I love Air Pots! Check out the pics of the root masses!

For those wanting the same thing (almost) in regular pots - use a trowel or weed puller to push down and amputate roots regularly. They regenerate with 2 to 4 new tips. Air bags do the same thing by amputating the root tip. I do it and have for years. I wrote a thread on it but it made people queasy thinking of doing it to their "babies". Pinheads.

I agree, I have seen a ton of great results using these type of "fabric" pots. You can reuse them, but often times they will start to break down after a couple of grows.

The .3 gallon pots are 6" tall, 4.75" outside diameter, and the inside base is 4". Cal-growers emailed me a chart with the specs for the sizes they carry.

hotrodharley said:

For those wanting the same thing (almost) in regular pots - use a trowel or weed puller to push down and amputate roots regularly. They regenerate with 2 to 4 new tips. Air bags do the same thing by amputating the root tip. I do it and have for years. I wrote a thread on it but it made people queasy thinking of doing it to their "babies". Pinheads.

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I'd like to see that post Harley. I'm always game for trying something a grower I trust suggests.

i see a lot of people loving the airpots, i'm the only hater i know so they must be good.

when i grew in them the plants stretched like crazy, needed constant watering, made a mess every time i watered them, cost 8 times the price of my reg pots, hurt my fingers putting them together and yielded less than my regular square pots, i have 48 of them stacked in my shed that i'll never use again.

i grow in coco and did a side by side grow with the 20l airpots and 18l square pots in the same room, square pots won by a mile. i was really surprised after hearing so many people say amazing things about them. it was one grow in one room and with one strain so it wasn't exactly scientific, but i didn't like what i saw.

Villa said:

I'd like to see that post Harley. I'm always game for trying something a grower I trust suggests.

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That last skinny plant is a Super Silver Haze, topped multiple times and then braided like a chick's hair and laid over. She has at least 8 more weeks but the indicas will be ready in 4 weeks + or -. Now, they are smaller than I wanted but vehicle bullshit prevented me from getting my 1000 HPS until they had vegged under 48" shop fluoros with 1 daylight and 1 plant bulb per fixture X 4.

So I started a new SSH and planted the last of 4 White Widow seeds I was given (ferrets trashed the 2 that sprouted and grew out). The SSH and WW are both topped and then femmed on a few branches and both are big and getting bigger. The SSH is 50" this morning and began budding this week and will be braided by this PM. I can braid 7 or 8 sativas and lay the braids under a single 1000-watt 18" away max. Side buds get huge. Do it outside to hide them in pumpkin vines. Pieces of 2" X 4" keep it off the dirt mostly. I don't because of 1 light at present (I have 2 400-watt HPS but saving for my dual DWC 8-space units I just finished) and I have 5 other plants, all under a 1000 watt HPS and a coolie hat reflector.

Sorry about the HPS and the pics are a week old. That SSH looks like a baby wheat field now with all those wispy ass buds sticking up.

The coffee can in the background is old cooking oil. I open it and place it near a side CFL and bugs go to see and take a last swim. When its full of critters I pop the top on and toss it.

LatteBroker said:

Harvested a few ladies a couple days ago. First time using Air Pots. Wish I'd saved the root masses from the traditional pots I've been using. These things are awesome. Plants grew twice as large in veg, faster in flowering, and looking at the roots it's no surprise. No root circling, just a huge mass of white roots. Awesome, never going back. These were the 3.4G pots that I finished in. Anyway, this was something of an experiment for me, and they passed with flying colors.

Here's a few pics:
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Here's the trainwreck that I just harvested out of one of them. 79 days flowering:

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And the Eva Seeds Missing that's now at 80-81 days (I think) and stillllll going:

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Thanks for posting and didn't mean to tromp it but wanted to really scan these pics first. Impressive roots. Impressive grow. Kudos and +rep to you, mister. These bags are in my future plans for test grows and I thank you for sharing.

ive been preaching smart pots for years to my friends. they are by far more productive than ANY plastic planters..period! i havent put one of my ladies in a 5 gallon bucket going on 6ish years.

Grown n Oregon said:

ive been preaching smart pots for years to my friends. they are by far more productive than ANY plastic planters..period! i havent put one of my ladies in a 5 gallon bucket going on 6ish years.

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I have been using 22-gallon tubs, 1 nested inside the other with props under the inner barrel and the inner drilled heavily for drainage. Those who say pot won't grow until roots touch the sides of something obviously never grew outdoors where the only "side" they reach is more dirt, just harder.

22g tubs..thats hardcore. outdoor?
im not saying that plastic dont work because we all know it does, but i am saying that breathable pots are far superior due to the fact that they dont get hot under the lights, they allow the roots to get alot more O2 and they prune the roots for you.

Grown n Oregon said:

22g tubs..thats hardcore. outdoor?
im not saying that plastic dont work because we all know it does, but i am saying that breathable pots are far superior due to the fact that they dont get hot under the lights, they allow the roots to get alot more O2 and they prune the roots for you.

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Indoors. Forced to this year for sure in AK. 1/3 tree bark composted mulch on the bottom, 1/3 lightly used FF OF and 1/3 Wal Mart grow media with mycorizzhae already added. I'm telling you this much - when I use my trowel (closer to the edge) or weed puller I feel roots snap all the way to the edge! They will grow to fill their space available given water and having the right nutrients in the soil or as additives without overdoing it.

Started the biggies using them outdoors in the desert SW. Actually bury them to the rim and camo that! Only way to keep moisture around the root zone without frequent visits which you do not want. Laid down and held to the ground braided I have had US Border Patrol (lived less than a mile from the border), US Customs, NM State Police and so fly right on over them to go bust some fool with bright green perfectly round plants with drip irrigation systems or at the edge of an irrigated field.

I'm interested in the air pots if I have to repeat next year. And it could. 38 at my house this AM, birches are turning and the wind off the Bering Sea is COLD! Already. Shit. 13' of snow last winter. Plastic ain't good for much but keeps good grow holes a couple years in el fronterizo desierto.

hotrodharley said:

Thanks for posting and didn't mean to tromp it but wanted to really scan these pics first. Impressive roots. Impressive grow. Kudos and +rep to you, mister. These bags are in my future plans for test grows and I thank you for sharing.

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No worries man! I'm glad that I was able to start a discussion about airpots, they're really fascinating to me, and I'm always wondering if a lot of people are using them (and liking them). I've enjoyed reading all the posts, and thank you for the rep! That may be my first one haha.

Quick point I'd make - there's a difference between the plastic airpots and the fabric smart pots. I can't say if one is better than the other, because I've never used the fabric ones, but I know the general idea of room trimming and maximum root aeration is the same. I opted for the plastic airpots for a few reasons, mainly that I like to take my plants from the grow room into the shower for feeding, and the plastic pots are very easy to move. I also like the overall sturdiness of them. It seems like there would be a lot more root disruption when moving around the fabric pots.

Unrelated: In an earlier post I mentioned that I use straight FFOF, but I forgot that I mix in about 25% perlite.

Semi-Related: Here's a pic I just took of the Eva Seeds Missing that's now at day 82 of 12/12. She's all alone under the 600, hopefully with not too much time left to go. I don't have separate veg room, so I can't get the next bunch started until she finishes. This plant has been a total pain in my ass, but she is going to yield big if I don't somehow fuck this up! Buds like gallon milk jugs! hahaha

FreeCableGuy said:

I agree, I have seen a ton of great results using these type of "fabric" pots. You can reuse them, but often times they will start to break down after a couple of grows.

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The nice thing about the plastic airpots is that they're sturdy as hell, and should be reusable for years. True, a little pricier than the fabric smart pots, but you may find that you get your money's worth over time.

ghb said:

i see a lot of people loving the airpots, i'm the only hater i know so they must be good.

when i grew in them the plants stretched like crazy, needed constant watering, made a mess every time i watered them, cost 8 times the price of my reg pots, hurt my fingers putting them together and yielded less than my regular square pots, i have 48 of them stacked in my shed that i'll never use again.

i grow in coco and did a side by side grow with the 20l airpots and 18l square pots in the same room, square pots won by a mile. i was really surprised after hearing so many people say amazing things about them. it was one grow in one room and with one strain so it wasn't exactly scientific, but i didn't like what i saw.

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Good to hear differing experiences so thanks for chiming in. I've never grown in square pots, so I can't compare my growing experience. However, I agree re: the watering, it's definitely more of a task with airpots. However, after a few waterings you get the hang of it, and it became no big deal. I found that you've got to water slowly, and it also helps if you pack the dirt in such a way that it's at its lowest around the base of the stalk, and goes up in height as you move towards the edge of the pot. That way the water does a better job of staying in the pot.

They do try out faster than normal pots, but I kind of like this aspect of them. I like that my plants were always hungry and thirsty, and while a lot of water was lost to evaporation, the fact that I was able to get in 1.5 feedings a week with airports (compared to 1/week with normal) made for some fast growing plants. There was more stretch, but in my personal experience there were bigger buds to accompany the stretch. Everything about the plant was larger (you better be ready for it). When I finished my last grow with normal pots, my light was about 6" above the canopy and I still had plenty of room to raise the lights if need be. With the airpots, I had to raise the light all the way up, and actually remove a 2' shelf that the plants were sitting on so that they could sit on the floor. And that still wasn't enough room.

Anyway, none of this is scientific either, just personal experience, so thanks for sharing yours. BTW, what's the rationale behind the square pots? Easier to pack them into a space? Less root circling?

hotrodharley said:

...38 at my house this AM, birches are turning and the wind off the Bering Sea is COLD! Already. Shit. 13' of snow last winter. Plastic ain't good for much but keeps good grow holes a couple years in el fronterizo desierto.

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Where are you at where there are birches and the Bering sea....are you on the chain north of Kodiak?

fro77 said:

where do you find air pots.

i switched to from soil to dwc
made my own buckets and they grew twice as fast.
id like to try them if you know where to get em.

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what did you use to make your own buckets?

I'm using 5.2 gal air pots on a scrog but I'm thinking of getting another set next grow and connecting 2 together with a custom bottom to make them 10 gal in a oval shape. My cabinet is 28" by 51" inside and 4-10 gal ovals would take full advantage of the space. I think it will work with a custom bottom and maybe small frame at the top.

i plant my clones in 2 gallon air pots. after about 4 weeks of vegg i pot the 2g pot inside of a 7g smart pot and just fill it in with soil. the roots will grow right through the smaller pot and grow as normal in the larger 7gallon pot. after harvest, just pull the smaller 2g pot out, shake it off and let it dry out so the roots that have grown through it snap off easily. throw them all in the washer with no soap and botta boom..clean useable pots. im on my...10, maybe 12-14 range with uses on each pot. they last longer than u think. dont put them in the dryer tho..just air dry them and they will last for years.

^^Good info! Do ou think they'd be reusable if I planted them in the ground and dug them up after harvest? I'd be happy to just be able to use them a few times (4 or 5). Anyhow, I ordered a bunch of these in a couple of sizes - can't wait to try them out

yep..u can. ive put 17 gallon smartpots in the ground before, but its more work than it worth doing it that way. the roots get rather large and there are lots of the growing through the sides and into the dirt. its a bitch pulling the pots out cuz the roots have it anchored pretty dam good in the ground. plus pulling a pot with 17 gallons of saturated soil and root mass in a bitch to do on it own. Now day, i just leave the smart pot on the ground like a normal planter and let em go to town. the roots will grow through the bottem and directly into the dirt. they will only root into the earth if u DONT move them around. it will just tear the tiny spider roots that are making their way through . the results of growing on top of the dirt were no different than burying them underground. the only difference ive found is one is 10x more work than the other.