Greenhouse, RootMaker pots for tropicals and fruit "porn"

[mangomandan]

Hi Mark,     I'm curious as to why you use bottomless pots.  Do you never have to move your trees?

[simon_grow]

Thanks for the information Mark! I love these pots already. The soil in the pot is drying up much faster than the soil in my conventional pots which is a good thing because I have lots of organic matter in my potting soil which tends to hold a lot of water. I'm also thinking about using these pots without the bottom so that the taproot can grow into the soil. By growing my plants this way, I hope I can benefit from faster warming of the soil and also decrease the risk of wet feet.
Simon

[Mark in Texas]

Are these pots similar to superoots? Your plants are so healthy thanks

Looks like a carbon copy but quite a bit more expensive than a roll of RootBuilder.  http://www.superoots.com/air_intro.htm

[Mark in Texas]

Hi Mark,     I'm curious as to why you use bottomless pots.  Do you never have to move your trees?

Nope, but you can buy the base or individual pots.   http://www.rootmaker.com/products_bases.php#jump  Greenhouse ridge is 18', walls 10'.  I have heavy clay loam and fractured the soil with 2' deep subsoiler attached to the 3 pt. on my tractor before erecting the greenhouse.  Treated the future placement as I would a typical farm row.

Being that I'm in calcareous soil I worked in sulfur to open it up further with a digging fork.  Ca + S = calcium sulfate aka gypsum.

Here's what I use - http://www.rootmaker.com/products_expandable.php#jump

[Mark in Texas]

Thanks for the information Mark! I love these pots already. The soil in the pot is drying up much faster than the soil in my conventional pots which is a good thing because I have lots of organic matter in my potting soil which tends to hold a lot of water. I'm also thinking about using these pots without the bottom so that the taproot can grow into the soil. By growing my plants this way, I hope I can benefit from faster warming of the soil and also decrease the risk of wet feet.
Simon

The deep roots will also harvest the nutrients and water that you applied to the top of your pot.  After backfilling my pots with a 50/50 mix of organics/inorganics I gently work in a handful of 18-4-9 Polyon with micros, 12 month release into the top.  Harrell's is the brand I use.  It's a Florida distributor, I think.

Yeah, it's next to impossible to over-water your plants and create a root rot issue.

To really kick it up a notch harvest rain water, they love it!  If interested I can take photos of my setup, it's easy peasy.

Have fun!

[Zambezi]

Great work Mark, the trees are looking really healthy.  The mangoes have settled in nicely!

Thanks.  If you're ever in the area please give me a holler.

I will.. 
hehe As long as I get to see those gorgeous horses of yours..

[Mark in Texas]

I will.. 
hehe As long as I get to see those gorgeous horses of yours..

Sure can.  Neighbor raises Friesian and they're for sale.  Bring your trailer with you.

This is Eros, a very vivacious stud stallion in a stall we put up during our Christmas selling season last year for the kiddies.  What a purty boy! 



They have an interesting history.  Very large draft horses that were bred for their strength, cunning, and speed to carry knights donned in heavy armor.

Mark

[Doglips]

Can those pots be stacked vertically?

[MarinFla]

Great Job.

[Mark in Texas]

Can those pots be stacked vertically?

In the second link I gave they have what they call "double height".  Before using this system I got all worked having read how much cados needed perfect drainage so I added a 8" tall piece to the typical 16" piece.  Found out I didn't need it so I've been using one original only.                   

#30331   RB-30H   Double height (96 panels)

Curious, why would you want to double stack?  For the same reasoning as I had?

[CTMIAMI]

Mark any of your Oro Negro turning dark? They are in So Fl a bit early this year.

[Mark in Texas]

Mark any of your Oro Negro turning dark? They are in So Fl a bit early this year.

No.  Couple of hours ago I sent you a PM about when to pick.  Let it go black on the tree?  If so, any more hang time needed after full color change?

[CTMIAMI]

Last year my Oro Negro was dropping fruit like a bomber after mid December. Last year it had its problem with scab but I would say this is not fruit that will stay in the tree long after it matures or turns dark.  I'm monitoring very close this year.

[Saltcayman]

Really nice results mark. I'll have to check those out

[Doglips]

I will.. 
hehe As long as I get to see those gorgeous horses of yours..

Sure can.  Neighbor raises Friesian and they're for sale.  Bring your trailer with you.

This is Eros, a very vivacious stud stallion in a stall we put up during our Christmas selling season last year for the kiddies.  What a purty boy! 



They have an interesting history.  Very large draft horses that were bred for their strength, cunning, and speed to carry knights donned in heavy armor.

Mark

or plowing fields.

[Zambezi]

Eros is a Beautiful stallion!!..

Neighbor raises Friesian and they're for sale.  Bring your trailer with you.

hehe It's so tempting!! 

Thank you!

[Mark in Texas]

Time for an update from this nefarious cranky old pHart.   To you old salty (tropical) dogs living in the warm great outdoors of Florida, SoCal, etc....... you'll probably find this a bit boring.    To me that has never even seen a mango bloom before, it's a trip, man.   

PIN 3 gal. -> RootBuilder 20 gal. pot - a Pickering mango from PIN with at least 5 leafs flushes and 4 sets of blooms since planting last September....incredible.....



Young Pickering flowering, yay!



Mallika radically topped upon receipt, just now coming out of dormancy with new foliar output top to bottom.



Sharwil flowering.  Notice short internodes.  The profile of this 2012 grafted tree suggests <small>.




....and finally a PIN Brogdon taken down to a stump to make a cocktail tree consisting of dwarfs - Hazzard, Rincon, and one secret scion come next spring.


There is something about the Brogdon that none of my scions like and I've tried many a variety for a couple of years in a row.  I'm now on my third try with this stump this year and so far only the Hazzard looks like it's going to push.  When, I don't know.     It's been very cold this winter. Everything seems to be a month behind.  Mama natur rules.

Wife doesn't like mango but like Juan Pablo says (ABC recent bachelor),  "Dats OK.  I like dat!!!"   

[bangkok]

Good job Mark! Now you became a real member of the forum since you have seen a mangoflower.

I see mangoflowers every day since the last 6 months and mango's are everywhere here now. I have seen the first avocadoflowers of my life this week.

[Mark in Texas]

Good job Mark! Now you became a real member of the forum since you have seen a mangoflower.

I see mangoflowers every day since the last 6 months and mango's are everywhere here now. I have seen the first avocadoflowers of my life this week.

Yah sah, kinda purty.

What cados did you end up with?

[Tropicaliste]

Could someone give their opinion on a injection molded rootbuilder pot vs. the rootbuilder kit II?  If they do the same thing, but the IM rootbuilder pots cheaper, why get the kit?  For height?  I'd appreciate some input.

I've used fabric pots for the past few years.  By the name of "GroBag", but it dries quick, the fabric wicks away the moisture. These non fabric ones seem superior, glad the price has become more reasonable over time. 

[LEOOEL]

Congrats Mark in Texas, nice going.

[bangkok]

Good job Mark! Now you became a real member of the forum since you have seen a mangoflower.

I see mangoflowers every day since the last 6 months and mango's are everywhere here now. I have seen the first avocadoflowers of my life this week.

Yah sah, kinda purty.

What cados did you end up with?

Just cado's Marc, a cado is a cado here. And if you don't ask for awooocadoooo then they will say: no have.

I  have a Peterson, Booth7 and one the size/shape of a hass. The hass-like was flowering allready at 1.5 feet tall, another one i saw this week had a small fruit allready and was same size, grafted.

They are very hard to find in Thailand, you guys are so lucky with all those great variety's.

[Mark in Texas]

Could someone give their opinion on a injection molded rootbuilder pot vs. the rootbuilder kit II?  If they do the same thing, but the IM rootbuilder pots cheaper, why get the kit?  For height?  I'd appreciate some input.

I've used fabric pots for the past few years.  By the name of "GroBag", but it dries quick, the fabric wicks away the moisture. These non fabric ones seem superior, glad the price has become more reasonable over time.

Not sure what the question is.  A 17" X 105' roll of Rootbuilder (that's the actual measurements) allows you to make any size pot you want and then later expand to whatever size you want just by adding more panels.  Cable ties are used as connectors.  You overlap one panel over the other by one or two rows of nipples.   If you need a bottom then you can get them on both.  Looks like to me the kit is just that.....a pot with a bottom disc but it all does the same thing - root tip prunes using air and light....and that's what you're after.

If you want to go cheap then go with copper hydroxide in a latex paint.  I can't find the link to the discussion here but here's how to make a product I've used for years, a knock off of Griffin's Spin-Out paint.  Just an (anal) correction to the MicroKote=Griffin's statement.  Two different products using different ingredients but with copper which induces the root tip termination effect.


Microkote used to be made under the brand-name SpinOut by Griffin L.L.C. until SePRO bought the rights. After the re-branding they added  other metals labeled as "nutrients". In my opinion this is all marketing; the roots will be stopped and not absorb anything near the Microkote layer - so really the only active ingredient is the chemical that stops the roots from growing further (this chemical is copper hydroxide which was the original ingredient in SpinOut).

Microkote is pricey ($28 for 8oz). But you should be able to make your own.

1) Buy some dry Copper(II) Hydroxide, this is used usually as a fungus pesticide. Interestingly, SePro stuff can be bought on ebay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/CuPRO-5000DF-Fungicide-Bactericide-61-3-Copper-Hydroxide-SePRO-3lb-foil-bag-/370622313276), this is probably the same stuff they put into Microkote. Other sources are     
KOCIDE 3000 (made by DuPont) or http://kingquenson.en.alibaba.com/productshowimg/424951536-200579235/Copper_hydroxide.html.

2) Dilute the Copper(II) Hydroxide in latex paint. The original SpinOut was made with 13 oz/Gal of Copper(II) Hydroxide (source: http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/content/28/5/527.6.abstract). Remember to account for the original concentration of dry Copper(II) Hydroxide in the pesticide bag (this is typically 50%, for which you would add 26 oz per Gal of latex paint).

Remember to read all the instructions on the bag when handling pesticides.

I don't like fabric pots.

Bangkok, you can get budwood from the U. of Riverside California free. Cost of shipping is gonna be high.  PM if you need more info.

Thanks Leo, everything is really kicking now with spring.  Never seen such a huge flush on a tree before - the new Pickering mango.  It's just solid in areas.  Hope your garden is well.

Mark

[Doglips]

Can those pots be stacked vertically?

In the second link I gave they have what they call "double height".  Before using this system I got all worked having read how much cados needed perfect drainage so I added a 8" tall piece to the typical 16" piece.  Found out I didn't need it so I've been using one original only.                   

#30331   RB-30H   Double height (96 panels)

Curious, why would you want to double stack?  For the same reasoning as I had?

For plants with large tap roots.

[Tropicaliste]

Rootbuilder makes both.  Pre made injection molded 1 gallon pots, that have holes for air pruining, and they have kits of cable ties and rolls to assemble the quart or gallon size you want, but they don't quite look the same, for example the number of holes.  My question was whether anyone could compare the two, because the price is not too different.  I don't need more than 10 1gal pots, but if the injection mold pots are any less efficient than I'd buy the assemble at home kits.