"Smart" Pots.

Natagonnaworrie · Jun 11, 2016

My friend, I don't think it is the 'Smart' (fabric/knockoff/whatever) are the problem.

Is this the only variable that you have changed since your last successful harvest? From the looks of your plant pics, they appear over watered and possibly a few other things. If you want to run a trial toss a few (or half) into regular pots and note the difference. Smart pots should require more frequent water but that is on oF the advantages. More oxygen to the roots. *Dries out faster*

I have used both standard pots and 'Air' pots, Smart pots and the fabric pots for years. Personally i don't think they are worth that additional expense but i have 50 2 gallon smarties on hand so i am going from 1/2 gallon pots, direct to 2 gal smarties for the clones. the difference is negligible but they definitely do not cause problems that you are showing. Maybe post this in the infirmary section.

I do agree that they are best used with coco tho.

Keep us posted. I'll post some mine when i get down there. Hope this helps.

morolis · Jul 6, 2016

Root pots are a far cry from Smart Pots.

PoweredByLove · Jul 6, 2016

I wrapped the pots in plastic bags to retain moisture and water more often.

sturgeongeneral · Jul 6, 2016

I run smart pots all the time, prefer 5g with handles. Also water by weight. Ive used the cheaper autora pots too like those as well... If it feels heavy, dont water. Also, those plants look to have some nutrient issues

DEATH BY SNUSNU · Jul 6, 2016

Top dress with ewc and alfalfa meal let the plant tell you when she's thirsty. Resume a schedule once the roots colonize the top dress, foliar feed more. Try to imitate a natural geological stratigraphic scenario ; rock on bottom , covered by clay, covered by medium, covered by top dress of straw, pine, alfalfa, your choice.

I use these things too and often wonder if the small ones are a waste while going organic.

PoweredByLove · Jul 6, 2016

i already resolved it fellas, it was uneven drying, so i wrapped the pots in plastic bags to help retain the moisture. now i just water everyday or 2 and instead of the top being dry and the rest still being wet, it's all evenly moist.

FoothillFarming · Jul 6, 2016

wasted advice

PoweredByLove · Jul 6, 2016

um no. it's just like i said it was. the plant in the first pic was a couple weeks into flower when these issues started which led to a messed up root system. i nursed it back to health by wrapping the pots to retain moisture...(also newsflash these pots ARE made of recycled plastic) the even steady drying gave the roots time to spread out before dying either from suffocation or drying out, and now outside under the sun it's revegged and now flowering again as i live in florida and the most we ever get is 14 hours of light...right now we're at 13:29 or so and declining. when i put this plant outside it was before the solstice.

it was flowering/got some root issues which made it look all fucked up as in 1st pic/ put it outside to recover it started to reveg/now the hours are shrinking and it's flowering again.

hope i was able to resolve everyone's questions.

MrBungle · Jul 6, 2016

wrapping plastic around smart pots pretty much defeats the purpose of smart pots..... get a watering can with an aerator and slow down your water flow.... spread the water out across the entire pot.. I also alternate between a larger amount of water and a smaller amount... The larger amount of water gets to the dry pockets in the pot...I let it dry out some, then use a smaller amount of water to maintain the moisture content in the soil.. wait a day or so and decide if they need a large amount again or just a small amount... usually by checking the weight of the pot

PoweredByLove · Jul 6, 2016

how is wrapping plastic around the smart pot defeating the purpose? it's actually increasing the action of the smart pot by trapping more air in the rootzone. except when the bag is around the pot the air is moist and not dry. it's like a humidity dome for your rootball.

i got the solution from a member here by the name of Waxy_Taxi

i've verified it works for myself and here's the pics to prove it. i really can't understand why you all refuse to believe anything can be different than what you already think you know.

MrBungle · Jul 6, 2016

"Air pruning occurs when a root comes in contact with the air on the side of a Smart Pot. The root tip stops growing and instead begins growing smaller side-roots. This fibrous root structure takes in more moisture and nutrients.
This is the opposite of what happens in a plastic container where a few thick roots circles the pot until it constricts itself.
Air-pruning produces a stronger, healthier root system resulting in healthier plants." - from the Smart Pot FAQ section

those roots you see are supposed to die off and send fibrous lateral roots throughout the pot

mtbazz · Jul 9, 2016

corky1968 said:
Ok, I didn't know.

I just stay away from new gimmicks in gardening like these pots.

I get a feeling you won't be buying any more either.
Unless of course you can figure them out.

Good Luck

Smart pots aren't exactly new or gimmicky.

I've been using them for several years now with great results.

OP, If your soil isn't drying out thats not because of the pots, it's because your soil doesn't have enough drainage. Add perlite to it.

Big advantage of smart pots is the benefit of watering from the bottom. I keep 3 gallon smart pots in a tray meant for a larger bag and several times throughout a grow will fill the tray with water instead of watering the top of the soil. This helps promote root growth, resulting in larger, healthier plants.

Loc Dog · Jul 9, 2016

I did not read entire thread, but I use air-pots which are very similar, and use coco (until I switch back to hydro, ASAP). After rooting cuts in rockwool, I go to 3.5 inch netpot, till they need to be watered everyday. Then up-pot to .7 gallon air-pot, till needs water everyday. Then 1 gallon root routers (like air-pots) till needs water everyday. Then finally 3 gallon airpots. Up-potting too quick will create weak root system, and crappy plants.

Phenome · Jul 9, 2016

Wrapping plastic around a smart pot.........ironic, fluff the soil up next time. Many have experience in all sorts of fake smart pots. I never buy the name brand smart pots and have never had the issue you are speaking of, in and outdoor in small containers to large.
Mtbazz, watering from the bottom via mass flow and root pressure;
If you have microbial active soil it will generate carbon dioxide. Gravitational water serves as a way to not only push out large amounts of carbon dioxide, it will pull in new fresh oxygen, which is essential to keeping aerobic conditions in soil for the beneficial microbes.
I know this concept won't damage the plant. I just don't agree that it is better from just watering from the top every time, mainly because you wouldn't achieve this oxygen exchange when watering from the ground.

FoothillFarming · Jul 9, 2016

Edit: wasted advice

stinky · Jul 9, 2016

Well your problem is plainly obvious......

Posts: 666

It's your post count.

FoothillFarming · Jul 9, 2016

Edit: wasted advice

PoweredByLove · Jul 9, 2016

MrBungle said:
"Air pruning occurs when a root comes in contact with the air on the side of a Smart Pot. The root tip stops growing and instead begins growing smaller side-roots. This fibrous root structure takes in more moisture and nutrients.
This is the opposite of what happens in a plastic container where a few thick roots circles the pot until it constricts itself.
Air-pruning produces a stronger, healthier root system resulting in healthier plants." - from the Smart Pot FAQ section

those roots you see are supposed to die off and send fibrous lateral roots throughout the pot

they do die off and send "insert quote you don't really seem to understand here" because as you can see those roots sticking out of the side of the pot in the pic i posted are exposed to air and will die shortly.

i'm just trying to retain my moisture dawg. clearly the plant is moist. why you got prolems?

PoweredByLove · Jul 9, 2016

FoothillFarming said:
Funny. I never said anything about what the pots were made of. Thanks for the newsflash though.

News flash, I have been growing for 20+ years. Been growing in smart pots for 10+. Grown thousands of plants in them. NEVER ONCE have I ever wrapped a smart pot in plastic, and I never will. It clearly shows you have no idea what a smart pot is, or does. Another clear example is you thinking the white roots that are starting to circle is a good thing.......

Every year on the boards I see people take pictures of plants with white roots matted at the bottom of a pot. They are proud, and think this is great. Well, as soon as those roots start to turn, you have now lost genetic potential in that plant. When you transplant from a smart pot, you don't really see any roots. That is because instead of circling the bottom of the pot, smart pots air prune the roots, and they stop growing length wise, and start shooting more lateral growth inside the root ball. No circling.

If you are putting plastic over them,, then why not just use a plastic pot? Then your plants will fry if you are in hot temps.

newsflash i've been growing for over 20 years too

"Aaaawwwww!!!" -chappelle

You said:
Plastic on smart pots = bad and not needed.

Me said:
Newsflash smartpots ARE plastic

anyway i didn't ask for a lecture on "how to grow weed like you" i simply asked if anyone else has issues with these pots drying out unevenly. i found my solution, i wrapped them in plastic bags so they don't dry out that fast because i'm using soil now, not coco like every other time i use these pots in the past, and they were drying out too fast on top since i wasn't watering everyday like coco, but not fast enough because the rest of the root mass was staying water logged because this is soil.

so if everyone is done, lets all have ourselves some nice days and move along. :tiphat:

also one last thing...what you mean my plants will fry in plastic pots? every other container i'm using inside and out is plastic, plastic bags, plastic pots, plastic 5 gallon buckets... nothing is "frying" whatever you even mean by that. and this is florida...it's 90 degrees everyday all summer and most of your winter time. i don't know anything but hot. the coolest it gets here is down to like 60's between dec and feb. every other day is 90000million degrees and 20000billion percent humidity.

FoothillFarming · Jul 9, 2016

Edit: wasted advice

"Smart" Pots.

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