon fabric pots , I have only used buckets once in my 6 years of growing and don't really have much to compare

 

[goodwinclayto]

Hydroponics please help can you help?