Root bound, what to do?

[Phychotron]

What exactly make these better? Just curious. Also, you probably couldn't do Hempy buckets with these correct?

because they are rigid, you can pick them up and move them without breaking the soil and roots apart, as I always do with the bags. Especially before the root ball has formed and the soil is not fully held together. I know what roots being torn apart sounds like, and it sounds a lot like that when the bag gets moved improperly. It looks like there are much better roots with them as well. they are ready to take off when put into larger containers. I've had plants that fell a few feet off a table in the 1L and were in pretty much intact, a little bit off the top. You cant do that with a bag very often, they like to explode.

I like the way the soil has direct access to air, whereas bags can become saturated for a day or so, and the pruning is done when the root grows through the bag. I think the air exchange rate would be much better with airpots, as passing air can displace the air pockets just inside the container, whereas passing air over the bag seems like it would have a harder time, and operate mostly via evaporation of the water and the air would be sucked in, like you cant just put the fan on it and say that the wind penetrated the bag and exchanged the air around the root zone. the airpot would also do that as it dried out, but (theoretically) more air exchange to the root zone throughout the day.


Transplanting is very easy as well. I had to replant one immediately after putting it into a 5L because the guy at the store built it upside down, just unscrew and peel back, no flipping the plant over and over again just to get it out.

I've had circling and waterlogged bottom with the bags (especially when not on a ring stand to allow it to get air to the bottom) but never with the airpots. They allow maximum potential for air to the roots, especially the bottom. I water via weight of the pot, so I tip it or lift it and they have a tendency to dry out more evenly it seems.

not sure what the hempy bucket is exactly, but you can easily bottom feed with these, if that's what it is. just move the bottom disc to the lowest ring. They are three parts, a bottom disc, a thick black parallelogram with holes in it to form the body, and a thumb screw to hold it together.

as for the bags in the washing machine, I would never want to mix that nastiness in my personal washing machine where I also wash my nice clothes. There's going to be some sort of residue left behind on the washer. Besides, by the time you rinse the first layer of dirt off the bags you could have completed washing an airpot. Going to the laundry mat cost more in time plus expense.

they are also able to be stored in a small space when you stack the parallelogram part, 8 of them were about 2cm thick on the 1L.

 

[stihgnobevoli]

rootbound = water more often as someone else said.

when you transplant just break the roots up a little with your fingers to encourage new growth faster. sometimes i shake loose a little bit from the rootball so that some roots are now free and the rootball is smaller when i repot it, so that there is even more room for new roots to fill.

 

[mg75]

try to veg them in a the bigger container before flipping to 12/12. 1 week minimum and 2 weeks is ideal.
I have found that at times, transplanted root-bound plants never develop a massive root system and keep on circling if put into straight 12/12. it's better to loosen the original root-ball and let them stretch their roots under 18/6 or 24 hours of blue/veg light into the new, bigger container.
extra perlite or any aeration medium should help with root development. root simulators and/or beneficial microbes are great as well

dunking your root-ball in tepid water mixed with some beneficial bacteria or compost tea while gently breaking up the medium should help as well.

 

[Jaymer]

the roots grow just like the tree, if you are moving a plant out into a bigger area you don't rummage through the branches and move it, you top it and cut it back.

to cut back the roots make vertical cuts down the sides as shallow as you want, i'd say no more than an inch, bury the root ball and keep it wet to heal and gain new growth.

 

[stihgnobevoli]

damaged roots + wet = trouble.

after transplant water once. and wait till dry before watering again. keeping the roots wet especially after you just cut em up is an invitation for all sorts of rot and bugs that like to feed on rotting roots..

 

[atticflowers]

there is no rootbound...just the need to water more often

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How big are/was the drainage holes in the bottom of the cup if any?

 

[stoned-trout]

get serrated knife and chop off a small bit ..then replant...I have a bread knife just for root trimming....yeehaw

 

[yts farmer]

I am a fan of root trimming, done it multiple times with no ill effects.

 

[nk14zp]

the roots grow just like the tree, if you are moving a plant out into a bigger area you don't rummage through the branches and move it, you top it and cut it back.

to cut back the roots make vertical cuts down the sides as shallow as you want, i'd say no more than an inch, bury the root ball and keep it wet to heal and gain new growth.

I take a box cutter and make four vertical scores and then score an x on the bottom. I score about a half inch deep.