Testimonial to smart pots (and other air pruning pots)

General Gardening
1

Acer buergerianum. Fourth season from seed I started myself in 2016. Just planted in the ground from a 10-gallon smart pot.

Nice root system right there. This is why I feel air-pruning pots are worthwhile.

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I’ve been using them for 3yrs. now. although i haven’t kept anything in them for more than a season, i find the plants in them, grow much better than in solid pots. that is a nice full root ball. :wink: i like the 17 gal. and i only fill about 15gal. with soil then mulch with wood chips to nearly the top. helps hold moisture and soil in place.

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3

I grew this in a Smart Pot for two seasons. Schuette’s Oak (hybrid of bur and swamp white).

Germinated the acorn in 2015, planted in the ground in September, 2016. It’s about 3” caliper and 14’ tall.

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I’m currently growing my 5 Cherries in soft pots. I’m using 2 45g and 3 30g; the trees seem quite happy them! I also use 1g soft pots when I pot strawberry plants to be transplanted or when starting tomatoe cuttings.

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I started using air pruning pots last year. In the last week, I have started planting some of these trees into the ground. So far, I’m a fan.

  1. I’ve used Air-pot and Oxy-pot brands. The Oxy are less expensive and less durable, but are fine for a year growing up bench grafts. I’m using the heavier duty Air-pots for longer term container trees. I’ve used a mix of Promix and pine bark nuggets. When planted and watered, the 10 gallon pots weigh about 50 lbs.

  2. I have used sizes between 3 and 10 gallons. The 10 gallon size is the biggest I can move and they are expensive ($37)- they are the ones for longer term. The 12”H x13”D Oxy-pot is great for smaller trees and is $5. Still more than other pots, but I think they are worth it.

  3. Why are they worth it? First- compact, beautiful root balls. Second, ease of removal when planting into ground. Just set pot on side, undo the screws and roll it into the hole.

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  4. I also found that they make a pretty nice
    rodent screen. Eventually, I’ll make hardware cloth protectors, but in the meantime, these will do.

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