Author Topic: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?  (Read 11848 times)

Triloba Tracker

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Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« on: March 28, 2014, 03:48:23 PM »
Finally time to attempt to germinate my Asimina triloba seeds. Recommendation is to use the tall (14-16 inches) and skinny (about 4 inches) "tree starter" or "seedling" pots, but they are not available locally and too expensive for my tastes to order.

Anyone have any ideas for cheap alternatives? I've seen suggestions of 2-liter soda bottles (cheap or free) or PVC (seems hardly if any cheaper than the pots)......

Any other suggestions welcome.

shaneatwell

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #1 on: March 28, 2014, 04:01:44 PM »
I do all my mangoes sandwiched in damp paper towels in a ziplock. Mine have been going in ground after the taproot gets to about 6 inches, which you might or might not want to do  ;)
Shane

fyliu

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #2 on: March 28, 2014, 04:03:03 PM »
Plastic bubble tea cups or plastic cups from diners and fast food restaurants.

I have some seeds from January but they haven't germinated. Do you think they might be duds?

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2014, 04:06:28 PM »
Yeah, A. triloba has very long taproot evidently, hence the suggestion for the tall pots. I would be planning to plant in-ground once they are about 2 feet tall.

fyliu - did you stratify your seeds first? Could be the issue if not. But hear they take a while to actually send up a shoot.

shaneatwell

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #4 on: March 28, 2014, 04:23:40 PM »
I've read that the tap root can be many multiples of the above ground plant, which is the main reason I put them into the ground right away. I'm planting many per location and will select the best growing from those.
Shane

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #5 on: March 28, 2014, 10:50:04 PM »
I didn't stratify the seeds. I got them from an exchange and planted them in tall cups.

ricshaw

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #6 on: March 29, 2014, 12:00:07 AM »
Interesting...  I just received 9 treepots from Greenhouse Megastore.
http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/product/treepots/s
I did not think they were expensive (I ordered some other pots).



You can use milk cartons like Tim Thompson suggests on his How to grow a Mango Tree from Seed YouTube video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBvCgDMOEN0
« Last Edit: March 29, 2014, 12:01:49 AM by ricshaw »

Triloba Tracker

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #7 on: March 29, 2014, 09:29:39 AM »
Thanks, ricshaw. I think I found that site earlier but the shipping was really high, something like $12 .... it just kills me to pay more than the product value for shipping, but maybe I will.

Cheers!

Mark in Texas

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #8 on: March 29, 2014, 11:26:21 AM »
Interesting...  I just received 9 treepots from Greenhouse Megastore.
http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/product/treepots/s
I did not think they were expensive (I ordered some other pots).



You can use milk cartons like Tim Thompson suggests on his How to grow a Mango Tree from Seed YouTube video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBvCgDMOEN0

I used both the small and large treepots and they're excellent.  Greenhouse Megastore is a rip.  Buy them direct from Stuewe Supply.  Sometimes they sell seconds which work fine.   You will need some kind of support for treepots as they don't have a stable base and are top heavy.  A cinder block works fine turned on its side.  Just drop them into the hole.

If you really want to kick it up a notch spray the inside of a treepot with a root pruning paint.

If you have a root radicle that is 6" long you either have to have a lot of luck and/or surgeon's hands to not damage it mechanically when planting.  I'm a simple man, which means they go in the soil to germinate.

ricshaw

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #9 on: March 29, 2014, 11:54:21 AM »
Thanks, ricshaw. I think I found that site earlier but the shipping was really high, something like $12 .... it just kills me to pay more than the product value for shipping, but maybe I will.
Cheers!

I bought:

10    Coex Square Pots - True 2 Quart, 5.5" Square Pot
10    Kord Regal Standard Pots - 6" diameter x 5-3/4" tall, Green
9    Treepots - 4" x 14" pot

The total shipping was $7.99.

The total cost per pot was cheaper than big box stores or eBay (less than a buck per pot).

« Last Edit: March 29, 2014, 11:56:10 AM by ricshaw »

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #10 on: March 29, 2014, 12:20:34 PM »
I have a suggestion for you , for a tree pot , That I seen before, go to any local carpet store, ask ,or look through the dumpster for the 4 inch plus, by 12 ft. carpet rolls hard cardboard tubes, that the carpet rolls come wrapped, around  they are really strong and , I was told they will last for over a year. The ones that I'd  seen, were 18+ inches high, had a piece of round 3/4 " wood , on the inside, nailed from the outside, and a larger scrap piece, of plywood base, nail to it for stabilization, but you can use a lid or something. This home made tree pot  wont cost a dime, scrap tube and pieces of wood from a local sub division, home under construction.
Carlos

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #11 on: March 29, 2014, 10:27:51 PM »
Thanks everyone for the great advice. I think since I'm such a novice and I'm not 100% sure what I'm going to do with these pawpaws if I get them to germinate anyway, I am leaning towards some kind of DIY deal.

At the moment I am thinking of using some seltzer/tonic water bottles that are about 12'' high and maybe 3'' diameter. Even if I just go buy it, it's maybe 70 cents for a bottle of the stuff...

Mark in Texas

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #12 on: March 29, 2014, 10:30:11 PM »
At the moment I am thinking of using some seltzer/tonic water bottles that are about 12'' high and maybe 3'' diameter. Even if I just go buy it, it's maybe 70 cents for a bottle of the stuff...

Good luck with the algae control, which can kill your faves.

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #13 on: March 30, 2014, 06:32:17 PM »
2 to 4 inch pvc pipe.

People throw these things away all the time.

Mesh screens or duct tape as bottoms.



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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #14 on: March 30, 2014, 08:58:46 PM »
2 to 4 inch pvc pipe.
People throw these things away all the time.
Mesh screens or duct tape as bottoms.



How hard is it to get them out of PVC pipe when planting?

DuncanYoung

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #15 on: March 30, 2014, 09:16:11 PM »
The root ball will slide right out.  Have used for oak trees and works great.  Used a wire mess bottom

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #16 on: March 30, 2014, 09:53:14 PM »
At the moment I am thinking of using some seltzer/tonic water bottles that are about 12'' high and maybe 3'' diameter. Even if I just go buy it, it's maybe 70 cents for a bottle of the stuff...

Good luck with the algae control, which can kill your faves.

Hmmm you've got me there. As long as there's proper drainage ...?
Completely possible I'm overlooking something.

Natch - I wish I knew of some dumpsters with that kind of loot! 

Not ruling out real tree pots if I can find locally after all.

Guanabanus

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #17 on: March 30, 2014, 10:03:26 PM »
Those commercial tree pots with the deep lengthwise striations are far better than pipes or bottles, because the striations discourage circling of roots.
Har

Mark in Texas

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #18 on: March 31, 2014, 07:48:43 AM »
Those commercial tree pots with the deep lengthwise striations are far better than pipes or bottles, because the striations discourage circling of roots.

Yep.  Those internal ridges are extruded in there for a reason.  That and the corners prevents spin out by directing the roots down.  Like I said, if you really want to kick it up a notch then you paint the bottom with a root pruning paint like MicroKote.

I've gone so far as to dig a square hole in my clay loam when planting trees outdoors.  The roots will circle, find the corner and turn into the native soil....or at least that is the theory.
« Last Edit: March 31, 2014, 07:50:53 AM by Mark in Texas »

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #19 on: March 31, 2014, 08:58:36 AM »
i use 3 liter bottles
i get them from the 1$ store for soda

I use an exacto knife (small, very sharp)
to punch dozens of holes in it

Its worked real well for Papaya, dragonfruit, passionflower, opuntia etc...

Never used it on Mango or Pawpaw however.

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #20 on: March 31, 2014, 09:53:41 AM »
Great info guys. Thanks. Yep I noticed the commercial pots are designed to discourage root circling.

NaturalGreenthumb

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #21 on: April 02, 2014, 01:40:27 AM »
Im no expert but

 I believe that root circlling only occurs if there is a bottom that is blocking the roots from going deeper.

Just because its in a prefab treepots dosnt mean the root won't ciricle. It just means the root will go straight deeper before it will circle if you don't replant it to a deeper medium.

PVC works

Tall Pot Planting Program

ricshaw

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #22 on: April 02, 2014, 02:01:56 AM »
Some commercial avocado growers (like Brokaw Nursery) use plastic sleeves for grafted seedlings.



Easier to plant an orchard with "sleeves" compared to nursery pots.
« Last Edit: April 02, 2014, 02:04:22 AM by ricshaw »

Mark in Texas

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #23 on: April 02, 2014, 08:56:49 AM »
Im no expert but

 I believe that root circlling only occurs if there is a bottom that is blocking the roots from going deeper.

Just because its in a prefab treepots dosnt mean the root won't ciricle. It just means the root will go straight deeper before it will circle if you don't replant it to a deeper medium.

Of course it circles unless you paint the bottom of the pot with a root pruning paint which I suggested previously - "if you want to kick it up a notch...."

I just take my fingers and break up the spin-out or use a knife to cut thru it if the roots are woody and tough, in the case of a perennial like a pecan or peach tree.   

A commercial grower has different goals, profit motives, costs for labor and materials compared to backyard hobbyists.  I buy my baby pines in sleeves, 100 hundred at a time.  It's the only way to go.

Mark

Mark in Texas

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #24 on: April 02, 2014, 09:02:52 AM »
The root ball will slide right out.  Have used for oak trees and works great.  Used a wire mess bottom

If you can get them off the ground with the bottoms exposed to air and IF the RH isn't super high all the time, you will have bottom root pruning.

Another tweek of mine with rootballs that have severe spin-out - I'll pop the rootball out and using a razor blade or sharp knife cut into the rootball about 1/2" drawing the knife from top to bottom.  About 4 vertical slices around the ball will do it.  With every cut of the root you'll get incredible lateral root output....that's a good thang.   ;)

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #25 on: April 24, 2014, 11:21:41 AM »
Had lost track of this discussion....some great additional info guys - thanks!

I just got a quote from Stuewe for 9 14'' Treepots and a tray to put them in....over $20. $15 of that was shipping.  Are you kidding me?

I can't believe the ribbed treepots are so hard to get for a reasonable price. I will re-check the greenhouse megastore.

LivingParadise

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #26 on: April 24, 2014, 06:04:42 PM »
For anyone still considering this issue, check out the current thread about plant bags, it will have other good ideas for you.

I do everything on the cheap unless an expensive solution is required. And plants are often very happy with cheap. I see no reason to buy anything special. You can make the shape that you need with a plastic bag, stapled or taped together. Punch holes in the bottom and a few on the sizes for good drainage and air. Fill it up, and put it inside a vase or a pot you already have for stability. When it's ready to plant, all you need to do is set it in the hole, cut down the side with scissors, and pull the plastic out of the hole, with no roots harmed. Very easy, nearly free. I am have grown hundreds of seedlings and transplanted many in a similar manner, with no problems.

I like the idea of using cardboard tubes, like cutting up mailing tubes. One could do the same thing with toilet paper and paper towel tubes, simply cutting two and stapling them together if they need to be wider. You can plant in cardboard boxes too - plants don't care if the container is round or square really. As long as you only need them to last a few months before planting, cardboard is fine. Just remember, whether using cardboard, plastic bags, plastic bottles, old cans, or any other material, to punch sufficient holes first before adding the dirt to allow very good drainage and good air to the roots, so nothing molds over. Your only limitation is what can you make good holes in? If you have good tools, the answer is - everything!

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #27 on: April 24, 2014, 06:10:57 PM »
For anyone still considering this issue, check out the current thread about plant bags, it will have other good ideas for you.

I do everything on the cheap unless an expensive solution is required. And plants are often very happy with cheap. I see no reason to buy anything special. You can make the shape that you need with a plastic bag, stapled or taped together. Punch holes in the bottom and a few on the sizes for good drainage and air. Fill it up, and put it inside a vase or a pot you already have for stability. When it's ready to plant, all you need to do is set it in the hole, cut down the side with scissors, and pull the plastic out of the hole, with no roots harmed. Very easy, nearly free. I am have grown hundreds of seedlings and transplanted many in a similar manner, with no problems.

I like the idea of using cardboard tubes, like cutting up mailing tubes. One could do the same thing with toilet paper and paper towel tubes, simply cutting two and stapling them together if they need to be wider. You can plant in cardboard boxes too - plants don't care if the container is round or square really. As long as you only need them to last a few months before planting, cardboard is fine. Just remember, whether using cardboard, plastic bags, plastic bottles, old cans, or any other material, to punch sufficient holes first before adding the dirt to allow very good drainage and good air to the roots, so nothing molds over. Your only limitation is what can you make good holes in? If you have good tools, the answer is - everything!

Thanks, LP!

Not sure cardboard is viable for Asimina triloba, as I was planning, per expert advice, to leave them in the pots for as much as 2 years. They require shade until roughly age 2, and it's easier to shade a small area of pots than a large planting of seeds in the ground.

I did buy some water in straight-sided bottles about 13 inches tall and 2-3 inches wide. $1 apiece. May use those.

I keep hearing "long taproot" with A. triloba so not sure how much height they really need. I should probably just shut up and do something.

LivingParadise

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #28 on: April 24, 2014, 06:41:56 PM »
Yeah, I don't know that species specifically, but it sounds a lot like the growing conditions for Mangosteen in as much as "early shade," "long taproot," etc.

The mangosteen I bought has a pot that is a real pot but looks like the shape of Mark in Texas' picture of plastic ones, almost vial-shaped. It is at a point where it needs to come out and be planted, but was quite healthy in this thing. So I would say, just research how long/how much space the taproot will need at the 2 year mark, and make a container for it.

If you use the plastic water bottle, make extra sure to give it plenty of holes - firm plastic does not breathe well at all, so it will need a few more than some of the other materials that give more with the expanding and contracting of soil and the change in size of the plant. A few in the bottom for drainage, and maybe one every 2 square inches or something around for air circulation. There is no problem with putting too many, if it dries out to much you can just put a plastic bag loosely over it to help keep the soil moist.

You could also build a suitable pot out of scrap wood and drill holes, for something that will easily last the 2 years, especially if it will be outdoors some of that time.

Personally, I would just stick it in a bag that I stapled to the shape of what I want. It will take all of 2 minutes to make, and last 2 years. Punch a few holes, stick it in a vase or lean it against something heavy, and you're done. Only because I find hard plastic more difficult to worth with to make holes, and it holds moisture so well you have to be really vigilant about mold or root rot. Not impossible though, I just find it higher maintenance. The bag, if made a little loose, allows plenty of room for the soil to breathe and shift a little, which plants seem to like.

Maybe it doesn't matter for just one pot, but I do find that the obsession with gardening adds up quickly, because all it takes is successfully growing one plant before you find yourself starting to grow hundreds, and so nearly-free solutions become a must! I have hundreds of grown plants right now, and including the seedlings maybe a thousand, so if I didn't keep it simple I would be out on the street! :)
« Last Edit: April 25, 2014, 08:35:31 AM by LivingParadise »

Mark in Texas

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #29 on: April 25, 2014, 09:31:05 AM »
I should probably just shut up and do something.

Don't jerry rig this....life's too short.  Terminate that taproot tip (to induce a fibrous root system) with copper hydroxide paint or an air/light root pruning system. Based on experience, I recommend MicroKote (Griffin's Spin-Out paint is hard to get and expensive) or RootMaker products.

Good luck

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #30 on: April 25, 2014, 09:36:16 AM »
Undoubtedly great advice, Mark.....appreciate it!

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #31 on: April 25, 2014, 09:46:03 AM »
I'm liking starting plants in tall clear plastic cups like like you get with an overpriced coffee from Starstrucks, with the dome lid and holes drilled in the bottom for drainage.  Easy to cover and hold humidity in during the crucial germination phase and you can see if the roots are bottoming out in the cup since it is clear.  You won't be able to make 2 feet before a repot tho.

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #32 on: April 29, 2014, 10:28:10 PM »
I was having a discussion with someone regarding fabric pot alternatives, and two other ideas came up out of it.

Tiny insect screening, especially layered twice or more (layer at angles for smallest holes) to hold potting soil in - or not if you're planting something in peat or bark chips, etc. - can mimic the benefits of fabric pots without the price tag.

Another idea, which is essentially free and especially good for the long taproot situation, is discarded pantyhose. You can get it in roughly the shape you need, pretty much as long as you could need, it cn stretch to accommodate a wider root, and it's easy to get free. Most are made of non-degradable inorganic materials (make sure of course that's what you have). You can layer as many of them on top of each other as you want to control air flow and thus moisture, and to make sure the soil is held in. Putting a stake inside will help to keep shape. And theoretically, once you have a strong stem growing out of it, you could tie off the end to ensure no soil spills, and dip the entire thing directly in water and let it drain off in a pot or leaning outside to water it. (Thinking about it, this would be a hell of a lot less messy than the weekly dunking process recommended for my orchid, in which bark chips end up everywhere...)  Hmm... I may try this myself! Pantyhose Pots - Trademark!  :)

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #33 on: May 17, 2014, 02:59:07 PM »
I know everyone's dying to know what I ended up doing ... </sarcasm>

In the end, I decided I was too cheap to spend money on pots, trays, and/or MicroKote at this point. Given my utter lack of experience and skill, I figured I'd first try doing this on the cheap. If I fail with this, I'll go the "pro" route.

So I used some clear "selzer" or "tonic water" bottles, about 1 liter size. First, I cut the tops off the bottles of course. Then I sliced the bottom off the "feet" of the bottles and used a hole-punch to make several holes around the bottom and top of the bottles, as far as I could reach with the hole-punch. Lastly, I heated up an awl and punched lots of holes, about 1/8 inch diameter, all around the sides of the bottle.

The downside is that the pots are only 8 inches tall (3 inches wide). 14'' pots are considered ideal, apparently.

For the potting mix for the Asimina triloba seeds, I screened some basic potting mix thru 1/4-inch hardware cloth, then blended with Turface MVP and Gran-i-Grit in about a 7:1.5:1.5 ratio.
The seeds were sown at a depth of 1 inch.

So far there are no adverse signs...we'll see how it goes.

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #34 on: July 21, 2014, 12:47:47 PM »
ok
i just realized this is an older thread
but i was wondering what you all thought of fabric pots ?

i hear lots of good stuff, from different sources.
i have a ~3ft Jaboticaba in i think a 7 gallon regular plastic pot.
i am thinking of getting a fabric pot, creating my own,
or just punching dozens of holes in the one it is in

i hate to put it through the stress of re-potting unless really needed,
but, again, i hear the fabric pots can make the root system much better.

making my own is an option
i was thinking of a plastic cloths hamper,
and lining it with cloth, or cheesecloth ?


probably have to punch a few holes in the bottom
and stand it on a few bricks.

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #35 on: July 21, 2014, 12:56:33 PM »
ok
i just realized this is an older thread
but i was wondering what you all thought of fabric pots ?

i hear lots of good stuff, from different sources.
i have a ~3ft Jaboticaba in i think a 7 gallon regular plastic pot.
i am thinking of getting a fabric pot, creating my own,
or just punching dozens of holes in the one it is in

i hate to put it through the stress of re-potting unless really needed,
but, again, i hear the fabric pots can make the root system much better.

making my own is an option
i was thinking of a plastic cloths hamper,
and lining it with cloth, or cheesecloth ?


probably have to punch a few holes in the bottom
and stand it on a few bricks.

Howdy, Greenman

There are lots of fans of fabric pots on this forum, including CoPlantNut who I believe uses them exclusively or nearly so. Another option of course are Superoots or Rootbuilder pots. I went with Superoots for some plants to, in theory, save on growing media costs. They claim to grow equivalent plants in less volume than a traditional or fabric pot. And they are reusable. Not sure that fabric pots would be.

As for your question about a homemade pot - I would think it might work to do what you're suggesting but I would suspect the roots will grow into the fabric and make it hard to remove down the road (but not impossible). I believe this also occurs with fabric pots but is not a show-stopper (or else people wouldn't use them so much).

If you don't want to disturb the plant, I would think punching holes in the existing pot would be better than nothing.

But I'm a total beginner so take what I say with a grain of salt.

Good luck!

fyliu

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #36 on: July 21, 2014, 02:21:29 PM »
I made my own fabric pots by stapling together some landscape fabrics. It didn't work so well for me. Maybe it's because I live in an apartment and hosing the pot really wet isn't an option. My plants did not receive enough water.

I switched to rootmaker recently. It's different than punching holes in a regular pot. Punching holes will dry out the outer inch of soil. Using airpot or rootmaker will dry out the bits of soil that's protruding out. Rootmaker may have the advantage of shielding the top part of the holes to keep the sun off the roots, but I'm not sure if it's really significant at all.

Doglips

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #37 on: July 22, 2014, 08:11:24 AM »
A clothes basket sounds flimsy not to mention the sun will turn it into dust in time.  Unless you are looking for something real short term, I wouldn't go that way.

Mark in Texas

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #38 on: July 22, 2014, 08:15:50 AM »
Please don't jerry rig this.  Go with copper hydroxide root pruning paints, RootMaker/Rootbuilder, or fabric pots although the latter comes with maintenance headaches due to excessive drying out.

A laundry basket will not hold the potting soil well, does not direct the roots outside into air/light, and will soon rot.

Triloba Tracker

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #39 on: July 22, 2014, 08:33:05 AM »
Please don't jerry rig this.  Go with copper hydroxide root pruning paints, RootMaker/Rootbuilder, or fabric pots although the latter comes with maintenance headaches due to excessive drying out.

A laundry basket will not hold the potting soil well, does not direct the roots outside into air/light, and will soon rot.

Root pruning paint is high on my "to buy" list.

Mark in Texas

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #40 on: July 22, 2014, 09:02:26 AM »
Root pruning paint is high on my "to buy" list.

If I had to recommend a root tip pruning method that is a sure 100% (if done correctly of course) I'd have to go with a copper hydroxide paint.  You can make your own and save big money.  I've successfully root pruned pines, cypress, veggies, fruits, oaks, annuals, etc.  It works on everything.

Triloba Tracker

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #41 on: July 22, 2014, 09:53:22 AM »
Root pruning paint is high on my "to buy" list.

If I had to recommend a root tip pruning method that is a sure 100% (if done correctly of course) I'd have to go with a copper hydroxide paint.  You can make your own and save big money.  I've successfully root pruned pines, cypress, veggies, fruits, oaks, annuals, etc.  It works on everything.

oooooo make your own? Do tell! I'm nothing if not a cheapskate....

Mark in Texas

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Re: Tree Starter Pot a.k.a. Seedling Pot alternatives?
« Reply #42 on: July 22, 2014, 10:26:01 AM »