Air Pots Vs. Fabric Pots: Which is better?

[Overgrowtho]

Which is better and why?

 

[quirk]

I tend toward air pots for root development and ease of training and watering. But I'm a woke, equal opportunity employer.

 

[Caliverner]

I use fabric for outdoors they seem to work well

 

[MickFoster]

Air pots.......been using them for years.
Although they both air prune the roots, air pots are easier to move around because they're hard plastic, as opposed to soft sided fabric.......plus they last forever.
Additionally, air pots don't need to be suspended to drain properly and not sit in waste water........and they're much easier for transplanting.
There is no best way......it's all a matter of preference.

 

[Overgrowtho]

I think I will have a run using both to see how I like them each.

One big advantage for me, seems to be cleanliness because if I use the fabric pot the soil will not fall out of the bottom every time I water (I think, have not tried yet).

Whereas with the airpot, the holes at the bottom are YUGE and so, will cause quite a bit of mess with every watering.

 

[MickFoster]

Whereas with the airpot, the holes at the bottom are YUGE and so, will cause quite a bit of mess with every watering.

Wrong. You lose a little bit initially........but it doesn't continue with every watering.
If you're concerned about it.......line the bottom with screening.

 

[Gorillabilly]

I like my fabric. Just seems to be a more dense robust root ball. But thats ooinion, I got no basis or science to justify.

 

[Star Dog]

Maybe if you can't benifit from an air pot you should take up another hobby?
Imho its not even negotiable the air pots are literally in a different stratosphere to a regular pot, I think that's been made clear by users rather than guessers

 

[RadicalRoss]

I use cloth pots because they're way cheaper. They both serve the same function in root pruning. I find the cloth pots are easy to work with, though I imagine it's even easier to transfer with the airpots, which I have never used. Cloth pots are pretty easy to clean when I want to re-use as well, just toss them in the washer.

 

[VILEPLUME]

I tend toward air pots for root development and ease of training and watering. But I'm a woke, equal opportunity employer.

Did you make those holes in the fabric pots? Also what size is that?

 

[MickFoster]

I tend toward air pots for root development and ease of training and watering. But I'm a woke, equal opportunity employer.

Your air pot is upside down.......the rows without holes should be on top.

 

[Dr. Who]

I like my fabric. Just seems to be a more dense robust root ball. But thats ooinion, I got no basis or science to justify.

I tested the fabric pots for the first maker as a pre-marketing advertising ploy.

I didn't like them at all!

Your right - It forms one big massive root BALL in the center of the media.
It gets so dense, that it causes the "umbrella effect". - "You water it and the water or feed simply runs out to the edges and out the sides. You loose to much by run off and that sir IS WASTED $ if your feeding.

Ok, I do mostly super soil organic work. STILL, the problem is not just the run off but, the fact that the center of the root ball is NOT getting watered or feed. This now makes all that space the roots don't go as wasted nutrient space! The plants not using it or that space. The amount of loss? I figure at least 20%! WASTE!

Now then. For long life plants (like my super hot peppers) . I have used them to success. Thing is the damn cloth broke down before the plant did.. They now rest in normal greenhouse pots.

As for air pots? Better then cloth!

Needless to say, They maker of the cloth pots used nothing I had to say about them in their marketing

 

[quirk]

Your air pot is upside down.......the rows without holes should be on top.

We went through this a couple years ago Mick. I flip 'em to use the holes for training. Grower preference, though
hats off to your modification.

 

[Oakiey]

I tried the fabric pots they are a pain in the ass.

unless you're planning on leaving a plant in a pot for a long long long long time like growing trees, air pots arent really needed for a weed

 

[quirk]

Did you make those holes in the fabric pots? Also what size is that?

Those are 1/2" inside diameter grommets, little roomy, if I had it to do over I'd use 3/8".

 

[Star Dog]

Does the outside of a material pot get wet/damp?

 

[RadicalRoss]

Does the outside of a material pot get wet/damp?

A little bit when you're watering them, maybe. They dry off pretty quick as your soil wicks the moisture away.