Smart pot Aeration containers test

that is a good idea, i have notice that picking them up by grabbing the fabric tends to shift the pot a bit, you can hear the root hairs tearing off of the sides. I find picking then up by the sides with as much support as possible helps.

I am currently running 1 gal transplanted into 3 gallon planted about 1/2 the depth of the one gallon. Transplanting out of the pot isn't recommended, as the fine root hairs completely cover the interior of the pot. So I just buried the 1 gallons in the 3's.

My future plans are a semi hydro, or auto drain to waste system, I'm just going to make a 4" catch tray out of waterbed liner, put 12" diameter 2" thick patio pavers under each plant to keep them out of the run off and run 10% run off.
 
I was wondering about transplanting from the 1 gallon into the 5 gallon - THANKS for the info!!

Yesterday, I found some milk crates, Supreme Crate by Iris (Container Store) that should be taller then the 5 gallon smart pot, although I think I'll need to drill holes in the top section for LSTing.

Since the smart pot provides root aeration, I like the milk crate idea as it'll allow air flow to continue on the pot.

Excellent info - glad to see others are finding success!! :cheertwo:
 
8 days ago, I started 5 white widow seeds in paper towels, after soaking, and transferred them to root cubes when the leaves first popped out.

I then added those root cubes to 1 gallon smart pots nd have slowly moved them under T5 HO lamps, 4 lamps turned on, placed about 2.5' above the seedlings.

Yesterday, I must have let the space get too warm and or failed to adequately water and 2/5 started wilting!! Thankfully the tops were still looking great when I discovered my mistake and now they seem to be recovering, nearly standing erect again. I MUST pay better attention to the drainage/drying out of these smart pots!!

I think I'll love these too.
 
I have 18 3gallon smart pots going now. I definately have a more difficult time with humidity with the smart pots. Growth is really improved over the plastic pos. The stems are bigger, more foliage overall healthier. All my plants have now been moved into them.

Don't see any reason to go back to plastic at this point.
 
Well i dont have the money to buy any more right now but the one's i have are doing good.Unlike my last grow the roots on these one's are pokeing threw the side's of the container's air pruning them selves.i have one more that i will be trans planting into but i will give the plant a few weeks to veg befor flowering this time
 
I just got a bunch of them and am about to read through this thread. They were a bit on the pricy side but can be washed and reused easily, I hear. Simply dump em out and run em through a hosing and a washing machine cycle to get the roots out.

too bad the original poster got discouraged and gave up on his thread this might have been interesting to see the difference.
 
I have a seedling that is nearly big enough to transplant from 1 gallon to the flowering size I bought. Sorry, it escapes me now what size that is.

I am hoping the Smart Pot is filled with the thin fibrous roots, vs the thicker ones. I have a few plants in used nursery pots and the thick roots are visible in the drainage holes.

I am about sold on the Smart Pot technology and if the seedling I have has a nice root system, I don't think I'll waste any time doing an experiment; but just stick with the Smart Pot.

My only concern is the longevity and durability of the Smart Pot. The material seems strong enough, but I'm not sure about the sewn seam.

Still, a great idea and I am excited to use these.:bravo:
 
newbie2010 said:
I have a seedling that is nearly big enough to transplant from 1 gallon to the flowering size I bought. Sorry, it escapes me now what size that is.

I am hoping the Smart Pot is filled with the thin fibrous roots, vs the thicker ones. I have a few plants in used nursery pots and the thick roots are visible in the drainage holes.

I am about sold on the Smart Pot technology and if the seedling I have has a nice root system, I don't think I'll waste any time doing an experiment; but just stick with the Smart Pot.

My only concern is the longevity and durability of the Smart Pot. The material seems strong enough, but I'm not sure about the sewn seam.

Still, a great idea and I am excited to use these.:bravo:
Click to expand...

when I transplanted out of the 1 gallon and actually rolled the smartpot off of the rootball, you couldn't really even see any big roots. the coco was just pot shaped and solid full of fiberous roots. no roots swirling around on the bottom of the pot.

As far as durability. Well that could be an issue. even if they fall apart in one cycle, the cost of a few bucks per plant is worth it.

I'm just under 2 weeks into 12/12 so I'll know more in about 6 weeks.
 
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I was given this 5 gallon Smart Pot made by CAP several weeks ago to try out. I had a few xtra clones left over so I vegged one out in a small plastic pot for a week and then put in this new gro bag yesterday. I'll go ahead and let it veg for 2 more weeks indoors next to my Mother plant and then move her outside for the early Spring flower period. I'm using Fox Farm Ocean Forest w/ Grow Big under a 250 wattMH
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I'm not a fan of grow bags at all so this bag already has an uphill climb to impress me but so far so good. I am loving the handles. Having a bad back makes that huge. The material is very interesting but not well draining at all on the bottom. Perhaps I should have put 1-2inches of hydroton in the bottom so it can drain completely out instead of getting waterlogged.

The Comprehensive

:ganjamon::ganjamon::ganjamon::ganjamon::ganjamon::ganjamon:
 
Pea gravel at the bottom of large poor draining containers has long been a solution for gardeners of all types for years. This is typically done because alot cheap brands of soils have heavy clay in them which can clog drain holes or the container itself was designed poorly and does not drain completely which is the case with these new smart bags and the old plastic bags. Now with that being said it is ill advised to use gravel on containers of two gallons or less because the roots will get in there and dry up in warm temps.
Marijuana and most other blooming annuals like to be in well draining soil. They do not like to sit in mud at all. Overwatering or a poor draining container will cause root rot which leads to leaf wilt and drop and then finally death. If the plant does live, it's yield and quality will be most certainly be compromised.
The problem I see with these bags like their plastic brothers is that they sit too flat causing compression and poor drainage in the bottom two inches of the bag. If the bag stays waterlogged, it defeats the purpose of the invention in the first place because CAP is advertising these bags as being able to oxygenate the roots unlike the plastic bags.
Another way besides gravel to remedy the problem is to place the bag on something like a milk crate so that it is supported but water can still drip out of the bottom of the bag and run off.
Roots protruding thru the bags is highly disturbing. Roots die in light and if they're not in the bag then what can they feed on? It seems that these bags may have a place for the outdoor gardener who does guerilla farming in the hills so that if the roots do grow out of the bottom they can grow into the Earth. My outdoor farm is urban which requires me to have to move my plants occasionaly for many different reasons so I cant be having my plant latch on to the Earth.
I have one more clone without a home so today I'll start it up in another bag but this time I'll add Hydroton to the bottom to see if it improves the drainage and if it causes any problems with the plant or bags by weakening the bottom. :ganjamon:
 
to be fair it looks like you have the HTG knockoff and not a real smart pot. mine don't have any problems draining.

roots won't grow out the side they will be air pruned at the fabric. it won't latch on to the earth only fine fibers will come through the bottom.
 
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Shown in this series of pics is the new 3 gallon Gro Pot made by CAP. They are also available in 1,2,5,and 10 gallon sizes. The plant used is a left over runt clone from my last batch. It is sixth generation White Widow. The soil is again Fox Farm. It will be in veg for one more week and then flowered.
Like it's 5 gallon counterpart above this one too lets water pack in and waterlog itself at the bottom two inches when it sits on a flat solid surface. When the watered plant is placed on a rack like whats shown in the pic, gravity continues to do it's job and pull the water thru at a steady drip throughout the bottom area of the bag making it a very well draining bag.:yahoo:
It is still very slow draining compared to plastic pots but it is not so slow that root rot could develop from too much sludge at the bottom of the bag. The slow drain will be prefered by many who grow outdoors and pack water. The smaller bags could also have a place in hydroponic ebb & flo gardens.
The bags I'm working with seem to be very well made. Double stitching everywhere with 1 inch wide dog collar type material handle rather than nylon cord. The bag material is thick solid that reminds me of the fabric they use to cover insulation in metal hvac duct work parts. Transplanting out of the bags could possibly be made easier by using a quality velcro seam. :ganjamon:
 
too bad they htg don't make em in smaller sizes. They are way cheaper then smartpots. Should do the same thing, so should commercial weed mat. Just wouldn't have all fancy black specs in it like the sp bottom.
 
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