Air Pots Vs. Regular Pots

Old milk crates lined with landscaping fabric work wonders. I think the main advantage of smart pots is the lack of mess, other than that they work the same as airpots. The real reason I think yield goes up is because you don't have to put rocks and drainage at the bottom of your pot, and the air trimmed roots. Extra soil + extra viable air root surface area^2= better yields.
Just my opinion,
ILovePlants

Fabric pots work for me.

thehole said:

I get my air pots with handles for $3 per 5 gallon locally. I just started using these this new grow and in veg I've had the best growth and health ever. Can't wait to see what these girls do in flower.

If you are talking about hard plastic air-prune pots don't bother, they are more expensive and fabric pots do the same thing.

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those aren't air pots... They might be fabric pots but not air pots.

I've done a side by side. Air pots verses standard plastic and there was no difference in yield. A friend of mine uses 5 gal air pots and swears by them but at 10-13 dollars a piece fuck that.

Wow ok it seems this thread has really picked up and I got my answer. Looks like ill be looking into getting some air or smart pots. Maybe even try to just construct my own if I have supplies for it already. Thanks for all the feedback guys!

jpill said:

those aren't air pots... They might be fabric pots but not air pots.

I've done a side by side. Air pots verses standard plastic and there was no difference in yield. A friend of mine uses 5 gal air pots and swears by them but at 10-13 dollars a piece fuck that.

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I have used my airpots for almost three years. They have paid for themselves.
I will probably be using them in 20 years.

I have better yields with air pots over my old flood tray with hydroton.

I was not out to save money when weed costs $200 an ounce and I can produce it for less than $15 an ounce. $15 for a pot that I am going to use for possibly life is no big deal. I spent about $130 on pots, big deal. I could sell an ounce and recoup plus extra money.

If I grow one ounce, I save $185 dollars. I look at it that way. I could make bank if I actually sold it.
If I wasn't growing it, I would be buying it.

If you want to try to save money, get the landscape fabric as was mentioned. The smart pots are made out of landscape fabric.
Or try drilling holes in the side of a hempy bucket and lining it with landscape fabric. (Hempy buckets are probably the cheapest way to go)

Go ahead and hate the super roots air pots, but in the long run they are cheaper than smart pots and even landscape fabric.

I just spent $55 on a quart of Floralicious Plus. After I got over my initial, "Wow, $55 for a quart of brown, stinky water" I realize that I can make nearly 1,000 gallons worth of fert with that "expensive" supplement. Isn't that something like $0.05 cents a gallon?

When I think of it that way, it is cheap and I am mad I didn't start using it sooner.

Airpots rule, no ifs ands or buts. Some people prefer smart pots -- I tried'em, have'm, they're sitting unused and i'm still on air pots... i actually own around 75 of them at this point (just got down buying 50 in bulk of the 1.5 gallons. I find the smart pots grow a plant around 150-200% of a regular pot the same size. The holes make it EXTREMELY easy to do tie down training (i use string and paper clips). Watering takes a bit of getting used to but once you get it down it is not that bad. Can definitely be a bit messier than normal pots, but some things are worth a little extra effort in my opinion. Yes, the trick of watering them is to loosen/moisten the top layer of dirt a bit before you start putting water in and to let the water flow slowly rather than dumping it in (which is better for the soil). Transplanting is super easy with airpots -- no turning upside down, you just take the pot off of the plant (not that transplanting is all that hard anyway, but hey)... When I pull a plant down because it's a boy or done for harvest, it has a SOLID root mass that is almost all root and very little soil -- you can't even separate the two practically. I can grow a plant 50-100% bigger in an airpot than a regular pot of same size before having rootbound issues, which means bigger buds. My biggest airpots are 5 gallons, but they'll grow plants like a 7-10 gallon regular pot.

My issues with smart pots -- probably great if you are planning on leaving them in one place until harvest and not moving them -- otherwise the soil shifts and moves. Airpots allow the soil on ALL sides to breathe, including underneath the pot -- air can freely move under an airpot, meaning you can water thoroughly without worrying about overwatering ever -- smartpots get no air on the bottom except on the outside. I tie down a lot, and airpots are a pain for that (no solid surface). There's nothing wrong with smart pots, it's just a matter of personal preference, but there are differences.

another for airpots.. no circling whatsoever

i can show you pics of same clones grown in plastic pots and smat pots ,the smarties are at least twice the size.Personally have never used the air pots as i am not paying that much for some plastic.But the fellar who suggested the weed fabric and milk crates i like it!way to use your head. I have my granny making me some smarties out of weed barrier lol hell she was bored anyway.got a roll of fabric for 8 bucks figure it will make about 15-20 pots (just make sure you get good quality weed barrier some are better than others.)

i think price is an issue in the states.. they are cheap in europe..
but as mentioned previously they last a long long time.

For the average indoor grower who doesn't grow a large # of plants (the average super roots air pot in the sizes most pot growers will use is $3-7 depending on pot size), the cost is not an issue. It was more of an issue for me buying 50 at once, but buying 50 pots of any kind isn't going to be that cheap I'm guessing I'm one of the few who will buy that many air pots as a hobby grower -- most people who are buying enough pots to be concerned about price are making money from selling it so the cost in comparison to what they're making shouldn't be an issue either. I'm willing to pay a dollar or two more per pot to get (what i consider) the best pot around for this kind of grow. There are knockoff air pots now available as well so guessing they're probably cheaper. Saw some at the hydro store last time I was there. I like the originals and I'm stickin to'em. Only the best for my lil girls.

Products that support root pruning are designed for perennials, not an annual like cannabis. You don't have the time to get the full benefit. Not saying it won't help, just saying not as much as dwarf lime tree. Any time you terminate the root tip which induces branching you'll get an incredible increase in salts and water uptake. Here's such an experiment I did - https://www.rollitup.org/general-marijuana-growing/9114-spin-out-chemical-root-pruning.html

I use Root Maker pots.

UB

Another tip when usin airpots and your havin dificulty with soil/cocco runnin out if your holes in the sude of the pots is to try and make a crater in the medium so it looks like a volcano on the surface area were u water your girls which will give u a more evenly watered pot when your done waterin !!