B
Butte_Creek
I agree with going into a large pot off the bat, and never having to worry about root bound. Indoors I'll go from red cup to 3gal smart pot(or 5gal if doing less plants).
I think it's not that using airpots/smart pots avoids plants from becoming rootbound, but that they avoid an unhealthy growing root ball that results from plants being in a plastic pot too long and spiraling etc in the bottom, as well as sustains a healthy root ball longer(in the case of mothers). Strain hunter is right that starting in the right size plastic pot will avoid a plant from becoming root bound, and probably result in not much of a difference between fabric or plastic. I do think that smart pots allow more oxygen into the medium, but if you know how to water correctly you shouldn't really have an issue with insufficient dissolved oxygen in your medium. Although maybe smart pots are a little more beneficial because they allow more oxygen to enter the medium when watering..?
I don't think either pot is better per se, as long as the grower knows how to correctly run his grow.
I think it's not that using airpots/smart pots avoids plants from becoming rootbound, but that they avoid an unhealthy growing root ball that results from plants being in a plastic pot too long and spiraling etc in the bottom, as well as sustains a healthy root ball longer(in the case of mothers). Strain hunter is right that starting in the right size plastic pot will avoid a plant from becoming root bound, and probably result in not much of a difference between fabric or plastic. I do think that smart pots allow more oxygen into the medium, but if you know how to water correctly you shouldn't really have an issue with insufficient dissolved oxygen in your medium. Although maybe smart pots are a little more beneficial because they allow more oxygen to enter the medium when watering..?
I don't think either pot is better per se, as long as the grower knows how to correctly run his grow.