harveyc

Last year I planted about 100 chestnut seedlings in 3 gallon RootMaker pots and another 100 in RootTrapper pots. The RootMaker pots used to have smaller and more numerous holes and I think I liked that design better, but they still work pretty well. Although the RootTrapper pots are difficult to use more than once, I did like them better mostly because it was easier to get the plants watered thoroughly though I don't think that would be an issue if each pot was on drip. I don't know of a retail source (or someone selling them in small quantities). I bought them from a NorCal distributor the company referred me to.

I may try out the Smart Pots also.

I am also trying MicroKote (similar to Spin-Out copper paint to chemically prune roots instead of air prune but with other nutrients included). I also experimented and made my own copper paint to try out. If you're planning on keeping the plants in a pot to fruit, you might want to stay away from the copper products.

If you search out "air pruning pots" you'll likely come across some marijuana growing forums where some growers have been quite creative in devising their own systems to do the same thing. I think someone had used landscape fabric and cut it to line pots and it worked well and that's something I should try also since it would be cheap and easy to re-use. I think it takes a coarse woven landscape fabric to work well.

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