Citrus Growers Forum

Millet · Posted: Mon 17 Mar, 2008 6:04 pm

There are other manufactures, and I received sample container shipments for evaluation from them, however the Root Maker company is the only company that manufactures Root Builder 100-ft. rolls. I can tell you that Root Maker brand containers would be THE ONLY air root pruning container that I would consider spending my money to purchase. In my opinion Root Maker technology is far superior to other manufactures. - Millet

lycheeluva · Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 22 Location: Brooklyn, NY

millet- what is the name of the other companies that make similar containers. While they may not be as good as the rootmaker, if they do not have a $50 minimum or if they sell pots larger than 5 gallon, i would want to purchase from them.

Millet · Posted: Tue 18 Mar, 2008 11:50 pm

Nursery Supply Company

http://www.nurserysupplies.com/mcenter/lit/NSI%20AcceleratorFlyer.pdf

Millet

dauben · Posted: Wed 19 Mar, 2008 10:47 am

lycheeluva wrote:

millet- what is the name of the other companies that make similar containers. While they may not be as good as the rootmaker, if they do not have a $50 minimum or if they sell pots larger than 5 gallon, i would want to purchase from them.

I found the Accelerator product that Millet mentioned on Ebay. I dont' remember what it cost, but I was in the same boat that I didn't want a larger order of containers. My yard was already filled with gardening supplies, so it was more of an issue of space than money.

I also made some of my own air pruning containers out of landscape fabric found at the local hardward store. I haven't unwrapped the trees that I planted in them, but I recently pulled out a fig tree from a container that had the landscape/weed barrier fabric on the bottom of the container. There was a ton of fiberous roots that had grown through fabric and apparently died. I was really supprised. The second picture at this site is an example of the holes in the fabric.
http://www.weedbarrierpro.com/pages/2/index.htm

Phillip

Millet · Posted: Wed 19 Mar, 2008 12:39 pm

The big difference between Root Maker containers and Accelerator containers is that Root Maker has internal ledges that lead ALL of the roots to an air pruning hole. Accelerator containers uses a wavy container wall to point the roots in the general direction of the air pruning openings, but NOT directly to the exact opening. Many roots come close to the hole, but miss and then follow the wave on around and head back into the center of the container. Root Maker Company (Dr. Carl Whitcomb) was the inventor of air root pruning containers. - Millet

dauben · Posted: Sun 23 Mar, 2008 3:03 am

Millet wrote:

The big difference between Root Maker containers and Accelerator containers is that Root Maker has internal ledges that lead ALL of the roots to an air pruning hole. Accelerator containers uses a wavy container wall to point the roots in the general direction of the air pruning openings, but NOT directly to the exact opening. Many roots come close to the hole, but miss and then follow the wave on around and head back into the center of the container. Root Maker Company (Dr. Carl Whitcomb) was the inventor of air root pruning containers. - Millet

I just pulled one of my sour orange rootstocks from the accelerator container it is in. While I did see some branching of the roots, I was supprised to see that the roots didn't extend to the side of the container so the ledges wouldn't have made a difference. However, whether it's bad design on accelerator's part or the fault of the gardener tending to the trees, it appears that the roots desicate before even reaching the side of the container. From what I can tell, it appears that the Rootmaker containers don't have as many (or as large) of openings as the Accelerator containers. I believe what is happening is that there is a large dry area around each opening on the Accelerator container that causes the roots to dry out before reaching the edge. In doing so, the roots don't fully utilize all of the area of the container and there is a narrow band of roots down the center of the container.

I would like to do a side by side comparison between the two products, but although I haven't used them (yet), I suspect that the rootmaker product is a better design. I'm not sure that the accelerator containers are any better than using a net or mesh continer like the ones in the link below since the openings are so large.
http://www.nationalgardenwholesale.com/ngw/gardening_supplies.aspx?request=NET-CUPS&title=Pots%20/%20Containers&type=product

Phillip

dauben · Posted: Sat 12 Apr, 2008 2:56 am

dauben wrote:

I would like to do a side by side comparison between the two products, but although I haven't used them (yet), I suspect that the rootmaker product is a better design. I'm not sure that the accelerator containers are any better than using a net or mesh continer like the ones in the link below since the openings are so large.

Well I can now do a side by side comparison between the two products. I went ahead and ordered rootmaker containers. I have to say that I am much more impressed in every way with the Rootmaker than I am with the Accelerator product. Better design, more durable, etc. My suspicion in my previous post I believe is true. The openings that prune the roots are so much smaller in the Rootmaker than the Accelerator which I suspect will allow the roots to grow well until they are pruned at the openings. With the seedlings I have in my Accelerator containers, the openings are so large that the roots desiccate before they ever reach the openings. Part of that may be the porous soil that I'm using to keep decent drainage and aeration in the soil. I might increase the water holding components of the soil used in the Accelerator (more peat, less perlite) and stay with a highly porous soil in the Rootmaker.

Also, as far as durability, the Rootmaker is a thick walled plastic. Much thicker than my Accelerator models. Only comment that I would give Acceleraor a better mark on is that the lighter color of the plastic (light grey) I don't think will absorb as much heat as the black colored Rootmakers. And finally, if Dr. Whitcomb is the inventor of the Rootmaker product and Accelerator has escaped the patent infringment by coming up with a slightly different design, I'd prefer to support the person with the brains behind the invention. I only wish I could get the Rootmaker products in quantities of 10 to 20 instead of by the 100's. I understand why though. Shipping costs almost as much as the product. They probably have a marketing issue charging $20 for a product and then another $20 for shipping.

Anyway, if anyone wants some pictures showing the difference between the two containers, let me know.

Phillip

lycheeluva · Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 22 Location: Brooklyn, NY

dauben- any interest in selling me some of your rootmaker containers. I would love to get hold of some but dont need 20 of them

dauben · Posted: Sat 12 Apr, 2008 4:11 am

lycheeluva wrote:

dauben- any interest in selling me some of your rootmaker containers. I would love to get hold of some but dont need 20 of them

I don't mind, but we would face the same problem as the vendor in the fact that shipping drives up the costs of the container. They're $0.80 each but turned out to be $1.27 each. If interested, I'll let you have for my cost of $1.27 each plus whatever shipping is from Santee to Brooklyn.

Also, the model I got was the RMI-1S, 1-Gallon Square 180 cu. in. (6" X 6" x 6"). If you're growing from seed, this is too big. It's the second step in Whitcomb's System http://www.rootmaker.com/whitsys.php. I was going to use these for the seedlings I currently have growing in my Accelerator containers that meet the 4" rule that Millet has kindly shown at: http://www.rootmaker.com/docs/4inchRuleWeb.pdf Below is an excerpt from the link. Since my container is 6" square, you may not get the results you're looking for.

Quote:

... to develop the most fibrous root system depth of the propagation container should be about 4 inches deep and no more than 8 inches wide. To make a propagation container 8 inches wide consumes far too much space, therefore a container 4 inches deep and 2 to 4 wide is the practical optimum. When transplanting from the RootMaker® propagation container, respect the 4-inch rule in order to maximize root branching. This means that RootMaker® liners should not be planted into containers larger than approximately 10 to 12 diameter (2.5 or 4root ball + 4 on either side).

Anyway, if still interested, PM me. You may want to see if there's any local gardners in the area that would split an order with you. It would help defray the shipping costs from one side of the country to the other, but you could get the right containers for your application if the 1 gallons I have are too large.

Phillip

Millet · Posted: Sat 12 Apr, 2008 2:43 pm

Philip, I'm glad to see that you understand that Root Maker containers are more of a system than just a container. One must start a seed in a Root Maker cell pack, then graduate up into larger and larger Root Maker containers, always taking care to obey the 4 inch rule. Already deformed roots caused by being grown in round smooth walled nursery containers, cannot gain any advantage by being re-potted into a Root Maker Container. Once a root is deformed it is always deformed.
Millet (Drill ANWR)

dauben · Posted: Sat 12 Apr, 2008 2:53 pm

Millet wrote:

Philip, I'm glad to see that you understand that Root Maker containers are more of a system than just a container. One must start a seed in a Root Maker cell pack, then graduate up into larger and larger Root Maker containers, always taking care to obey the 4 inch rule. Already deformed roots caused by being grown in round smooth walled nursery containers, cannot gain any advantage by being re-potted into a Root Maker Container. Once a root is deformed it is always deformed.
Millet (Drill ANWR)

I had a good teacher. Wink

Phillip