well, I heard that a long deep root system is ideal if you want a healthy plant - something like the pots on this website (refer to image below)
http://www.stuewe.com/images/treepots_lg.jpg
Anway... here's my idea to mimic the small ones with a design that costs $0, that can transplanted directly into a larger container without removing from the bottle OR cutting up roots.
using a 1-2L pop bottle (I'm going with a 1L & 2L Dr.Pepper bottle)
-pop bottle
-cut the top bit somewhere between the label and the neck, depending on the diameter you want the top opening to be.
-cut some drainage holes in the bottom
-now, make a VERTICAL incision on the top you've just got off starting from the bottom (the part you cut from the rest of the bottle) and ending about 2/3 of the way to the top opening.
-insert the top, upside-down, into the bottom of the bottle. It should slide in nicely but be rather firm in place, because the slit you cut in it allows it to contract a little bit.
-place planting medium in bottle!
You're done for now, but when you're ready to transplant the very bottom should have more than an inch of space the roots & soil couldn't reach, giving you some room to cut off the bottom end of the bottle and... stick into the ground?
The one thing to be careful about here is not to let everything fall through when you cut off the bottom... cut almost all of the way around the bottom when transplanting, and hold the insert part while you make the final cut - then holding it sideways, remove the insert (because I'd imagine the bottle opening on the insert would be a little too small for a good root-system to penetrate - I imagine if it's well-rooted it should be fairly easy to do without causing a disaster...
You could also prep your next pot or the ground you'd next be planting in by just placing a 2L bottle upside down in the soil to give it the right shape for the root-ball that will later be occupying it.
http://www.stuewe.com/images/treepots_lg.jpg
Anway... here's my idea to mimic the small ones with a design that costs $0, that can transplanted directly into a larger container without removing from the bottle OR cutting up roots.
using a 1-2L pop bottle (I'm going with a 1L & 2L Dr.Pepper bottle)
-pop bottle
-cut the top bit somewhere between the label and the neck, depending on the diameter you want the top opening to be.
-cut some drainage holes in the bottom
-now, make a VERTICAL incision on the top you've just got off starting from the bottom (the part you cut from the rest of the bottle) and ending about 2/3 of the way to the top opening.
-insert the top, upside-down, into the bottom of the bottle. It should slide in nicely but be rather firm in place, because the slit you cut in it allows it to contract a little bit.
-place planting medium in bottle!
You're done for now, but when you're ready to transplant the very bottom should have more than an inch of space the roots & soil couldn't reach, giving you some room to cut off the bottom end of the bottle and... stick into the ground?
The one thing to be careful about here is not to let everything fall through when you cut off the bottom... cut almost all of the way around the bottom when transplanting, and hold the insert part while you make the final cut - then holding it sideways, remove the insert (because I'd imagine the bottle opening on the insert would be a little too small for a good root-system to penetrate - I imagine if it's well-rooted it should be fairly easy to do without causing a disaster...
You could also prep your next pot or the ground you'd next be planting in by just placing a 2L bottle upside down in the soil to give it the right shape for the root-ball that will later be occupying it.
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