Citrus Growers Forum

Mark_T · Posted: Thu 22 Mar, 2012 1:45 am

So has anyone tried Rootmakers fabric containers yet? I'm really interested in these for a number of reasons. They also come in sizes up to 60 gallon!

turtleman · Posted: Fri 23 Mar, 2012 11:24 am

I was interested in them, but none of my local venders carries them and the cost of them are so high it's not cost effective for the nursery here... If they ever "catch on" in the industry as a whole the prices might come down making them more affordable.

Mark_T · Posted: Sat 24 Mar, 2012 2:26 am

turtleman wrote:

I was interested in them, but none of my local venders carries them and the cost of them are so high it's not cost effective for the nursery here... If they ever "catch on" in the industry as a whole the prices might come down making them more affordable.

The fact you were looking at them is encouraging. The white exterior is certainly another plus for our environment.

turtleman · Posted: Sun 25 Mar, 2012 12:05 am

Its amazing how a black container and a little bit of white paint will change the core temps of the media inside.. One year I was painting some containers that had exposer on the south sides.. I was laughed at,, (there's several other growers doing it now)

Millet · Posted: Sun 25 Mar, 2012 12:42 am

Turtleman, don't worry about people laughing. I have long painted my Air Root Pruning Containers white on one side, and leave the other side black. During the summer I turn the white side toward the sun to help cool the roots, and during the winter I expose the black side to the sun to help warm the roots. Also, after talking with you about the Aluminet shade cloth, I ordered a 26 X 72 Aluminet cloth a couple days ago. Thanks for your advice.

Mark, I have never use the Rootmakers fabric containers, but I do use Rootmakers's Root Barrier Fabric. The Barrier Fabric is placed under open bottom Root Builder expandable containers, to provide bottom root pruning. I believe it is made from the same material as the fabric containers. The Root Barrier Fabric works great.

Rootmakers Fabric Containers, and the Barrier Fabric, prune the root tips through root trapping, causing the root to produce new lateral roots starting about 4 inches back from the root tip. - Millet

TRI · Posted: Fri 25 May, 2012 9:09 pm

Anyone try smart pots for growing citrus? These pots are permeable to air and water and allow roots more access to oxygen. They are not very expensive. I am growing papayas in some large smart pots now.

Sawood · Joined: 08 Feb 2007 Posts: 3 Location: San Antonio, Tx - 8b

I'm experimenting with Geopots (http://shop.geoplanter.com/GeoPot-Self-supporting-Geo-Pots_c2.htm) for several of my citrus plants. I'm using a mix of screened pine bark, napa #8822 and perlite. They've only been in the pots for a couple of months, but I have no complaints at this point. I'm pleased with the looks of the tan-colored ones. My only concern is longevity, but we'll just have to wait and see.

lkailburn · Joined: 14 Jul 2011 Posts: 23 Location: Zone 4b Colorado

Have not used them with citrus but I'm testing about 40 subtropical and tropical fruit trees (small guys) in them now. 20 1gal, 10 2gal and 10 3 gal.
I was given a tropical fruit tree from a friend who had been growing it in a 1gal fabric pot for some time and said it was immediately ready to be repotted. The beauty with the fabric pots is the root pruning and I got to see it first hand when i repotted that tree. The entire ball of soil was filled with roots but not circling strangling roots like you see in regular containers. You just saw the tips of roots, once they reach the fabric and air they prune themselves and then fork off. It was just loaded with healthy roots. Also i was told that plants do better after a transplant because all the roots are already facing outwards ready to grow into the new soil.

-Luke

Mark · Posted: Fri 19 Oct, 2012 1:23 pm

TRI wrote:

Anyone try smart pots for growing citrus? These pots are permeable to air and water and allow roots more access to oxygen. They are not very expensive. I am growing papayas in some large smart pots now.

Been away for a long time and was just cruising and saw this. I bought a roll of RootMaker and put 10 citrus and avocados in made up bottomless pots about 24" in diameter last October. The growth and health is incredible. This is inside a greenhouse, their permanent home. For example, past winter and spring I had a small lime tree go through extreme transplant shock due to me scoring its root spin-out, dropped all of its leaves and now that it's taken off big time has gotten 2 haircuts just in the last month or so. Even with the toppings, it's about 7' tall and 6' wide. I expect profuse blooming from here on out for all trees. All leaves are quite big. Leaves of newly grafted avocado are 4 times as large as their predecessors.

Mark

dauben · Posted: Sat 20 Oct, 2012 2:17 pm

turtleman wrote:

Its amazing how a black container and a little bit of white paint will change the core temps of the media inside.. One year I was painting some containers that had exposer on the south sides.. I was laughed at,, (there's several other growers doing it now)

I have had long standing issues with plants not thriving in the black containers, but never thought the paint would "stick" to the plastic containers. Did you sand or prime the containers before painting them?

Phillip

turtleman · Posted: Sat 20 Oct, 2012 2:47 pm

Nope,, just made sure there clean and used exterior Acrylic material,, the paint will scratch off some,, but I didn't care,, all I was doing is helping to reflect some of the suns UV/heat off the black container.. within a short while most containers are sold and the trees are in someones orchard

Lemandarangequatelo · Citruholic Joined: 01 Mar 2010 Posts: 485 Location: UK

These fabric root pruning pots look great but they aren't available in the UK. I saw some people on the internet making DIY pots from landscape weed blocking fabric, but they didn't post their results. Has anyone tried making their own pots from landscape fabric? Did they work as good as the commercial pots?

dauben · Posted: Sat 20 Oct, 2012 10:46 pm

Lemandarangequatelo wrote:

These fabric root pruning pots look great but they aren't available in the UK. I saw some people on the internet making DIY pots from landscape weed blocking fabric, but they didn't post their results. Has anyone tried making their own pots from landscape fabric? Did they work as good as the commercial pots?

I tried to use a weed barrier fabric to make root pruning containers, but the roots grew right through the material. Something a little stronger may have worked better.

Phillip

daytripper · Posted: Sun 21 Oct, 2012 11:23 am

I have been using these smart pots http://www.sunflowersupplies.com/smart-pot-fabric-container-w-handles/

when the roots hit the fabric they make it about 1/8" out and then air prune. The material is similar to the weed blocking fabric but much stronger. They are so inexpensive that making your own doesnt seem like it would even save you much.

Lemandarangequatelo · Citruholic Joined: 01 Mar 2010 Posts: 485 Location: UK

Thanks Phillip and Daytripper for your replies! I'll try and source the pots again here in the UK. If I can't find them I'll try making them myself and doubling up the weed blocking fabric to make them stronger. I'll post results when I have them Smile