Anyone use AirPots in your JM growing I have used AirPots in other applications but have never tried it with a tree. I suppose the principles are the same - Just need to make sure the emitter on it is keeping it well watered during the peak of summer - Due to fast draining mix, *well watered* is the keyword I once kept a few boxwoods in 15G Airpots....I should have taken a pic. The rootball was huge, massive, and self pruned. It was like a cylinder of porcupine spokes from top to boom *uniform to the self pruning holes of the airpot*. I think I'm going to do it for the JM I have coming in. Just to see if the same principles apply...roots seek air, and it promotes growth due to it as well
AirPots are foo*** great for JMs. Really, really good, the roots adore it. You're exactly on point, they dry out in a minute in regular JM pots mix. I think it might be possible to use a slightly richer mix than I do, but haven't tried. The "official" Air Pots are the "bumpy" ones, that you wrap around a base and attach with plastics crews, is that what you're referring to? There are also "anti- root girdling" pots. which have an element of the Airpot but are a single piece. They work well, but not as well as the real thing. Both types of pots have good root growth and prevent girdling, and both are (much) better than cloth pots, but the Airpots really are outstanding. The downside is, if you do a lot of maples, they are really, really, expensive, at least in smaller quantities, but no doubt wholesale also. My friend and colleague at milesjapanesemaples.com uses them to great effect, and simply builds the cost of the pot into the price. Worth it for the consumer, for sure. Your new maple will love it. -E
Correct on the airpots...I wish I had 5 or 7G of them on hand. All I have is a decent stash of 15G....don't try to move it. I tried once and learned my lesson. Even though the base and -screws- hold it , it's not ridgid enough that if you try to lift it to move it or the like....the dang wall will collapse open and the potting medium will spill out. Not growing for market. Was just thinking I'll airpot it for one growing season to get max root growth and then plant it in fall. For one who's never used one, it hard to explain but imagine a solid 15G cylindrical block, roots from top to Botton, all facing *out* towards the pot. Super thick root tips due to it being *air pruned*. It really is quite the sight on the massive MasSive root system that develops I've done this with various *shrubs* of all types...never a tree but IME, plants just love the fact it has oxygen to reach
I have gone up to 40l, that's only around 10 gallons, but haven't had any issues with solidity. I planted this Acer fabri from an 11l airpot today. It's been out in the rain all winter.. Really a lot of rain, it even had the top snapped off in a wind storm, and look how good the roots look. That's pretty good stuff. -E
I've had good results with the fabric pots, but never tried the plastic airpots. What advantages did you find the airpots had? Or what drawbacks did the fabic pots have?
It's hard to explain but the root development on the airpots is just different than fabric. I suppose it's literally due to how the *holes* on the pot are arrayed on the pot walls......the roots love air. And depending on what is planted and how fast roots may grow depending on species/cultivar, IME, root development is huge and faster than a fabric pot
Yes, I agree that root development is both stronger and faster with the airpots. The bottom of the airpot is also very open, and raised, so there is never any danger of roots penetrating the ground. I grow smaller pots <=5l on tables, then after on gravel, so the pots can drain; but I do find with the fabric pot the bottom stays a little wet. It's worth noting of course, there are fabric pots and fabric pots, as it were. The ones I have were chosen on price,. so they may not be the best. But with what I've tried, the amount of oxygen getting to the roots in the airpot is much higher. The teabag fabric pots for seedlings I've found to be very effective, but they dry out so fast, and tip over, that you really have to watch them. Might be better for something like basil starts, where you could leave them in water.
The fabric pots I used were of a thick and strong material that was also free draining, the bottom certainly did not stay wet. I don't really know how to describe the material, but the descriptions in the online listings say "nonwoven" for the ones made out of the "good" fabric. I tried filling one up to see how long it held water, because someone claimed they are not free draining, but I could never get any water to stay in there long enough to fill it up no matter if I used a hose or dumped buckets of water in. I have some of these also but have not used them yet. Was planning to use them in some kind of free draining tray, packed in so they support each other and cannot fall over. For my use, the proper airpots seem a bit fragile and expensive so will stick to fabric and traditional pots for now.
That sounds good idea Maf and then maybe tie them collectively around the entire bottom and top circumferences with some strong cord. I picked up 6 fairly large ones, maybe 20” high by 16” wide, I was planning on potting on some trees into them and slipping them in a glazed normal pot that was a couple of inches bigger to add some stability.. I know that sounds an expensive option but when I pot on a decent batch I end up with quite a few medium to large pots spare.
I really haven't had problems with the durability of the AirPots, I got most of mine from a friend who uses them, but they don't look good enough to sell after a few years. Still seem strong enough, though, but indeed: too expensive for general use, for the amount of pots I go through. Good idea to put them in a glazed pot, Rich, I think the maples will be super happy, and it will look nice. I'm not a huge fan of the "Space 1999" (Remember that?) look, otherwise.
Reading this thread is encouraging! At work we have a huge stack of about 40 of each size of airpot, so I nabbed 5 of each size since we've never used any of them the whole time I've worked there, so they wont be missed. I bought a few new maples over the winter and they were fairly wobbly in the pot, in that peaty, weird sort of clumpy soil some nurseries sometimes use which stays very wet. I've moved them into air pots with good old Melcourt sylvagrow, which is my go-to compost for most things the last few years. Ideally would've picked them up in better quality but I haven't come across them being sold anywhere before now so decided to grab em - Iyoshi, Higasa yama, Koto hime, Hime shojo. I've lightly root pruned a few others I had which needed up-potting and moved them into air pots as well. Looking forward to this year more than last!
Melcourt products are great quality, I wish we could get them in France. Especially as they will make a mix to order. I usually use Volcanic Rock as a major substrate component, along with partially composted pine bark and perlite. Couldn't get it this year so will be substituting pumice, which is lighter and I think will hold less oxygen. But I also use some 12 mm gravel, which adds a lot of stability to to pots. I don't think is does much else, but anything that makes pots stay upright and stabilized is OK by me. (Of course, it makes things harder to move around, too.)
