Just Starting New Guy Here

  • Thread starter oLd1
  • Start date
  • Tagged users None
GNick55

GNick55

Staff
Supporter
10,558
438
Hey G , honestly I shouldn't even comment on fabric pots since I've never even used them ..I just get argumentive when I see new grow products that are innovative ,( fabric pots probably not new, but...) there is so much crap dumped on new growers that I instinctively challenge its value , yea I'm sure I can do a fine grow in a fabric pot , just have a few issues ...one they are expensive , two I'm a clumsy maniac in my grow room , constantly pushing and pulling pots around , so I'm sure I'll disturb the roots or knock over the cloth pots ....

Also I need to do some research on this " air pruning " concept , I still don't get it are the roots constantly being "pruned" when they hit the sides of the air pot ? Is that a good thing ?

And issue number three , I'm cheap , I like to wash out my plastic pots and get all the nasty residue out with soap and water .... Can you do that with fabric ? I mean I usually have a fair amount of nutrient salts and build up in the pot at the end of the grow ..
yes the roots air prune, than new roots keep growing, no harm done.
when i’m done a grow, i wonder where all the soilless mix went, haha just stuffed from surface to bottom with roots also it helps with side branches reaching out more.. easier access to oxygen!
ya i wash them 2/3 times before using again, and i have mine on solid saucers with golf balls so they spin beautifully and if i need to pick up, do by the saucer and yes you have to be careful..
i’d say the more you wash/use them the better they are, as air can easily pass through..
honestly i’ve never had a problem..
i tie down, bend etc.. it all works good..
as long as we’re successful in the end!!
 
GNick55

GNick55

Staff
Supporter
10,558
438
yes the roots air prune, than new roots keep growing, no harm done.
when i’m done a grow, i wonder where all the soilless mix went, haha just stuffed from surface to bottom with roots also it helps with side branches reaching out more.. easier access to oxygen!
ya i wash them 2/3 times before using again, and i have mine on solid saucers with golf balls so they spin beautifully and if i need to pick up, do by the saucer and yes you have to be careful..
i’d say the more you wash/use them the better they are, as air can easily pass through..
honestly i’ve never had a problem..
i tie down, bend etc.. it all works good..
as long as we’re successful in the end!!
ya no up potting just final size.. pot up in pots.. till final in bag..
 
kevinfever

kevinfever

275
63
I'm older guy with two Sons wanting to grow. Interesting I start Sons are coming over with suggestions. I'm thinking they are growing. Come to find out they are letting Dad mess up then they will learn from his mistakes.

First mistake I thought I would just use Garden soil. Found it has too much Clay and holds water, so starting out watering too much. Changed to Pro Mix but have Happy Frog Soil coming and have Worm Casting. One Son came over with Fox Farm Fertilizer kit said try this. I also learned not to have my wife involved in the Girls. I sprouted the seed, made small indentation in the soil, told my wife to put the seeds in and cover them. Some dried out because she left them on top worried about getting them too deep.

Starting out with White Widow but thinking more going to Black Widow. Like I told my wife it says it is fairly easy to grow which is up my alley easy. Doing mostly Edibles because I already have Throat problems.

While I'm thinking. I was going to just use 5 Gallon Buckets. Open for other ideas?

Old1
use the promix and worm castings for a good base soil for organic , 3parts promix 1part worm castings that will get your seed going for a couple weeks in solo cups . fill them half way wet the soil then put seed in middle add a bit more soil to cover mist till moist that way when the seed stretches you can add a bit more soil or just castings since you dont want to add nutes till they are at least 2-3 weeks old . then me personally i would make a new soil batch with some amendments then all you got to do is transplant and water . later when nutes run out you just top dress or make teas . 5 gal. container should do fine will limit the size tho . what ever you use for container try and shade the container because i have grown in black pots and had my roots cook . these plants are in 5gal. average 5-6 once plant dry . you could push that wait , i had 8oz plant 4.5gal bucket before . im not a professional this is just what i do i have upgraded to more amendments and other stuff that helps remedy issues down the road . i have been trying my hand at the organic thing for a couple years now and im loving it
100 2415
100 2427
100 2769
20200919 151216
 
oLd1

oLd1

492
93
Was thinking of some in my Garden. It is Fenced was thinking just put a lock on it but was told my Squirrels would eat them.

My permit says I can have 6 plants but I was told I could have 6 in different stages.


old1
 
kevinfever

kevinfever

275
63
Was thinking of some in my Garden. It is Fenced was thinking just put a lock on it but was told my Squirrels would eat them.

old1
apparently they do that i got lots around they dont come close due to cats and dogs
 
Madbud

Madbud

3,906
263
Ok I only have one arm so I would need help with Cloth Pots which I have ordered. Yes for awhile I will need to move them regular.

So will I be ok with Plastic? I have some Garden plants in Plastic Buckets and seem to be doing well. I did put Rock in the Bottom, drilled holes and set on Lids for drainage.



old1
When you transplant, put the plant off center so it won’t interfere picking up with the handle on a plastic bucket.
 
dire wolf

dire wolf

4,921
263
use the promix and worm castings for a good base soil for organic , 3parts promix 1part worm castings that will get your seed going for a couple weeks in solo cups . fill them half way wet the soil then put seed in middle add a bit more soil to cover mist till moist that way when the seed stretches you can add a bit more soil or just castings since you dont want to add nutes till they are at least 2-3 weeks old . then me personally i would make a new soil batch with some amendments then all you got to do is transplant and water . later when nutes run out you just top dress or make teas . 5 gal. container should do fine will limit the size tho . what ever you use for container try and shade the container because i have grown in black pots and had my roots cook . these plants are in 5gal. average 5-6 once plant dry . you could push that wait , i had 8oz plant 4.5gal bucket before . im not a professional this is just what i do i have upgraded to more amendments and other stuff that helps remedy issues down the road . i have been trying my hand at the organic thing for a couple years now and im loving it View attachment 1115149View attachment 1115150View attachment 1115151View attachment 1115152
Awesome k , nice plants ! Nice plastic buckets , I like the white ones !
 
dire wolf

dire wolf

4,921
263
yes the roots air prune, than new roots keep growing, no harm done.
when i’m done a grow, i wonder where all the soilless mix went, haha just stuffed from surface to bottom with roots also it helps with side branches reaching out more.. easier access to oxygen!
ya i wash them 2/3 times before using again, and i have mine on solid saucers with golf balls so they spin beautifully and if i need to pick up, do by the saucer and yes you have to be careful..
i’d say the more you wash/use them the better they are, as air can easily pass through..
honestly i’ve never had a problem..
i tie down, bend etc.. it all works good..
as long as we’re successful in the end!!
Yea I've done a lot of crazy shit ....but there's no way I'm introducing golf balls to the grow 😂😂😜
 
HeathenFarmer

HeathenFarmer

154
63
I used fabric smart pots on my first few grows and have now settled on air pots. They're plastic but have air holes for root pruning. I found that if you repeatedly lift or move the fabric pots it tends to compress the soil over time. I was having drainage issues a few weeks in. The aggressive indentations on the sides of the plastic airpots on the other hand, sort of "grab" the soil, so it never settles or compacts. After 3 weeks of watering on my current grow the soil is still as fluffy and airy as the day I filled the pots. It's kinda wild actually. And when you're done you can just unroll them, clean them, and you're back in business. I won't be going back to the fabric pots.
 
RookieBuds

RookieBuds

119
63
Honestly, the winning formula for newbie growers is:

-Coco coir bagged and pre buffered
-3 or 5 gallon fabric pots
-Bottled nutrients

I really feel like this is the winning formula to get u started. Coco is nearly impossible to overwater, and is very pest resistant right off the bat.

Bottled nutrients IMO take out the guesswork, just reduce & follow the manufacturer chart, and with certain brands you don't even have to pH, consider one of those brands!

Fabric pots. I mean, do I really have to explain? 🤷‍♂️ 😄 lol!!!

Hit a few goals with a few grows, then venture off into organic or DWC or something "higher echelon".
 
Pushrod Monkey

Pushrod Monkey

1,173
163
I used fabric smart pots on my first few grows and have now settled on air pots. They're plastic but have air holes for root pruning. I found that if you repeatedly lift or move the fabric pots it tends to compress the soil over time. I was having drainage issues a few weeks in. The aggressive indentations on the sides of the plastic airpots on the other hand, sort of "grab" the soil, so it never settles or compacts. After 3 weeks of watering on my current grow the soil is still as fluffy and airy as the day I filled the pots. It's kinda wild actually. And when you're done you can just unroll them, clean them, and you're back in business. I won't be going back to the fabric pots.
Take a bamboo barbecue skewer and solve that compaction problem. I routinely tear it up by piercing it all the way to the bottom of the bag including under the plant directly. I do this a day or two after watering.

Save the “information” that it hurts the roots because it certainly does not. Air pots are great but expensive. Especially if you’re running 30-40 plants.
 
mancorn

mancorn

1,260
263
Was thinking of some in my Garden. It is Fenced was thinking just put a lock on it but was told my Squirrels would eat them.

I’ve got a ton of western gray squirrels (that live in trees). They’ll dig in the pots or beds (caching food) but haven’t had them eat the plants. But the ground squirrels (that live in holes) will definitely chow up your garden.
 
zcamaroz

zcamaroz

10
3
I'm older guy with two Sons wanting to grow. Interesting I start Sons are coming over with suggestions. I'm thinking they are growing. Come to find out they are letting Dad mess up then they will learn from his mistakes.

First mistake I thought I would just use Garden soil. Found it has too much Clay and holds water, so starting out watering too much. Changed to Pro Mix but have Happy Frog Soil coming and have Worm Casting. One Son came over with Fox Farm Fertilizer kit said try this. I also learned not to have my wife involved in the Girls. I sprouted the seed, made small indentation in the soil, told my wife to put the seeds in and cover them. Some dried out because she left them on top worried about getting them too deep.

Starting out with White Widow but thinking more going to Black Widow. Like I told my wife it says it is fairly easy to grow which is up my alley easy. Doing mostly Edibles because I already have Throat problems.

While I'm thinking. I was going to just use 5 Gallon Buckets. Open for other ideas?

Old1
Im using 10 gal fabric totes. This is my first time using them and Im getting great results. I also use fox farms. They have a feeding schedule that I follow and can get it on line. If you cant find it I could upload a photo for you. I also have a meter I bought at ace hardware for 15$ that shows light percentage ph levels and moisture. Hope it helps!
 
HeathenFarmer

HeathenFarmer

154
63
Take a bamboo barbecue skewer and solve that compaction problem. I routinely tear it up by piercing it all the way to the bottom of the bag including under the plant directly. I do this a day or two after watering.

Save the “information” that it hurts the roots because it certainly does not. Air pots are great but expensive. Especially if you’re running 30-40 plants.
Yeah I know it doesn't it hurt the roots. Never said it did. I paid I think $11 each for my Air Pots? So yeah more than fabric pots for sure, but they'll live longer than any of us. For me my time is more valuable than a few extra dollars a pot. I'm only running 4 plants, but if I was running 30-40 then I definitely wouldn't have time to run around skewering my pots, lol. Way too busy for that. Fabric pots are better than regular plastic no doubt, but imho air pots are superior tech.
 
Pushrod Monkey

Pushrod Monkey

1,173
163
Yeah I know it doesn't it hurt the roots. Never said it did. I paid I think $11 each for my Air Pots? So yeah more than fabric pots for sure, but they'll live longer than any of us. For me my time is more valuable than a few extra dollars a pot. I'm only running 4 plants, but if I was running 30-40 then I definitely wouldn't have time to run around skewering my pots, lol. Way too busy for that. Fabric pots are better than regular plastic no doubt, but imho air pots are superior tech.
Well it’s kind of my living during warm weather so I kind of make time. I sell enough rooted cuttings and even well started plants to not work on it in winter and it’s not that time consuming. Truly. And many of us post for the benefit of those lurking but not commenting. Thanks.
 
HeathenFarmer

HeathenFarmer

154
63
Well it’s kind of my living during warm weather so I kind of make time. I sell enough rooted cuttings and even well started plants to not work on it in winter and it’s not that time consuming. Truly. And many of us post for the benefit of those lurking but not commenting. Thanks.
Nothing's time consuming if you do it for the love of the thing :) I make my living crawling under houses fixing broken pipes. Your way sounds funner.
 
PipeCarver

PipeCarver

Supporter
5,643
313
Was thinking of some in my Garden. It is Fenced was thinking just put a lock on it but was told my Squirrels would eat them.

My permit says I can have 6 plants but I was told I could have 6 in different stages.


old1
I have squirrels & chipmunks but they never bothered with my plants outside last year. I had to put them under cover with a plastic A frame tent due to privacy concerns but they were in the yard open for a month without the rodents in them.
With all the talk about air pots I guess I'll have to drill / burn a few more holes in my plastic pots...before their next use. I've never had root issues I know of but I'll try a few plants with my pots holier and we'll see if there's any difference.
 
Last edited:
HeathenFarmer

HeathenFarmer

154
63
You can still grow great plants in a regular plastic pot or bucket. I think pots that allow more air flow just help buffer some of the human error we throw at the ladies. Happy growing!
 
Top Bottom