question about plant pots (drilling holes in pots, etc)

Xul

Xul

Active Member
Hey Everyone,

So I've been reading a bunch about smart pots and air pots and trying to decide what I should do and am basically curious what you guys suggest I do based on the following ideas.

For my final containers I use 5 gallon buckets that sit in a table which then drain into buckets below them to catch the runoff (See room image below). I grow in Coco. My ideas for the buckets are as follows :

1) Leave them be. They have drainage holes in the bottom and that's it.
2) Drill a bunch of holes in the bucket (either 1 inch holes without screen, or larger ones with screen inside to stop the coco from spilling out). Though I'm worried water will leak out the sides.
3)Make DIY air pots (as seen from the image below) with seedling trays.

DIYAirPot.jpg

In regards to option 3, I thought maybe if i could fit this design inside a bucket, that would be good for preventing water from leaking out the sides, and if the trays are weak, would provide strength. This would still allow air to enter the holes. I don't want a bunch of water pouring out the sides all over the table/floor. I would lose space this way but people say you don't need as big of a pot with air pots and I'm not growing large plants.

I don't want to straight up buy air pots, for 2 reasons. They won't fit in my tables properly and i'm cheap/poor haha. I'm also not interested in using fabric pots, though I'm happy to hear all and any suggestions.

I was watching videos on air pruning and getting better root growth, etc today, and just wondered what you guys suggest or have had good experience with! Thanks for any responses! Cheers!

Grow Room:
room.jpg
 
L

Lethidox

Well-Known Member
all im going to say is MANY people grow in plastic pots with just regular drainage holes in them. they look healthy, root system can be fairly massive as well.

if your new at growing honestly i'd just suggest you grow as intended. next grow decide based on your personal experience. i've seen a LOT of growers who use plastic pots nothing added to em that make my fabric pot grows look like shit.

a 4th option i can suggest to you for future reference is i've seen some people use what is called pot elevators. it's basically a mini stand to lift your pots off the ground to get more air flow at the bottom. i've seen some even use this directly in their pots. if you look at manufactured air pots they have one literally inside of the actual pot so the soil is basically sitting on this pot elevator for even more airflow. at the very least i might suggest this. i don't grow in coco though so i can't really say much about coco grows or how it will affect growing in that type of medium.
 
Xul

Xul

Active Member
Lethidox said:
all im going to say is MANY people grow in plastic pots with just regular drainage holes in them. they look healthy, root system can be fairly massive as well.

if your new at growing honestly i'd just suggest you grow as intended. next grow decide based on your personal experience. i've seen a LOT of growers who use plastic pots nothing added to em that make my fabric pot grows look like shit.

a 4th option i can suggest to you for future reference is i've seen some people use what is called pot elevators. it's basically a mini stand to lift your pots off the ground to get more air flow at the bottom. i've seen some even use this directly in their pots. if you look at manufactured air pots they have one literally inside of the actual pot so the soil is basically sitting on this pot elevator for even more airflow. at the very least i might suggest this. i don't grow in coco though so i can't really say much about coco grows or how it will affect growing in that type of medium.
Click to expand...
I've done about half a dozen grows now and try something difference each time. I got lazy with the past couple grows for difference reasons, also battled with pests (spider mites, ugh!) and had lesser results but my interest has been re-invigorated and i'm just trying to re-learn anything i've forgotten or overlooked.

I was watching videos where people would air Next >prune from seedling to help promote root growth and end up with these massive root structures. I think this time around I'm probably out of luck either way since I didn't do that from the start.

As for the pot elevators, my tables would do the same thing, basically just allows the bucket to hover, though maybe having more holes in the bottoms of the buckets for even more air flow could be beneficial.

Thanks for the reply!
 
L

Lethidox

Well-Known Member
Xul said:
I've done about half a dozen grows now and try something difference each time. I got lazy with the past couple grows for difference reasons, also battled with pests (spider mites, ugh!) and had lesser results but my interest has been re-invigorated and i'm just trying to re-learn anything i've forgotten or overlooked.

I was watching videos where people would air Next >prune from seedling to help promote root growth and end up with these massive root structures. I think this time around I'm probably out of luck either way since I didn't do that from the start.

As for the pot elevators, my tables would do the same thing, basically just allows the bucket to hover, though maybe having more holes in the bottoms of the buckets for even more air flow could be beneficial.

Thanks for the reply!
Click to expand...
do you add any bennies or mycrorhizae? i do seems to help my root systems more so then just growing without it in fabric pots. i run Myko's and voodoo juice i've never tried other root products outside of that though there is one that everyone probably would recommend but it's really expensive

https://www.amazon.com/House-Garden-Gold-Excelurator-Liter/dp/B00V50IGLO/ref=asc_df_B00V50IGLO/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=229261240507&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3067692878979257273&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032812&hvtargid=pla-393545958423&psc=1

they have a silver one as well. not sure what the difference is between the 2
 
Xul

Xul

Active Member
Lethidox said:
do you add any bennies or mycrorhizae? i do seems to help my root systems more so then just growing without it in fabric pots. i run Myko's and voodoo juice i've never tried other root products outside of that though there is one that everyone probably would recommend but it's really expensive

https://www.amazon.com/House-Garden-Gold-Excelurator-Liter/dp/B00V50IGLO/ref=asc_df_B00V50IGLO/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=229261240507&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3067692878979257273&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032812&hvtargid=pla-393545958423&psc=1

No, the only time i use anything for roots, it's just root stimulating powder stuff for when I make clones. No experience with anything else.

they have a silver one as well. not sure what the difference is between the 2
Click to expand...
 
C

CannaCountry

Well-Known Member
Ingenious pot design made from that seedling flat...kudos to you!

I run coco...I run it straight...and I run it in your standard, black plastic, smooth walled pot. They're rigid, they're easily washed / sterilized and reused, they last forever, they focus your feed to where it needs to be, not gushing out from the sides of the pots and despite all the snake oil claims and myths, they grow outstanding plants. The wheel was invented many moons ago; no need to attempt to reinvent it. Just my two cents.
 
Xul

Xul

Active Member
CannaCountry said:
Ingenious pot design made from that seedling flat...kudos to you!

Not my design, something I saw on youtube.

I run coco...I run it straight...and I run it in your standard, black plastic, smooth walled pot. They're rigid, they're easily washed / sterilized and reused, they last forever, they focus your feed to where it needs to be, not gushing out from the sides of the pots and despite all the snake oil claims and myths, they grow outstanding plants. The wheel was invented many moons ago; no need to attempt to reinvent it. Just my two cents.
Click to expand...
Yeah, it's all i've been using but can't help but always wonder if i could be improving things :)

Thanks!
 
C

CannaCountry

Well-Known Member
Here's a thought...do a comparison and see if you get more off one pot design vs. another. The only real caveat is to remain as un bias as possible so the results reflect the pot differences and nothing else. I'm with you though, it's always good to seek improvement. Good luck
 
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Kingrow1

Kingrow1

Well-Known Member
Lethidox said:
do you add any bennies or mycrorhizae? i do seems to help my root systems more so then just growing without it in fabric pots. i run Myko's and voodoo juice i've never tried other root products outside of that though there is one that everyone probably would recommend but it's really expensive

https://www.amazon.com/House-Garden-Gold-Excelurator-Liter/dp/B00V50IGLO/ref=asc_df_B00V50IGLO/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=229261240507&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3067692878979257273&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032812&hvtargid=pla-393545958423&psc=1

they have a silver one as well. not sure what the difference is between the 2
Click to expand...
Bennies - this is the fungi you want - nithing else compares. Its probably in your soil anyway but fyi with some knowledge -

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhizophagus_irregularis


The gold is the newer version but thats old now as well. Ive had the gold bottle, exspensive additive not needed is all i can say. Some anaerobic bacteria i think if remember corectly :-)
 
Kingrow1

Kingrow1

Well-Known Member
Xul said:
Is this any help in coco? I grow in coco :)
Click to expand...
Coco is home to trichoderma (cant spell that... dyslexic sorry). Ive run coco the canna range and you aint need no benies or nothing just a + b start to finish.

The guy above said it best - when you see guys nailing it without that stuff -

Learning to grow better will give you supremely better bud than any additives or benies, those are maybe an extra few percent hardly worth the effort.

In soil it is harder to establish new populations by adding, mainly established stuff will kick the shit out of it as its already niched in and in tune with its environment. Culture your soil and keep it happy and that stuff will grow more than you can add so adding stuff gets pointless.

Ramblings but theres a few good threads to read in a whole heap of rubbish around.

I guess mainly peeps want you to give em money - they not selling you info or knowledge apart from whqt keeps you paying - beware snakeoils in this game :-)
 
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DjSuperman

DjSuperman

Member
When you drill holes in the sides of your pots, you will have a huge mess when watering them....
And pests have been known to hangout in those holes....
 
L

Lethidox

Well-Known Member
Kingrow1 said:
Bennies - this is the fungi you want - nithing else compares. Its probably in your soil anyway but fyi with some knowledge -

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhizophagus_irregularis


The gold is the newer version but thats old now as well. Ive had the gold bottle, exspensive additive not needed is all i can say. Some anaerobic bacteria i think if remember corectly :-)
Click to expand...
yea got many types myko's is only 1 type of microrhizae forgot which one though. i was gonna buy great white but shit is expensive and the silver/gold stuff is way more expensive but a lot of people swear by that. not sure what it exactly is though
 
CraigMk

CraigMk

Well-Known Member
zypheruk said:
Vitax Q4 Rootmore Mycorrhizal Fungi im using this in coco and it works really well and not expensive at all.
Click to expand...
Hay man I have some.of this and I wanted to know if you water with it or just use when you repot your plants. Let me know if you still about . Thanks
 
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