Air Pruning Pots

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I have heard good things in the use of pots that air prune a trees root systems while a tree is in the developmental stage but have never tried them. As from what I've found there seems to be three main types 1) the cone shaped wall variety 2) net pots or pond basket pots 3) cloth pots (essentially burlap pots). My question would be is there a type that works best? And do the three types differ or are they just different means to an end? I'm interested in trying some of my trees in them so hearing from anyone with personal experience with this subject would be great.

-Mike
In my experience using all 3 pots I personally like the more expensive Air Pot plastic air pruning pots. I've used them with great success to grow a variety of plants from seed and cuttings and also to pot up existing plants. There are a few minor issues I've experienced with each. 1. With plastic air pot especially water tends to flow out of the holes in the side, which in my opinion is wasteful and takes nutrients along with it. Also the raised bottom for base pruning keeps plants sitting over stagnant water unless its emptied after every watering which harbors bacteria and mold if unchecked. The pros are that they are FAR more durable and work better due to the cone shaped form the root mass takes on making recovery and regrowth after transplant easier.2. Fabric pots dont last nearly as long as can however rarely rip at the seams, they also allow roots to grow out of or through the base and bottom of the pot as it sits in moisture. The sides of these pots can also harbor algae and moss if unattended for too long. The pros are that they are cheap, even for gigantic sizes. The benefit of roots touching the water basin is that water can be reabsorbed from the water runoff basin. My least favorite are not pots. Size to cost ratio is rediculous. The little plastic bars tend to snap over time like an old laundry basket even on the better made versions. They cannot handle freezing temperatures as well and a surplus of soil an nutrients seem to wash out every watering or rain. This can be remedied by using a larger substrate such as bark but anything smaller than the hole will eventually wash out of the pot. The pros are that they can be completely submerged for watering ( basin soak method) or partially submerged for cutting root development ( I've done this successfully many times prior I now have an aeroponic cloning machine for this purpose). My suggestion would be go with the air pot plastic hands down and place a small tile under the tree to create the start of a root flare in the pot ( it actually works exactly the same as field growing in my experience) then remove every 2 years as you would with a normal bonsai pot and cut off excess roots. These pots work far better than nursery pots for developing the fine hair like roots after root pruning and transplanting. One huge plus with either the air pots or the fabric pots is Yamadori and Urbandori I have nearly 100% success rate in transplanting even difficult species from the wild into pots using air pruning pots. It's a worthwhile investment to buy a 12 pack of the air pots and go from there. One important thing to note is soil composition. Due to runoff and the need to fertilize more often I would suggest adding a higher amount of compost into your mix than usual. Fast draining soil is not as important with these pots due to surface area allowing evaporation and the extra oxygen in the soil. So since they have more oxygen at the roots for growth you can add more compost to your mix to cause faster growth in place of drainage materials.
 
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