air pruning and containers

Does anybody have an idea or source for cheap pots for air pruning? I have a soil block maker but for several reasons I still would like a pot. I looked into net/mesh pots for pond plants but they are quite pricey.

Has anybody come up with an idea yet?

I have made some nice large ones from weed barrier. Just sew a tube out of the fabric and close one end with a ziptie. Put the bottom in a relatively low sided container to contain the water.
Panty hose works for smaller size containers.

William Bronson wrote: I have made some nice large ones from weed barrier. Just sew a tube out of the fabric and close one end with a ziptie. Put the bottom in a relatively low sided container to contain the water.
Panty hose works for smaller size containers.

Interesting ideas. Do they hold up ok? Panty hose sounds a bit tricky to fill and possibly move?!

These things seem to be the bomb for air layering. Problem is they're expensive if you want to do this en-masse.
http://backyardgrowers.com/clamshell-propagator/

I'm also dreaming up ways to do air layering (or pruning, don't know what the right term is), but I haven't had time to do any trials yet.

I have an idea of doing it with 2 small plastic pots and a few zip ties, arranged in a way that accomplishes what the clamshell propagator does. I have lots of these small pots going unused, so it would be great if something could be done with them.

So far, all the air layering techniques I've seen online (with the exception of the above link) all seem really bad design. Either the root ball container is too small (=fewer roots), there is increased condensation in the chamber which may increase fungus or bacteria, or it just looks as if it would be a pain in the rear-end to put on.

There should be an easier way to do this. I have the feeling that ground layering, while not very practical with trees, is a thousand times easier. One solution would be to let a ground-level branch jump out and then put a pot under it and a rock over it.
William

William James wrote:These things seem to be the bomb for air layering. Problem is they're expensive if you want to do this en-masse.
http://backyardgrowers.com/clamshell-propagator/

I'm also dreaming up ways to do air layering (or pruning, don't know what the right term is), but I haven't had time to do any trials yet.

I have an idea of doing it with 2 small plastic pots and a few zip ties, arranged in a way that accomplishes what the clamshell propagator does. I have lots of these small pots going unused, so it would be great if something could be done with them.

So far, all the air layering techniques I've seen online (with the exception of the above link) all seem really bad design. Either the root ball container is too small (=fewer roots), there is increased condensation in the chamber which may increase fungus or bacteria, or it just looks as if it would be a pain in the rear-end to put on.

There should be an easier way to do this. I have the feeling that ground layering, while not very practical with trees, is a thousand times easier. One solution would be to let a ground-level branch jump out and then put a pot under it and a rock over it.
William

Air layering is not air pruning as far as I know. Air layering is working with cuttings that are still attached to the shrub. Air pruning is pretty much potted plants without pots (or better pot walls). The plants don't get root bound with the air pruning technique. My goal is to start seeds and sell plants in pots but without this problem. So I am looking for ideas on pots that have either lots of holes, a fabric that lets air and light through or something like that. Ideally sturdy enough to hold the plant like a pot.

Oh, right. That.
Someone is working on a huge project here for the world's fair next year. They've been air pruning a forest of trees for the past 5-7 years, so that when they finally install them at full size, they'll go wild because of the huge number of roots they have.

Have you thought of that hanging pot thing with Coco liner?
http://www.selectiveoutdoorsupplies.com.au/Uploads/Images/hanging-basket.jpg

I imagine just about any tough fabric would do for a season. When the season's over, compost it. You could hang it with a rope.
Burlap sacks might work well and you can usually get them for cheap. If you sew one end, you could get two pots for the price of one burlap sack.

If you're looking for something in the cheap metal department for a container, you might try chicken wire that you mold around a container. It's usually pretty cheap that.

Just brainstorming ideas here.

If you need something smaller, you might go with something like orange (fruit stands, supermarket supplier)-fishnet, although you might find yourself in a mess of plastic near the end. Or burlap sacks cut up into small circles, placed in a pot, allowed to settle in, and then taken out and tied to keep it together.

Let me know if I'm getting close
William

Geoff Lawton's newest video showcases a company called Air-Pot.

This is the article about them from Permaculture News.

I saw those too, they are awesome!

I imagine they ship pretty easiliy too.

William

I found 100 3" net pots for about $15 at amazon and I'm starting a lot of seedlings in those this year. I think it was Larry Hall on youtube that turned me on to the idea. So far, my lettuce is already planted out in zone 7 and they are doing amazing! I've got some calendula transplanted into 20 of them and they are also doing extremely well. It seems once I transplant from a mostly peat mix for seedlings into a peat and compost mix in the net cups, things just take off! I'm doing the black cobra peppers today and can't wait to see the results!

I've also tried weed fabric in a small cheap laundry basket with tomatoes last year, but didn't see much difference in that and the self wicking containers I made from rubbermaid tubs. They also didn't look as good, but I didn't do much to neaten up the weed fabric coming out of the top. I'm always looking for more ideas though, cause those airpots are way too much for my budget, even if they are reusable.

Net pots look to me like they would disintegrate in 2 years and you would be left picking up pieces of plastic everywhere.
Do they make a biodegradable version? That would be cool. Maybe something you could just plant inside the container and it would dissolve in the soil with no toxic gick.

William