"Smart Pot" and "No Name" - which one would YOU buy?

[Strainhunter]

Most of us are familiar with the advantages of "air pruning" roots.

Smart Pots are a widely familiar product.

Back when I was growing it always bothered me Smart Pots (depending on size) often being wider than they are tall and not having handles to move them around with.

As we all know roots like to grow down first before they go wide.

The most commonly used sizes for indoor are the 2 Gallon & 3 Gallon ones.

Below 2 pictures of a 3 Gallon Smart Pot and a 3 Gallon pot from the same material (but NOT a Smart Pot) and being quiet a bit taller than wide...but see yourself.

Which one would you buy and why?

There is a poll as well but please state your reason why you would prefer one before the other.

 

[Hazy Lady]

Hi
I am still of the opinion these pots don't 'prune' they simply kill roots, repeatedly.
Have you seen any positive advantage you could tell us about?. Thank-you

 

[Strainhunter]

Hi
I am still of the opinion these pots don't 'prune' they simply kill roots, repeatedly.
Have you seen any positive advantage you could tell us about?. Thank-you

Of course:

One of them being no "root bound" plants anymore, instead one massive root mass due to the breathable material and no roots running "in circles" anymore.

 

[treefrog]

Yeah, but we don't smoke roots.
They don't seem to offer any advantages as far as yield or health of plant.
At least, I haven't seen a thread showing such. If you know of a thread showing an obvious advantage, then I'd love to read it, but for me, they didn't seem to make any difference.

Having said that... the 'no-name' pot is clearly the winner here, as it's taller and has handles. I agree, taller is better.

 

[Strainhunter]

Yeah, but we don't smoke roots.

...

Agreed.

However a healthier/stronger root ball is capable of providing better for the plant.

 

[DonkDBZ]

Yeah, but we don't smoke roots.
They don't seem to offer any advantages as far as yield or health of plant.
At least, I haven't seen a thread showing such. If you know of a thread showing an obvious advantage, then I'd love to read it, but for me, they didn't seem to make any difference.

Having said that... the 'no-name' pot is clearly the winner here, as it's taller and has handles. I agree, taller is better.

In my experiences with auto pruneing is you can use smaller pots for the same amount of yield saving a lil cash on your medium. Veg is faster.

Downside is pots dry faster which can be good and bad. Bad is you do not water till enough runoff and let nutients build up too quick.


Wider is better for well wider plants. Since roots gonna get air pruned anyways taller does not matter as much.

 

[treefrog]

However a healthier/stronger root ball is capable of providing better for the plant.

Absolutely!

 

[Lazyman]

Man those are cool, Smartpot needs more competition and these tall ones with handles look like a nice improvement.

How much for 100 of the 5 gallon ones?

 

[milehighmedical]

.

 

[EatMoGrass]

If the roots cannot stay alive in the outside 1/2" of soil near the edge of the fabric due to the soil repeatedly drying that would mean that the taller container that measures 7.5" in diameter would only have a root mass of about 6.5" in diameter vs the 9" of the Smart Pot. Plants like to have their roots nearly as wide as the plant so unless your in a sea of green with single cola plants...

I like the wider Smart Pots for this reason but another inch or two in height would be nice.

The wider Smart Pots may also be harder for the wind to knock over outside.

 

[Strainhunter]

......

How much for 100 of the 5 gallon ones?

About $350 for 100 pc of the 5 Gallon ones.

 

[Strainhunter]

If the roots cannot stay alive in the outside 1/2" of soil near the edge of the fabric due to the soil repeatedly drying that would mean that the taller container that measures 7.5" in diameter would only have a root mass of about 6.5" in diameter vs the 9" of the Smart Pot. Plants like to have their roots nearly as wide as the plant so unless your in a sea of green with single cola plants...

I like the wider Smart Pots for this reason but another inch or two in height would be nice.

The wider Smart Pots may also be harder for the wind to knock over outside.

A few good points made by some of the posters.

EatMoGrass from what I have seen @ people who have actually used Smart Pots the roots don't die off 1/2" before they reach the outside.
They dry out when they have grown through the fabric and have reached the outside.

For those growing larger quantities I recommend reading the following thread, there is some excellent guidance in there...and the soil will not dry out...unless you want that to happen....which is recommended at times.

Tropf Blumat Auto-waterers, best thing since the HID light!



.

 

[EatMoGrass]

I have 15 peppers(no cannabis in Smart Pots...yet) in 5gal and 7gal Smart Pots and the roots seem to die back from the outside 1/2" of the containers. But I only water them every other day.

My peppers in Smart Pots are doing great though. Just no roots near the fabric as the outside of the Smart Pots(and soil near it) dries fast. My potatoes are loving the Smart Pots as well.

 

[Grendelkhan]

You should also think about Airpots which are the plastic verison of the smart pots. They are reusable and have the same effect on the plants. I have been running Airpots now for about a year and a half. I really like them alot. I am running them inside with a top feed system in coco. The bottom line is that these pot are going to give you a massive root ball. The more roots that you have the better. The more roots allow for more nuts to be taken up by the plant. The more nuts that are taken up by the plant means that your plants can get bigger and fuller. Thing of them like veins in a body. I am glad too see that the smartpot and airpots are getting used alot more.

 

[EatMoGrass]

On a side note... one great thing about these fabric containers that I have never heard anyone mention it that there is only one way for pests to enter the soil, through the surface.

Other plastic containers have holes on the bottom and or sides that allow easy access to the soil for pests like gnats and root aphids.

With these fabric containers it should be easier to take preventive measures like applying Diatomaceous earth or mosquito dunks to the surface as that is the only way in.

 

[xmobotx]

i cant say either way since i think a compromise more like square sized to not quite so tall (stability)

so 9x9 or even 9.5 x 8.5 around

the 10.5 depth would be excellent for single cola sea of green though hmmm, 3 plants/3 weeks on a 9 wk cycle?

*edit, the handles are a big draw

 

[Hazy Lady]

Of course:

One of them being no "root bound" plants anymore, instead one massive root mass due to the breathable material and no roots running "in circles" anymore.

Oh!, well that is good to hear, I can see benefits there. now I have to ask what medium are you in? and thanks SH.

 

[Strainhunter]

Oh!, well that is good to hear, I can see benefits there. now I have to ask what medium are you in? and thanks SH.

I don't understand that question, do you mean what I grow in? Because I don't grow (anymore), I am just sort of involved in developing these things.

 

[Strainhunter]

i cant say either way since i think a compromise more like square sized to not quite so tall (stability)

so 9x9 or even 9.5 x 8.5 around

the 10.5 depth would be excellent for single cola sea of green though hmmm, 3 plants/3 weeks on a 9 wk cycle?

*edit, the handles are a big draw

Square sized yes BUT they are a tad too expensive to make compared to how many would actually buy them.

 

[unclefester2u]

Been using smart pots for my first grow so I have nothing to compare them to and they worked great for me. One thing I really liked was you can take a big sewing needle and some cheap yarn and go right through the sides of the pot for your LSTing, it works great.