Skeeter4200
Active Member
Would like info on this please,, I've always used circle plastic containers,, I'm looking to change it up... All the help would be greatly appreciated...
Square plastic containers vs square Smart/fabric pots
- Thread starter Skeeter4200
- Start date
T macc
Well-Known Member
You get more surface area in a square pot. Fabric pots are breathable, so you get root pruning. Plastic is plastic; you'll get roots circling (squaring) the pot. I would go fabric. But if you need to transplant later, fabric pots can be a bitch to get out of. Some ppl just cut the sides. I like to reuse mine
Skeeter4200
Active Member
Thanks,,, I would be transplanting into the fabric pot,,, I was gonna go with a 7gal or do you think it's over kill & the 5gal would work?
Skeeter4200
Active Member
How is the watering on smart/fabric pots,, everything I read says they tend to drink alot.
Skeeter4200
Active Member
I agree I would love to be able to re-use them again, also the space.
T macc
Well-Known Member
When you water, you may need to go slow. Water will run down the sides if you go quickly. I water a little, wait for that to go down, and water again. Someone might have another technique.
They do dry out a little faster with the air getting on all open sides. Some ppl lift their pots off the ground for more root pruning. I just sit mine on the floor
As for 7 gal vs. 5: whichever works for your space and how big of a plant will be. I would probably go 7 gallons if space allows. Or 5 gal if you want more plants. What's your setup?
They do dry out a little faster with the air getting on all open sides. Some ppl lift their pots off the ground for more root pruning. I just sit mine on the floor
As for 7 gal vs. 5: whichever works for your space and how big of a plant will be. I would probably go 7 gallons if space allows. Or 5 gal if you want more plants. What's your setup?
Skeeter4200
Active Member
I got a 55x55x76 tent at the moment I run 6,, 7gal pots along with 5,, 3.75gal pots pretty cramped up,, that's why I wanna switch to square,, they are circled pots also,, I've always grown outside, now have switched to inside,, way bigger differences, so I'm kinda a newbie to indoors got 4 rips under me & lots more to go...
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Skeeter4200
Active Member
I would be using the smart/fabric for finishing.. What are some good brands? Of course smart pots but those only get around a 4* rating
brand doesn't seem to matter really. size varies on your space and how big you plan to grow them for me 5gals is enough if i want to chuck them outside for flowering only and veg indoors i can easily go into 7gals. took my blue widows about 5 weeks just to see some air pruning in 3gals. when i potted up looked like they could of easily gone maybe 2-4 more weeks in the 3gals though.
HitemwiththeHine
Well-Known Member
There is this brand, I forget what exactly but you can find it easily I'm sure - they make biodegradable fabric pots in a few sizes. Sometimes as low as a dollar a piece if you get the right size and the right deal. What I do is start a plant or clone in a 1 or 2 gallon fabric root pot (I think that's what it's called) and when time to transplant I just drop it into a 5. You can do the same with 2/7. I save my larger pots, but the smaller one I started in is so cheap I just toss it at the end. Slit the sides so the roots can grow and just drop 'er in the new pot. I do this with coco.
Juiceifer
Well-Known Member
I have smart pot brand but that's just because thtas what my nursery carries. The biggest difference I can tell is some have handles and some don't and color but if your indoors color doesn't matter (outdoors you dont want black or could cook your roots)
I just bought me 3 3gal fabric pots today Brand is Gro Pro. off the bat the pots fill a lot stiffer then smart pots. color wise the bottoms are black while the rest is a beige color. smart pots feel flimsy and idk what size pots i have i thought they were 3gals but compared to these i think they are 2gals. the handles are not built in with the same material which i love because unlike smart pots the handles tend to be more flimsy you add soil + weight of the plant + weight of water they can get heavy and the handles tend to feel weak but trust they can handle a lot of weight.
sadly this was the only brand they had in a 3gal besides plastic pots the bigger brands were of a different color and i think also a different brand as well. i like them though because i has heat issues so the full on black pots will attract more light due to color thus more heat. for this color it will attract less light and heat which is great for me as i already have pretty high temps in my grow room. won't be using the pots for a good 1-2 weeks though my plants are way to small for them.
i think they are stiffer because it's built differently. material looks and feels the same though and after some use with soil and water in it im sure it will soften up even more. but like i said i really haven't heard any bad issues dealing with different brands all the issues come from basic things such as price, and general debates on why people should invest more into fabric pots when they can grow cheaper in plastic pots. i actually bought these pots for $4 a piece which is REALLY cheap for me. my 2gals costed me about the same exact price my 10gal costed me $15 which is fucking ridiculous but due to living in Hawaii + brand + size + local businesses thats the prices we deal with on more popular brands. same with nutrient lines.
sadly this was the only brand they had in a 3gal besides plastic pots the bigger brands were of a different color and i think also a different brand as well. i like them though because i has heat issues so the full on black pots will attract more light due to color thus more heat. for this color it will attract less light and heat which is great for me as i already have pretty high temps in my grow room. won't be using the pots for a good 1-2 weeks though my plants are way to small for them.
i think they are stiffer because it's built differently. material looks and feels the same though and after some use with soil and water in it im sure it will soften up even more. but like i said i really haven't heard any bad issues dealing with different brands all the issues come from basic things such as price, and general debates on why people should invest more into fabric pots when they can grow cheaper in plastic pots. i actually bought these pots for $4 a piece which is REALLY cheap for me. my 2gals costed me about the same exact price my 10gal costed me $15 which is fucking ridiculous but due to living in Hawaii + brand + size + local businesses thats the prices we deal with on more popular brands. same with nutrient lines.
Skeeter4200
Active Member
Thanks,, I also have to deal with heat in the warmer coming months,, so the thicker material sounds like it'll suit me the best..
Skeeter4200
Active Member
T macc what brands carry the thicker style?
I use the 247Garden pots from Amazon. They're thick enough to last a few grows, have handles, and are cheap. Amazon has them for about $10 for a 5 pack. Can't see other brands being much better. Might as well use the 7g since they're the same diameter as the 5g.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013JM3JSA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013JM3JSA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1
T macc
Well-Known Member
That's what I had in mind actually. These are good.
As for thin pots, just by looking at the picture, you can tell it's thin. Here's an example and not recommending
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Round-fabric-grow-pots-Plant-bag-Smart-root-container-White-Multiple-Sizes/252789301094?hash=item3adb6a9f66:m:mgWT_-OwJwvBI_gmboPfmDg
Skeeter4200
Active Member
Yes definitely to thin of material,, I like the 1 style eighties talked about,, was looking them up,, thanks for the help