Why are Smart Pots better for Container Growing?
Choosing the best pot for your plants is one of the most important components for successful container gardening. For more then twenty-five years the Smart Pot has consistently out performed all other growing containers in both commercial nurseries and university testing. The patented Smart Pot is a soft-sided, aeration container, uniquely designed to improve the root structure of your plants enabling them to grow to their full potential.
The comparison below points out the advantages the patented Smart Pot has over various gardening containers.
Better than plastic containers - Hard-sided plastic containers are relatively inexpensive but they are not a very good home for a plants root structure. Plastic allows no aeration, conducts and holds heat, and provides inadequate or poor drainage. Even on mildly sunny days, container soil temperatures can easily top 120 degrees, damaging or killing the roots and stressing the plant. The #1 killer of potted or container grown plants is over watering and plastic containers with a few bottom drainage holes actually help the soil stay too wet. A Smart Pot is constructed of a porous fabric that allows heat to dissipate and excess water to evaporate. In fact, over-watering is never a problem because excess water drains and evaporates from all of the Smart Pots surfaces; its walls as well as its bottom.
Because the Smart Pot is a fabric container, giving the root ball total aeration and excellent drainage, you can even use a heavier, less expensive planting mix. The type of mix used in a Smart Pot is less critical then in hard-sided pots. Also, another Smart Pot benefit is root pruning, a technique used by many commercial nurseries to produce masses of highly branched roots to improve plant quality. When a root grows to the side of the Smart Pot, it stops growing in length and develops many, many fine branches. By contrast, the roots in a plastic pot continue to grow in length when they reach the side and circle around the side of the pot. This is undesirable as there are fewer roots and these can grow around each other causing girdling or strangulation. A branched, fibrous root structure (root pruned) has a far greater root mass than a comparable plant where the roots are circling on the inside of a plastic pot. And a greater root mass will grow a better plant.
Better than ceramic and clay pots - Ceramic and clay pots are better for plant growing than plastic pots. They provide somewhat better insulation keeping soil temperatures lower then plastic pots. But ceramic and clay still provide inadequate drainage and do not encourage the best root systems. Both ceramic and clay pots are heavy and can easily break. The Smart Pot is lightweight, inexpensive, doesnt break if dropped or frozen and can be folded so it stores easily. The Smart Pot also root prunes. Ceramic and clay do not.
Better than raised beds - Raised beds are a great way to garden because they provide good drainage and cooler soil temperatures. Roots grow naturally and have virtually all the room they need. But raised beds can be expensive, require labor to install and are stationary. Smart Pots are available in a variety of sizes and also provide an ideal growing environment. The larger size Smart Pots can grow all the plants found in raised beds, i.e. potatoes, watermelons, roses, trees, etc. Roots grow naturally, like they do in a raised bed. But the Smart Pot is a total growing unit, construction materials dont have to be purchased, no installation or building is necessary, and are much less expensive. Smart Pots can also be moved to different locations unlike stationary, raised beds. The Smart Pot is made of inert fabric and is completely safe for edible plants, while raised beds are sometimes made of treated lumber that may contain toxic chemicals.
Better than decorative containers - Decorative containers are just that decorative. They are manufactured to look good and are not designed for optimum plant growth. The Smart Pot is designed to promote the best plant growth. It aerates, encourages masses of roots and prevents heat damage. Many customers grow in Smart Pots, then place their plant into a decorative container.
Lol, huh?. ?four twenty
I've used 3 or 4 brands of pots some are deeper than others. The super cheap amleo pots are actually the taller that I've used.Lol, huh?. ?
Funny thing is i just gave away all my smart pots. i don't like how they are constructed. They are not deep enough, i went back to plastic bag pots because i can fit more soil(5 gallon compared to 3 gallon smartpot) in the same amount of space. i personally think roots like to grow down. Containers with more height have worked well for me. In my veg plants it seems that when the roots hit the bottom of its pot they start stretching, im speaking on seedlings. so i start my seedlings in a lil' bit of soil and as it stretches i add soil, i cant stand stretchy seedlings. if they made the growbags the size you made your jig i'd buy them again.
Jig you know we don't realize how lucky we are to have you with us today. Cuz back in the day I can bet if a dude in a van with tinted windows rolled up and offered you some candy or wanted help looking for his puppy you would have jumped right in that motherfucker! Next thing you know jigs getting stuffed by a hairy smelly man, then rolled in a piece of carpet and dumped on the side of the freeway!Cool guys. Thanks. I gave two of them about a quart of water last night. I can see how I will be able to figure out how much they are using. I'm suprised at how breathable the felt is and think that helps dry things out faster. Anyhow, plants are still looking nice. It's amazing how much slower the growth is compared to hydro. Not a complaint though.
Here's something I posted in club 600 and wanted you guys to see... sorry if you seen it twice now.
I went shopping today. Got myself:
Ancient Forrest
Living Alaska Humisoil (which I just figured out is basically the same thing as ancient forrest)
Buckaroo Worm Castings (funny brand name)
1 gallon Black Strap Molasses
Then on the way to the car some dude stops his car to ask me if I smoked weed... and if I had any... and if I knew anything about growing... and if I wanted to come chill and smoke at his place and tell him some tips on his plants.
Why the fuck not I thought. We had a good time smoking and playing black ops II. His plants looked ok. Had to LOL at the setup though. Well actually at the whole entire experience, but yeah, the grow op wan't exactly prime. Plants looked good considering. I guess love goes a long way cuz he seemed to like them a lot. Weirdest part was the white pebbles on top of the soil. He said he just thought they might help. And no they weren't mixed in... just a few pebbles sprinkled around.
There was a rather fat man sleeping on the couch the entire time... he woke up breifly to say a confused hello... and once to say 'no' in response to the question "aren't you going to work today". This was around 2pm. There was more fun, but I guess that's enough here.
I also gave a dude and his dog up my mountain. Turned out he was the same guy and dog from Thanksgiving when I found little 'molly' on the street and gave it back to drunky. He was drunk then and again today. He had a messed up hand because he broke up a fight between his dog and a raccoon and the raccoon bit him. Then he got frost bite. Had to come back up the hill to get his antibiotics. It's just amazing how some people live. And it's usually a lot of fun talking to those people. (for about 10 minutes)
And... I learned from my new friend today that co-ops let people volunteer to do random stuff. I guess this dude trims sometimes at the local co-op. People just come in with a moving box full of freshly cut plants (i'm guessing they are ripped off and the peeps want to convert it to cash ASAP). Then volunteers will trim it for cash and product. He said he trimmed for 2 hours last week and got $20 and an 8th of top shelf.
Lol I hate to be a smart ass but isn't it hard to scrog with like 3 pieces of string! Lol again, I kid I kid!I am on my first 'smart pot' grow.... the 1 gallon was from the smart pot line and my 5 gallon is from 'gro pro'. I like the gro pro better as it is taller than the 'smart pot' 5 gallon. (at least the type at my hydro store).
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Actually it is a 6" reach through... I have realized that 6" is way to big to scrog with... though I did use means to tie down branches getting a more "LST" effect than scrog. I have since cut the screen out as it was a hindrance more than anything... hey first scrog... we live and learn... we live and learn.Lol I hate to be a smart as but isn't it hard to scrog with like 3 pieces of string! Lol again, I kid I kid!