Smart Pots Great New Product!

Here's a test grow of the CAP bag I tried out some time back.
C.A.P. Gro Pot - Fabric Grow Bag by Custom Automated Products
Roots Organics also makes a fabric grow bag that does a good job.
The air pruning will work with these bags if they sit on a mesh grill or grate. I found that if the bottoms of the bags were compressed to a solid surface the roots would grow thru the bottom of the bag. If there is air flowing underneath the bags you get the air pruning effect.
They work well. They do dry out a little faster than plastic pots.
They also work great for hydro systems like ebb & flo but it's common for the roots to grow thru the pots in hydro
 
I never thought to try a grill bottom. I need to come up with a way to raise all of these up in individual drains. I just bought 4 pots that look similar to the air pots, but held together with zip ties. I also bought a few mesh bottomed pots to try. I wish I had them all in the same size and enough plants to try them all at once!

TY for the tip. :-)
 
Lusi said:
and enough plants to try them all at once!
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Taking and rooting cuttings is only slightly more difficult than hitting the ground when we fall down - and far less painful:;):.
 
LOL!
Hey, I'm pretty darn good at falling!! There's no place to put a herd of plants until I figure out when to harvest my 4 gals. Still no replies for my harvest question.

There is the slight problem of growing a new plant to take clones from. I didn't think about that one! :-D The two "Practice" clones taken from my flowering gals are still blooming after 2 months under 24hr T5s.

I do have all five smart pots in use. One is the mutant blooming clone with single leaves, and the other is a seedling with brown spots all over it. The rest were transplanted into them just to haul them inside. I DO have photos of these gals long ago. 2 in smart pots and 2 in plastic. The ones in the smart pots almost died. I'll try making a raised place for the cloth pots. Maybe it will help. My hydro shop only sells smart pots and coco pots. No real ones??! People luv em! (snort)

If I didn't delete the pics, I'll add them in here eventually. :-)
 
The fabric pots are THE BEST. Other companies make them besides Smart Pots. I use some called ROOT POTS also. I do not use plastic pots at all anymore. Plastic pots are inferior compared to SMART POTS. The soft fabric let's air enter and air prune the roots (which is a good thing) and keeps the plant from getting root bound AND it makes it way less stressful if and when you transplant. You can water a little bit more too without over watering. Great if you have a dehumdifier. Also, they are great for a Ebb & Flow flood tray type grow. Yes...you can use them for hydroponics as well. I grow in soil though and I Put a layer of clay pebbles in the bottom of mine and then soil and my plants are super happy. Also, my plants roots get way more healthier because they are able to get oxygen around the tips and grow into the soft sides of the pots. For anyone who has never used these I really wish they would. Best thing for your plants really. You don't need a big one either. If you are growing from clone a 3 gallon Smart Pot is plenty of big. I am in the 4th week of flowering. Have huge colas and have not used any fertilizers whatsoever and my plants are covered in THC crystals and smell fantastic. I think a lot of problems people have with their plants has to do with their root systems being in bad shape. If you are scared off by hydroponics and want to go with soil use Smart Pots or Root Pots. I use them for all my grows and they ROCK!.
 
Growing247 said:
The fabric pots are THE BEST. Other companies make them besides Smart Pots. I use some called ROOT POTS also. I do not use plastic pots at all anymore. Plastic pots are inferior compared to SMART POTS. The soft fabric let's air enter and air prune the roots (which is a good thing) and keeps the plant from getting root bound AND it makes it way less stressful if and when you transplant. You can water a little bit more too without over watering. Great if you have a dehumdifier. Also, they are great for a Ebb & Flow flood tray type grow. Yes...you can use them for hydroponics as well. I grow in soil though and I Put a layer of clay pebbles in the bottom of mine and then soil and my plants are super happy. Also, my plants roots get way more healthier because they are able to get oxygen around the tips and grow into the soft sides of the pots. For anyone who has never used these I really wish they would. Best thing for your plants really. You don't need a big one either. If you are growing from clone a 3 gallon Smart Pot is plenty of big. I am in the 4th week of flowering. Have huge colas and have not used any fertilizers whatsoever and my plants are covered in THC crystals and smell fantastic. I think a lot of problems people have with their plants has to do with their root systems being in bad shape. If you are scared off by hydroponics and want to go with soil use Smart Pots or Root Pots. I use them for all my grows and they ROCK!.
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Awesome testimonial, thanks! I'm trying to decide between air pots and smart pots...

The guy at the hydro store I went to yesterday said that air pots promote a gnat pest to infiltrate the soil (root gnat??) and it could be detrimental to plant health.

I'm a professional salesperson and this guy wasn't my type of sales guy so I didn't buy what he was selling but it got me to thinking about smart pots and what he said did make sense..

Any thoughts on this?? I've seen awesome results from b a s s p l a y e r with air pots and that's why I thought that would be a good way to go but they are taller than smart pots and inflexible.

Smart pots, with my limited vertical grow space, seem like a better choice for me..

Chime in!

:thankyou:
 
Both products are great. Before coming here I never knew about the Air Pots. They both seem like they would perform about as well as one another. Fungus gnats are not a problem with these or any other pot as long as you DON'T OVERWATER. So many growers wonder where all these pests come from and a lot of time it is because they over water big time. Marijuana prefers a more dry soil and will actually grow faster if you water less believe it or not. This last grow I had fungus gnats up the wazoo. Mixed up some AZAMAX into a gallon of water and watered with that a few times and cut way way back on how much I water. Got a dehumidifier also and got the fungus gnat situation under control. After that I got spider mites though!!! It never ends. I used a couple pyrethryn bombs, neem oil, and some Hot Shot No Pest Strips and the situation seems to be under control now. I hated to have to bomb with pyrethryn 4 weeks into flower but I had no choice.
 
Growing247 said:
Both products are great. Before coming here I never knew about the Air Pots. They both seem like they would perform about as well as one another. Fungus gnats are not a problem with these or any other pot as long as you DON'T OVERWATER. So many growers wonder where all these pests come from and a lot of time it is because they over water big time. Marijuana prefers a more dry soil and will actually grow faster if you water less believe it or not. This last grow I had fungus gnats up the wazoo. Mixed up some AZAMAX into a gallon of water and watered with that a few times and cut way way back on how much I water. Got a dehumidifier also and got the fungus gnat situation under control. After that I got spider mites though!!! It never ends. I used a couple pyrethryn bombs, neem oil, and some Hot Shot No Pest Strips and the situation seems to be under control now. I hated to have to bomb with pyrethryn 4 weeks into flower but I had no choice.
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Wow..pest issues..not looking forward to that at all but..it comes with the territory.

Good to know about the fungus gnats and that's what he called them...just the same, I think I'll exchange the air pots for smart pots cause it will give me more vertical flexibility.

I remember from my high school growing days that to over water isn't good for marijuana..good reinforcement..

I understand that whether using air pots or smart pots, the watering schedule will be increased over regular plastic pots..now the only question will be how much. I'll figure that out as I go along. Don't want to over water.

Mold is also an issue with over watering as well I believe but I'm not sure about that.

:thanks:
 
I've seen people make their own smartpots by just buying the fabric they are made out of and doing it them selfs. The size range and design is limitless when you do this. I've seen people make them from 5gallons to using it to enclose a 300g bed outdoors using this method. Can't remember exactly what he said he used, I think it was just weedblocker that you put in your garden.
 
Brett2theMax said:
I've seen people make their own smartpots by just buying the fabric they are made out of and doing it them selfs. The size range and design is limitless when you do this. I've seen people make them from 5gallons to using it to enclose a 300g bed outdoors using this method. Can't remember exactly what he said he used, I think it was just weedblocker that you put in your garden.
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This is absolutely true. I was at a home improvement store the other day and in the garden area they had rolls of the same kind of fabric that Smart Pots are made out of. I believe it is used to cover the ground and prevent weeds when you cover it with mulch. The thing is, unless you have a sewing machine and quite a bit of time on your hands it is not really worth your time to make your own considering the smaller Smart Pots are not very expensive. This spring I want to grow outdoors with 400 gallon Smart Pots with drip rings. The 400 gallon and 350 gallon are 70 or 80 bucks a piece, so making my own might be a good idea when it comes to the larger sizes. One of these days also I want to try filling one of the Smart Pots with soilless mix or perlite, water it with nutrient solution and try making a Hempy Bucket out of one of these. I bet it would work good.
 
You might run into issues with the medium drying out too fast. Don't know until you try!
 
I just replanted a now healthy seedling and still mutant flowering clone into normal plastic pots. Both were in 1/2 gallon smart pots (I had thought them larger), the brand name kind. Both had roots growing through the bottom and on out into the tray. And then both had roots only on the top of the pot, growing to the sides with only a few strong roots going straight down.

It's very difficult transplanting from smart pots as the bottom has a death drip on the roots. I've stripped out a lot of roots each time I've transplanted from these! I'm not buying anymore. It's back to plastic unless my new fake air pot shows promise. Pond planters inside buckets is another option. It's better to save my $ for good soil. Biodegradable cloth pots, like made up cotton or burlap, might be a great invention some day.
 
Since I seem to be the only one using smart pots, I'll update again.

It's the 12th now... on the 8th I translated those plants in my last pots from smart pot to plastic. I left a 3rd plant of the same age in a smart pot. Today, 4 days later, I have discovered the roots in the plastic pots are now growing out the bottom! 4 days!!!! Te plant still in the smart pot has little root growth, just like the other. All are the same age and treated the same. The ones in the plastic pots immediately started growing new healthy leaves and fresh shoots. That's it, NO MORE Smart POTs!!!!

Yesterday, I chopped my plant in a 5 gallon HTG cloth pot. The root system was so pathetic that most of the pot was just all soil. That pot was demoted to house plant use. The fake air pot was no better.

I'll re-transplant the ones in the first paragraph to 3 gallon fake air pots from the one gallon nursery pots as soon as they dry up again. All of them just got a neem bath.

So far, African violet type pots and terracotta are giving me the healthiest plants. Since this is impossible to get large Af Violet pots and terracotta way a ton, the plan black nursery pots are working the best for me. Even grow bags were better than the air pots!!

hope this is useful info for someone eventually.
 
I will ONLY grow using Smart Pots or the other fabric bags made from recycled material made by another company called ROOTS or something like that. They are gray and perform exactly the same. If you are skeptical about using these don't be. These are the BEST containers on the market for growing, especially indoors, soil, or hydro, bar none... Why don't you try some 3 gallon bags with 3" or so of some expanded clay at the bottom of the bag for your next grow. I guarantee you will be very impressed with the results. I use FFOF soil but they can also be used hydroponically for ebb n flow flood table type grows. The reason why these work so well is because A LOT of people over water their plants and with Smart Pots that is not so much a problem because the fabric allows air to enter through the sides and this is so crucial and beneficial to the roots allowing the roots to get very thick and healthy without becoming root bound and circling like plastic pots. Plastic pots are horrible because you have to keep transplanting every time the plant becomes root bound. Every time you transplant you shock the plant a little more. Do plants grow in a plastic bucket in their natural habitat? I don't think so. Smart Pots are exactly what the name says. Smart growers who want big healthy plants use them. "Robot" growers continue doing the same thing over and over even if it doesn't work. I have some plants grown in Smart Pots in my gallery. Only 5 weeks into flowering so the buds have gotten quite a bit thicker since then but still pumping out new growth like crazy.
 
Lusi said:
Since I seem to be the only one using smart pots, I'll update again.

It's the 12th now... on the 8th I translated those plants in my last pots from smart pot to plastic. I left a 3rd plant of the same age in a smart pot. Today, 4 days later, I have discovered the roots in the plastic pots are now growing out the bottom! 4 days!!!! Te plant still in the smart pot has little root growth, just like the other. All are the same age and treated the same. The ones in the plastic pots immediately started growing new healthy leaves and fresh shoots. That's it, NO MORE Smart POTs!!!!

Yesterday, I chopped my plant in a 5 gallon HTG cloth pot. The root system was so pathetic that most of the pot was just all soil. That pot was demoted to house plant use. The fake air pot was no better.

I'll re-transplant the ones in the first paragraph to 3 gallon fake air pots from the one gallon nursery pots as soon as they dry up again. All of them just got a neem bath.

So far, African violet type pots and terracotta are giving me the healthiest plants. Since this is impossible to get large Af Violet pots and terracotta way a ton, the plan black nursery pots are working the best for me. Even grow bags were better than the air pots!!

hope this is useful info for someone eventually.
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I looked at some of the photos of the plants in your gallery and I am not sure the Smart Pots are to blame. Most of the time grower error or poor genetic stock causes plants to perform poorly. You mentioned you transplanted them and noticed that they were not respond well. The plants were probably in shock from being transplanted. Plants usually take a week or two to get out of shock after being transplanted so I am not sure your containers, or your nutes or whatever else is to blame. I know many growers among the collective I belong to using smart pots who have had great results. We discuss what we use and what problems we are having weekly at a meeting. One thing that can help is putting a layer of expanded clay or a mix of expanded clay and perlite at the bottom of the Smart Pots. Helps with the drainage and tends to anchor the plants a little better.
 
This here is an autoflower RoadRunner growing in the fabric grow bag made by Roots Organics as eluded to by G24/7.

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These bags are really good too and they are the least expensive available.
I think the 3 gallon bags are less than $2.
They work great! You can see how I keep mine on a crate to get air flow beneath the bag. That prevents roots from growing thru the bags and enables the air pruning effect.

Fabric bags should also be a final destination for your plants. Transplanting out of them is very diffcult and will most certainly stunt the plants.

I cant say anything bad about any of these types of containers and I certainly cant say anything bad about Air Pots. My most prolific gardens have come from using these types of containers.
Every plant I've grown in any of these air pruning containers has been a home run + I've seen these containers take other growers' game to whole other levels.

A lot of times we growers tend blame the nutes, strain, and so on when we need to realize that more often than not it's the Indian and not the bow & arrow.

:peacetwo:
 
Bandit420 said:
This here is an autoflower RoadRunner growing in the fabric grow bag made by Roots Organics as eluded to by G24/7.

000_05253.JPG


These bags are really good too and they are the least expensive available.
I think the 3 gallon bags are less than $2.
They work great! You can see how I keep mine on a crate to get air flow beneath the bag. That prevents roots from growing thru the bags and enables the air pruning effect.

Fabric bags should also be a final destination for your plants. Transplanting out of them is very diffcult and will most certainly stunt the plants.

I cant say anything bad about any of these types of containers and I certainly cant say anything bad about Air Pots. My most prolific gardens have come from using these types of containers.
Every plant I've grown in any of these air pruning containers has been a home run + I've seen these containers take other growers' game to whole other levels.

A lot of times we growers tend blame the nutes, strain, and so on when we need to realize that more often than not it's the Indian and not the bow & arrow.

:peacetwo:
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Awesome advice, thank you..it would not have occurred to me to add something beneath the pot to ensure airflow...thank you!

:thankyou:
 
That Roadrunner looks healthy @ Bandit420. I am eager to try some auto-flowering strains. Until now I have been limited to growing with clones. The experience I have gained has been helpful but I want to step it up just a little and grow from seed. I got a Afghan Kush Rider for free with my order from the Single Seed Center (a site sponsor BTW). I am really looking forward to trying out the autoflower variety because I have never grown lowryder before. Merry Christmas and a happy new year!
 
Growing247 said:
That Roadrunner looks healthy @ Bandit420. I am eager to try some auto-flowering strains. Until now I have been limited to growing with clones. The experience I have gained has been helpful but I want to step it up just a little and grow from seed. I got a Afghan Kush Rider for free with my order from the Single Seed Center (a site sponsor BTW). I am really looking forward to trying out the autoflower variety because I have never grown lowryder before. Merry Christmas and a happy new year!
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Thanks Bro!!
She was a good one! She actaully outgrew that bag and i ended up putting her in a big plastic pot. To get her out I had to gently cut the bag away. She grew outdoors thru mid Summer and yielded a nice oz in about 80 days from seed to harvest.
I got the RR seed as freebie along with an auto haze with an order from Single Seed Centre too! The haze yield was very dismal so if I came away with any good advice to give from growing the two autos I would say try to get them for free like you already have. Several seed banks like SSC give away packs of them with regular orders. Makes for some nice bonus weed :)

You have a great Xmas and Happy New Year too Buddy!!
 
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