Superoots Air Pots -An Evolution in Containers

[Bandit420]

Sorry to hear of the snag OB.

Keep up the great work -

It's all good Bro! Just the trials and tribulations of using the unknown. I welcome the experience. It will only make me a better grower in the end.

I've kinda been expecting something to happen with me pushing these plants and pots to the limit. Now that I know what the limitations are I can move forward fine tuning this grow to reach maximum potential.

 

[Bobby44]

im planning on growing indoors with a large amount of cfl's rather than hps bulbs to reduce heat and save on the electric bill. however a friend pointed out that with all those cfl's equalling roughly 400 watts i should get 1, 400 watt hps bulb. Is 1 400watt hps gonna cost the same as cfl's equally 400watts on the electric bill? As far as heat which is the better route to go? Ive always known about the benefits of hps lighting but ive kinda been paranoid about the electricity use and ive always wanted to be discreet and creative with cfl's. The more i think about it, 1 hps light might be more efficient? please anyone with insight help me out, thanks evryone

 

[Bandit420]

im planning on growing indoors with a large amount of cfl's rather than hps bulbs to reduce heat and save on the electric bill. however a friend pointed out that with all those cfl's equalling roughly 400 watts i should get 1, 400 watt hps bulb. Is 1 400watt hps gonna cost the same as cfl's equally 400watts on the electric bill? As far as heat which is the better route to go? Ive always known about the benefits of hps lighting but ive kinda been paranoid about the electricity use and ive always wanted to be discreet and creative with cfl's. The more i think about it, 1 hps light might be more efficient? please anyone with insight help me out, thanks evryone

Bob!

400 watts is 400 watts as far as power draw regardless of the lamp. 400 watts of cfl will cost the same to run as 400 watts of HID lighting.

IMO 400 watts of cfl will get mighty warm too. I would think it would be easier to cool one lamp thru an air cooled reflector as opposed to trying to round up the heat from multiple lamps.
I'm an hid guy and always have been. I've recently started dabbling with leds but I dont use cfl for anything other than cloning. I just like the punch hid has to offer.
Another good lighting choice is T5HO. These come in all sorts of lengths and various multipe tube fixtures. They are somewhere between led and hid performance wise but way better than cfl. IMO of course. There are numerous quality grows on this site with cfl.

 

[Bobby44]

Hey Orangeblood, thanks for the advice on lighting, i think thats wht i wanted to hear, im gonna switch to hid lighting. but i have soom clones outside and one of them starting curling her leaves downward and are also kinda folding in half, its happened over the last two days. have you heard of this before? im gonna check the ph in the morning but if you know of anything obvious please let me know.

 

[newbie2010]

I use a T5HO lamp for vegging - Bad Boy from Quantum - 8 lamp, for vegging. I also have a Bad Boy T5HO 2 lamp (wish I would've bought the 4 lamp) for the mothers and the cloning area. My plants love it. Maybe the bulbs are 54 watts?? Sorry - it escapes me. Whatever the standard T5HO 4' bulb is in wattage. I did buy the highest lumen output bulbs I could find. So 54x8 is nearly 450 watts - right, for vegging?

For flowering, I have 2 x 600 watt HPS. For my first grow, I had four plants, so I just used one light.

I think the CFLs are slightly cooler then the HPS. My rooms are large, so it'd hard to say exactly.

With a few fans, humidifiers and a cloner going, I added about $100 per month to my electricity bill. I am guessing that the second HPS lamp will add another $25 per month.

When I have an extra $2K, I'd love an 600watt LED.

 

[Slowpuffer]

im planning on growing indoors with a large amount of cfl's rather than hps bulbs to reduce heat and save on the electric bill. however a friend pointed out that with all those cfl's equalling roughly 400 watts i should get 1, 400 watt hps bulb. Is 1 400watt hps gonna cost the same as cfl's equally 400watts on the electric bill? As far as heat which is the better route to go? Ive always known about the benefits of hps lighting but ive kinda been paranoid about the electricity use and ive always wanted to be discreet and creative with cfl's. The more i think about it, 1 hps light might be more efficient? please anyone with insight help me out, thanks evryone

No matter what light you use, it's really tough to grow in summer months !! Unless you want to run an ac.

 

[seed vicious]

Got some update info.
The heat has set in and I'm struggling to keep up with water demands.
(...)
I dont think I can continue to bloom in air pots thru the Summer. Not with the way these plants explode with growth. It's too difficult for me to keep up with watering. Not too mention that watering a mature plant takes about 3 minutes per plant to slowly let the water get soaked into the root ball.
I'm making plans now to prepare to transplant any.

Never thought of using Tropf Blumat?

Tropf Blumat - fully automatic watering systems

That's what I'm planning to do. The two should make a perfect combination...
I just received these yesterday so I can't comment yet since I have to install them (anyway I just installed Air Pots yesterday!)

And I'm growing outdoor in a hot sunny place.

I'll keep you informed...

 

[OldMedMan]

Hi seed vicious Great name!

They will be just fine outdoors. I grow in Hawaiian heat and no problems.
That watering system is very interesting. Thanks for the link!

 

[OldMedMan]

Hey OB

Trivia... I have a red bird named Firebird your car red?

 

[Bandit420]

Well 420 nation here we are at the end of the test grow!
The big Widow that kicked off this journal has been chopped and dried and is now in a 1 gallon curing jar.
She had some issues towards the end with her roots drying out way to fast by not holding any water in the container.
Even though she grew as big as she did in the 5.2 Air Pot I think maybe she would have done better being transplanted to a 7-10 gallon pot for a more insulated root zone.
In the end she yielded just over 2oz of solid cola bud and close to a 1/4lb of trim and small nugs that went to the freezer for hash later on.
So far the smoke report is ruthless nose burning pungency on the inhale and rocketing euphoria on the exhale. It tastes like a skunk on fire.


As for the Air Pot's I will indeed keep using the 1 liter pots for veg and transplant to solid ribbed 5 and 7 gallon nursery pots for bloom during the warm season. This combo is proving to be an outstading choice!
I'll revisit using the 3.4 Air Pots for bloom during the cool months.

Once a rootball completly fills out any size pot it is very hard to keep moist. ****** once mentioned submerging the pots to water the plant and I'm thinking that may be the way to go but it could be a very tedious job.
The old school wick method of watering could possibly be used as well.

Here's some pics of the big widow. Alot of my shots came out real blurry but I managed to sift out a couple decent ones.

Colas from the big widow

This ofcourse is her massive rootball. It was formed in a solid block when it was in the pot. It took several rinses to get most of the dirt out of there but we can see that some crazy growth went down here! The pic is cropped heavy but the whole mass is about 30 inches long.
Several of the roots are super fat. I'm guessing those roots designated themselves as tap roots.
I'm drying out the trunk to widdle it down and drill it into a pipe and a bowl for my bong. Talk about getting some bang for your buck! To be able to smoke her buds thru a pipe made from her stem imo will be very special. Kinda Native American like or something.

Whenever I harvest a plant like this that I've grown attached to it's always sad to not see her in my garden any longer. But those emotions are quickly subsided because of cloning.
This is her daughter! Like mama she wants to be a monster too! She was vegged in the air pots and then transplanted to a 7 gallon pot to grow outdoors under the Sun.
In this pic she is only 4 weeks removed from the R2D2 clone machine. She really likes hangin' out next to the pool.

This about does it for my test grow and review of The Superoots Air Pots. I rocked multiple sizes and saw extrordinary results from each of them. Even though it's hard to keep them moist when a plant is fully mature and the enviroment is warm I will continue to use them and recomend them. Especially for veg in any climate at any time of year.
If any grower wants to add their experience with these pots here I highly encourage it. Negative or positive the more opinions posted will help other growers decide if the product is right for them. Pics are always welcomed!

Happy Growing 420!

-OB

 

[newbie2010]

VERY NICE WORK!!

Thanks again for introducing me to these containers.

Peace

 

[OldMedMan]

Hey OB Nice Widow harvest.....looks tasty

Oh! These air pots!!! I think part of your problem with yours being root bound is mainly caused by where you grow. Tough in the desert!

When I finished my last grow, I dug in to my Airpots to see what the roots looked like. Not one had used more than half the soil and you know how big they were. Guess location really has an effect on them. I'll be using these pots for a long time. Just ordered more of them.

Thanks for doing this great grow about AirPots.....it's opened a lot of eyes.

 

[Bandit420]

Hey OB Nice Widow harvest.....looks tasty

Oh! These air pots!!! I think part of your problem with yours being root bound is mainly caused by where you grow. Tough in the desert!

When I finished my last grow, I dug in to my Airpots to see what the roots looked like. Not one had used more than half the soil and you know how big they were. Guess location really has an effect on them. I'll be using these pots for a long time. Just ordered more of them.

Thanks for doing this great grow about AirPots.....it's opened a lot of eyes.

High OMM!
Thanks for chiming in on this thread! It certainly has been an interesting test of a outstanding product.
I think the biggest factors in varying results between growers are like you said climate or room conditions. That is indeed the biggest factor. Next would be strain and whether or not a plant is started from seed or if it's a clone.
The island climate seems to be perfect for the pots. Pleasant weather along with good soaking rains go together with air pots like peanut butter and chocolate.
Hot drought conditions will mean an uphill climb and the grower better be tuned into his/her plants to get them to perform.

Not too sure if they would be good for a beginner. Noobs would probably want a grow or two under their belt before going with air pots. It's probably better for one to know what the life cycle of mj is like in their own climate before trying an air pot garden. Then a grower would know that the accelerated growth in the air pot is not normal and it's time to step up the game to keep up with the rapid growth.

My best advice for anybody considering using these pots is know your room/climate and have it fine tuned to the optimal cannabis growing conditions. Next is know your strain. Is it a stretcher, heavy or light feeder, indica and or sativa? There should'nt be any surprises. And last is bring your best game to the table. Air Pots are a next level type of product so the grower better be ready to take his/her game to the next level.

Are you sticking with the 2 gallon pots or did you order different sizes?

 

[OldMedMan]

High OMM!
Thanks for chiming in on this thread! It certainly has been an interesting test of a outstanding product.
I think the biggest factors in varying results between growers are like you said climate or room conditions. That is indeed the biggest factor. Next would be strain and whether or not a plant is started from seed or if it's a clone.
The island climate seems to be perfect for the pots. Pleasant weather along with good soaking rains go together with air pots like peanut butter and chocolate.
Hot drought conditions will mean an uphill climb and the grower better be tuned into his/her plants to get them to perform.

Not too sure if they would be good for a beginner. Noobs would probably want a grow or two under their belt before going with air pots. It's probably better for one to know what the life cycle of mj is like in their own climate before trying an air pot garden. Then a grower would know that the accelerated growth in the air pot is not normal and it's time to step up the game to keep up with the rapid growth.

My best advice for anybody considering using these pots is know your room/climate and have it fine tuned to the optimal cannabis growing conditions. Next is know your strain. Is it a stretcher, heavy or light feeder, indica and or sativa? There should'nt be any surprises. And last is bring your best game to the table. Air Pots are a next level type of product so the grower better be ready to take his/her game to the next level.

Are you sticking with the 2 gallon pots or did you order different sizes?

What you just said is wise advice, OB
Hope every one reads it carefully.
Knowing the strain is a must! Truthfully if I had grown but one strain it would have been much better all around. But, I like trying different ones and that's my fault. I know for sure that two of my strains could have been better if I had watched more them closely.

I'm sticking with the 3.7 gallon pots. They were just right for these girls. The one's I just got are 3 liter ones for vegging. Grow after next will be airpots from birth to harvest.

By the way, do you know where I can get extra plastic screws that hold the pots together with? Just in case I lose some. The place where I bought my Airpots doesn't sell them separately.

 

[Bandit420]

What you just said is wise advice, OB
Hope every one reads it carefully.
Knowing the strain is a must! Truthfully if I had grown but one strain it would have been much better all around. But, I like trying different ones and that's my fault. I know for sure that two of my strains could have been better if I had watched more them closely.

I'm sticking with the 3.7 gallon pots. They were just right for these girls. The one's I just got are 3 liter ones for vegging. Grow after next will be airpots from birth to harvest.

By the way, do you know where I can get extra plastic screws that hold the pots together with? Just in case I lose some. The place where I bought my Airpots doesn't sell them separately.

You will be so happy with the 3 liter for veg! These pots are now the standard for veg in my garden. They're absolutely perfect! Time and time again i'm seeing outstanding uniform root development with zero binding or coiling. If somebody wanted to take my 3 liters from me we would be some fighting fools! That's how much I love the 3 liters!
For extra buttons i would try Quail Mountain Ranch. The shop should be the first thing that pops up from a Google search. They're based in Auburn, Ca and carry all sizes of the pots. If they dont have extra buttons I'm sure they can get them for you.
If your 3 liters dont come with the little tool you may want to inquire about that when you call QMR. The 3 liter pots come with a smaller allen head style button and you can you use either an allen head wrench or the tool. The tool makes life a little easier having the little grip wings that a wrench does not have.

 

[Bandit420]

BTW OMM,
I saw at my shop that the immitation air pots use zip ties instead of buttons so that could possibly work in a case where no spare buttons are available.

 

[OldMedMan]

Hey OB

I have 10 of those 3 liter airpots and love them. Just the perfect size for veg.
They did come with the little tool too.
Love these pots!

 

[Bandit420]

Hey OB

I have 10 of those 3 liter airpots and love them. Just the perfect size for veg.
They did come with the little tool too.
Love these pots!

Nice! I'm revisiting the 5 gallon monsters right now for bloom during the Summer. I think this one will be better than the last.

Here's the next batch of recruits! I've got OG Kush, LA Woman, Grapegod, and two autoflowers started out in the 4"x6" air pots. These things are perfect for seedlings. After this they'll move up to the two gallon and then to solid seven gallon pots for flower outside,

This plant here is the daughter of the WW that started off this thread. She is one of the first veg in air pots, bloom in solid pots test plants. She's doing her thing out in the Summer heat.

 

[Magnificient]

From what I've read about these pots, here and elsewhere, they'd do good with a drip system and should make much better use of co2. I'm not going to try them right away because I've already bought some of the stuff I need for a bubble system. I'm not going to give up the bubbles until you guys test everything out. Keep this up to date I'm going to be following it. Thanks for all the info.

 

[OldMedMan]

Hey OB Sounds like a good group of girls your starting.

Nice veg room too. Nice LED. Been thinking about one of those for veg too. So much cooler to use.

That WW is a giant! Beautiful!

I've ordered some more AirPots. The 3.1 gallon ones. My last grow, even though two of them were about 6' tall, they had only used about 2/3 of the soil, so I think I can get more out of them, of course I don't have your hot and dry climate. Right now it's only 85 degrees and 50% H.

I'll say one thing for you, you go big!!