Smart Pots

Wisher2 said:

I have used 1gal smart pots and pulled 4zips per plant with them
when I finished my run I couldn't pull the pot from the roots ball because the roots blew out of the pot and circled the fabric pot itself
what I didn't like was the fact that the fabric soaks in salts and holds onto them....

so each pot at the end was white with roots and salt
and I would run 10-15% runoff in a Drip to waste system

so for me....while they worked...I just didn't like how much they held onto the salts

back to plastic I went

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Run organics, look into dirt pots much better and surprisingly cheaper, oh I rinse my out then I wash them in the washing machine with hot ass water.

The one thing that has been failed to mention and I think the biggest factor of this discussion on whether they are loved or hated, is the brand of smart pot. Ive tried quite a few of them, and found the HydroFarm tan color fabric pots to be the best quality.



They are the thickest/studiest material sidewalls of all the brands I orderred, so water doesnt leak out at all while waterring, the roots dont grow through the fabric at all, but they do grow right up to the walls, Ive never pulled a plant out of a hydrofarm smart pot that didnt fill the entire growing medium with a solid root ball, to the sides and bottom dense. Which makes transplanting a pain, but could you think of a better "problem" to have?? Thats why I go from solo's to final 3/5 gallon smart pot though, no transplant necessary, and after harvest they are easy to flip inside out and easily wash clean with a garden hose or water tap inside and they look like new.

Ive had a tree in a 7 gallon, heavy as hell after waterring, and the handles took the abuse of the plant being moved around daily outdoors chasing the sun and hiding from the cold.

They run $2-10 depending on the size, which is peanuts for a personal grow setup

^Those are the ones I got to try, they seem pretty awesome so far

dynospec said:

^Those are the ones I got to try, they seem pretty awesome so far

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I like them too, but their 3 gallon size does not need handles, they just get in the way. I don't need handles unless it is over five gallons, personally, but I am sure that five might be where the line is for people smaller than myself. It doesn't make sense to me that anyone over the age of eight would need handles on a fabric 3-gallon pot. They aren't very cumbersome, even with a good watering. I have grown some respectable trees (up to 5 ounces) in the 3 gallon Dirt Pots using Coco-based media.I am actually using hard-sided mesh-bottom plastic pots right now, but I have several brands of fabric pots kicking around. Dirt Pots are probably the best value I am aware of, as well.

I ran square geo pots
in pure coco
I run organics outdoor
indoor I run hydroponic
In plastic
when I am done with each run
I pull the root ball
and that is what I get
just a root ball
pot will max out and the coco literally disappears into one block

with the geopots
the rootball is a super stringy fluffy kinda thing......like not a solid structure but sort of a root cloud of pillowy strangeness

I always thought the white meant the salt is coming out of the pot....That's why it is visible.

I bought my first smartpot because i got a deal on it.. 1 Tan colored 5 gallon smart pot for 4.50 ... I'll be using it next run with general organics GO Box. I previously used 6 gallon food grade plastic buckets .. i sort of did a smart pot thing with the plastic buckets.. I drilled about 50 holes in bottom and 1/2 way up sides. I cant wait to see what smart pots can do.

Michael Huntherz said:

I like them too, but their 3 gallon size does not need handles, they just get in the way. I don't need handles unless it is over five gallons, personally, but I am sure that five might be where the line is for people smaller than myself. It doesn't make sense to me that anyone over the age of eight would need handles on a fabric 3-gallon pot. They aren't very cumbersome, even with a good watering. I have grown some respectable trees (up to 5 ounces) in the 3 gallon Dirt Pots using Coco-based media.I am actually using hard-sided mesh-bottom plastic pots right now, but I have several brands of fabric pots kicking around. Dirt Pots are probably the best value I am aware of, as well.

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hmm the 3gal ones I have dont have handles, I could see how they would be cumbersome though haha. Id be sad if the 10gal didnt have handles though for sure

I'm gonna fuck with peoples minds.. Im gonna stick a smart pot in a 5 gallon plastic bucket.. I out "smarted" the smart pot

Strocat said:

I'm gonna fuck with peoples minds.. Im gonna stick a smart pot in a 5 gallon plastic bucket.. I out "smarted" the smart pot

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Haha, I've considered something like that. Mesh bottom pots with Smart Pots inside. You'll probably beat me to it.

i've used smart pots for a while and i like them a lot. i use coco with about 25% perlite added, and put them in saucers with a couple of inches of gravel in them. in a 7 gallon i might get 2 gallons of coco/perlite back, the other 5 gallons are white healthy roots. there are usually roots growing out of the bottom of the pot and the side. the salt residue is going to be present no matter what pot you're using, you just don't see it in plastic pots, that does not mean its not there, its just on the inside of that pot where it can actually still burn your roots