rootmaker pots

[brian]

I have to say I'm really sold on these.  Millet sent me a sample last year and it clearly fixes the circling root problem.  Thanks again, Millet.

# This is a moro blood orange on unknown rootstock from Home Depot.

Here is the tree last summer as purchased:



And today:

[swimmingfree]

boy that a good looking root lot of fine roots ...   wood like to no more about the rootmaker pots???
swimmingfree

[brian]

The website has pretty good info: http://citrus.forumup.org/viewtopic.php?t=8229&highlight=rootmaker&mforum=citrus

I ordered the 100ft roll from a hydroponics website and repotted all of my trees in them.  100ft should make around 25-30 1ft-diameter pots which are about the size of a 5-gallon nursery pot, maybe larger.  I zip tie sturdy landscape fabric to the bottom after assemblind the pots because I move them around a lot, but it seems once the roots take hold you don't even need a bottom. 




They are fairly expensive, I think I paid around $350 for the roll.  I'm not sure how much normal pots cost because all of mine were from other purchased orchard trees that I saved, I've never actually paid for pots aside from these so who knows.  They are sturdy and reusable and once the trees outgrow the assembled pots it looks like you can just join two pieces together to make a larger one.

They sell individual pots of all sizes but I've never tried them. 

[Chas]

http://citrus.forumup.org/about8826-citrus.html 

[shaneatwell]

I got a set of different sizes after reading this thread.

http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=7511.0

just repotted into them last weekend.

[swimmingfree]

when did some a lot of reading on what you guys posted.. good read been to the spot bad reader go  youtub buy it looks to be a sweet thing....   i did look on line there not cheep pots but as youtub is some one on there drill a lot of holes in a cheep pot and said it wood do the same ...me im not so sure ...  did see a pot that was for sale that had a hell of a lot of hole in it ...   looks like a grate thing...
swimmingfree

[brian]

You might be able to grow them in a burlap bag or wrapped landscaping fabric to acheive a similar effect, not sure.   I think some people do a fabric bad inside of another pot.

[swimmingfree]

i seen some growing bag on the net just not sure i like the look of them at all ... dont look like thay wood hold up for long ...
swimmingfree

[Plantcrazy2230]

I bought 3 Superroots container, look just like Rootmakers.  Was going to order from  Rootmaker but found Superroot containers localy! will let everyone know how my citrus tree grow in Superrots containers. Let the test begin!

[Millet]

Swimmiingfree,  Drilling holes into the sides of a regular container does not work.  When I first got interested in Air Root Pruning Containers I did drill a lot of holes in the side of a standard container.  The roots that did not hit EXACTLY a hole begin to circle around the inside of the container, and of course all the roots that actually hit the side of the container also begin to circle around and around inside the container.  A root grows like a bullet goes.  Meaning once a root starts growing in a direction, it will always continue in that direction until it finally hits an object that redirects it.  In side a container it never stops circling.    Air Root Containers have guides that direct all roots to an air root pruning opening.  Air Root Pruning containers are the best containers available.  I really like Root Maker. - Millet

[swimmingfree]

Millet that what i was thinking just a wast of time drilling all the holes ... did look up Superoots Air-pot and Amazon.com‎ had a nice price on them in 6 packs....
swimmingfree


 

[swimmingfree]

superoots i no its spelled wrong but if you put in in e bay you get 48  hits ...all size and you can get just one///
swimmingfree

[Millet]

Swimmingfree, I have never tried Superroots, but my guess is that they should also work fine. . Thanks for the suggestion. - Millet

[NewGen]

What about using Microkote to paint the inside of a regular pot? Supposedly, that stuff retards and/or kills the end of those roots that touch it, therefore promote more lateral branching off the "killed" roots.

[Millet]

MicroKote is designed to improve nutrition and root development of plants grown in containers. MicroKote contains calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese and zinc bound in a latex coating to provide delayed release of the nutrients when the roots reach the sides of the container. The actual purpose of Microkote is supposed to be a deliver system of micro nutrient and not root pruning.  In the past there has been copper coated containers used for root pruning by coating the inside of the container wall to kill the root tips, supposedly causing root branching.  Copper is an essential element for plant growth, but copper coated pots release huge quantities of copper into the container growth medium, thereby destroying the desirable ratios and proportions among the micronutrients.  John Ruther found that 3,000 ppm of copper is needed to do root pruning.  This  amount of copper cause a problem of copper in excess, absorption of iron becomes restricted, causing the common chlorosis of plants in copper coated pots.  - Millet

[fyliu]

Thanks for the Cooper explanation. I hadn't thought of toxicity. I was mainly concerned with root gas exchange.

I bought a roll of rootbuilder last weekend to try out. 360 is pretty expensive compared to 10 cent 1 gallon and 30 cent 3 gallon nursery pots. I made pots of various sizes to see how they looked. I have blueberry and miracle fruit and onion in them now.

What do you recommend making with it? I see some people leave a few rows extra for future expansion. Is it more effective as large containers or small?

I'm planning to make a perimeter around my dragonfruit tubs that are breaking down. I figured this material would work. I see a video of cactus gardens indside these.

[Millet]

fyliu, Air Root Pruning containers (ARPC) are equally efficient in both large, smaller, and medium sized containers.  Containers up to 250-gallon size can be made with ARPC.  ARPC work on what is called the 4-inch rule.  When a hedge is pruned have you ever noticed where the new side branches begin growing?  It is 4-inches back from the pruning cut.  This is exactly the same with roots.  When the root tip is pruned off, the branching of new side roots starts growing out 4-inches back from they were they were air pruned.   Further when these newly grown young  side roots grow and they also reach the air pruning holes, they too are pruned, and the 4-inch rule starts all over again on them.  As with conventional containers, you will never find root circling  around and around inside the containe.  Root circling never occurs with ARPC..  Many, many times the number of rooting occur in ARPC than in conventional nursery pot. - Millet

[gunnar429]

are there any downsides?

[brian]

*If* you are using the roll to build your own pots and *if* you attach landscape fabric to the bottom like I do they are time consuming to assemble.  If you leave them without a bottom it is just two or three zip ties to hold it together.  I've never done this because it seems to be like the dirt would just fall out when lifted until they are established.

They may also dry out slightly faster but it is hard for me to tell because until recently I only had one tree in a rootmaker pot and it was by far the largest one so it would suck up water very fast.

[fyliu]

I attached landscape fabric with a stapler. Probably not as good as using zipties.
I'm growing in an apartment patio so I'm trying to not get the ground wet. So I put everything in trays.

[Millet]

I have never attached anything to the bottom .   I just set it on concrete, or I purchase the root trapping material made to set the ARPC upon.   If you make a large ARPC, and set on the soil with an open bottom, then it works the same as a raised bed . - Millet

[Millet]

RootMaker also makes a product called a Root Cap.  I use them on top of all my containers.  They really save on water and reduces weed from  growing on the top of the root ball.  they also extends the time between watering and thus fertilizing. - MIllet

http://www.rootmaker.com/retail_products.php?Pageload=53

[swimmingfree]

found these today..
swimmingfree
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Superoot-Air-pot-2-gal-equivalent-7-5-L-/171312431199?pt=US_Hydroponics&hash=item27e304405f

[Millet]

Swimmingfree, those should also work just fine. - Milllet

[Tom]

Millet, on the link you provided the 'new' pot licker also sounds very interesting. No picture yet. I have always liked the way the rootmaker pots sound and work but nobody around here uses them. There are some very savy growers around here but they sell their stuff so fast they don't think root maker type stuff is ' worth ' it. It makes perfect sense to me. It's a little weird the only thing not recommended to grow in rootmaker pots are pecan trees. Tom