The air pot experiment

[Anthony]

Here are two plants grown in the same amount of soil - Tamarinds.
One in an air-pot [ Scotland ]

The results are
[1] The air-pot produce a slightly thicker trunk, but many more branchlets.
I will illustrate with an old image and tomorrow the defoliated
trees.

[2] Will be testing other plants to see if the same happens again.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[defra]

Nice
Albizia if im right?
But isnt the airpot working the same as a pond basket?
Id love to see a test with 3 trees normal pot, air pot, pond basket/collander

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Here are two plants grown in the same amount of soil - Tamarinds.
One in an air-pot [ Scotland ]

The results are
[1] The air-pot produce a slightly thicker trunk, but many more branchlets.
I will illustrate with an old image and tomorrow the defoliated
trees.

[2] Will be testing other plants to see if the same happens again.
Good Day
Anthony


View attachment 163193

Hi Anthony,
I do like your airpot and have seen these advertised in Australia. Would you have a contact, so that I can buy a few, as colanders are so small ( 2-3 litres) ?
Your thread looks very interesting. Agree with @defra though, what is the difference between colanders and these airpots?
Charles

 

[Gary McCarthy]

Looks to be a big difference in the size of 2 pots. Could that have had an effect on the results?

 

[Anthony]

@Gary McCarthy ,

the tape on the air-pot illustrates the limit of the soil within.

Here are the promised images.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Anthony]

General response -

When the tamarind was removed from the air-pot all you saw was wood
no soil.

@defra ,

Tamarinds.

@KiwiPlantGuy ,
Check Amazon [US ] for sellers. If they pack flat the cost is very little for shipping.
Ask before purchasing, please.

We use the colander in ground growing for trunk size and training 6 branches.
Speeds up the Bonsai process mightily.

Trunks of 3" [ 8 cm] in 1 or 2 or 3 years, Depends on the hardness of the wood.
Tamarind is a medium hard and can do it in 1 year.

No more waiting for 20 or 30 years.

I started a discussion a while ago to see who was using natives. Why ?
Because natives can handle local conditions and be ground grown all year long.

Here is an illustration of a ground grown tree in a colander.

When removed the colander works as a safety net. The plant is left in the colander
for x months as it regenerates the feeder roots.

Just about to test J.B.pines [ yes they grow easily down here from seed.]

Hope this helps.
Good Day
Anthony

Celtis l in colander ------- ground grown

 

[miker]

Thank you Anthony.

I tried a few trees in airpots starting this spring and I had favorable results as well. The only exception was a Korean hornbeam which, unlike the rest, was not potted in pure akadama, perhaps had too much sun and had pest issues.

The only thing I will say is the air pots dry out quickly, due to the design, but if you keep up with the watering, they are a great way to grow out material.

 

[It's Kev]

Are airpots/colanders only for ground growing or do they work in my case (concrete jungle) as well?

 

[milehigh_7]

Here are two plants grown in the same amount of soil - Tamarinds.
One in an air-pot [ Scotland ]

The results are
[1] The air-pot produce a slightly thicker trunk, but many more branchlets.
I will illustrate with an old image and tomorrow the defoliated
trees.

[2] Will be testing other plants to see if the same happens again.
Good Day
Anthony


View attachment 163193

Oi!!!

I have only been using strainers/sieves/pond baskets/ etc for about 9 years but I think they work. There is some reason Vance Wood was granted a patent on the technology... This is really not a question any longer I do remember when it was, however. Now everyone wants to stack them or bury them which is idiotic but whateves... I am happy to see folks using them.


Both of these are one year old trees that have been in 6" strainers for one season. A western hackberry and a crepe myrtle.

 

[Anthony]

@kevinlovett86 ,

colanders -

as @milehigh_7 shows, they do give good root results.

We use them for ground growing, because thus far the only plants that can build a trunk
in a pot is a local willow leaf ficus and Ficus b.
Our results --------------- the others may have more examples.

Clyde,

the double and triple colander is probably for folk who have limited growing space.

We have a Caribbean pine testing the idea. Too soon to tell. It is in a double colander
situation.

The idea may be, the fine hair feeders and root run, is increased in a second and thrid
colander.
Might probably be very effective on soft to medium soft wooded trees.

Those images from Bonsai Today may also be from the late 80's.

When I have the time to dig, I will look for the beginnings of the colander / wire mesh
growing.

There is a book from the 50's with an American guy showing the use of rectangular wire
mesh pots.
So the biological response must have been known at least in the 50's though I suspect
somewhere in the 1800's.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Anthony]

@milehigh_7 ,

Clyde,

the Japanese black pine is listed as a softwood,

The Caribbean / Honduran pine is listed as a hardwood.

We may not see results as the hardwood probably needs ground growing to
get trunk thickness.
Whereas the ficus expands in the pot, trunk wise and is a softwood.
So the J.b.pine might respond to the double and triple colander.

Once again might not work for us as the light might be too intense on this
side, we rarely get long candle extensions, just 1/4 to 1/2 inch shoots especially
with older than 5 year old plants.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Victorim]

Nice
Albizia if im right?
But isnt the airpot working the same as a pond basket?
Id love to see a test with 3 trees normal pot, air pot, pond basket/collander

Late but.. the difference as I understand between the air pots and pond baskets ect is the way the roots are directed via the nodes / cones whatever. Same thing but amplified.

 

[Anthony]

Just in case anyone missed it.
Clyde, just explained why the colander as a safety net in ground growing
works. Regeneration of fine feeders.

Air-pots would not be a good shape for ground growing.
Simple colanders work and cost very little.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Anthony]

Thus far --------- 1967 -------- the creator of Root Maker.
Still searching for how far back

 

[Anthony]

Repeated information ---------

How to grow living miniature Ming trees at home - 1949 ----- John Kiktavi
page - 8

[ Can be had for little on Amazon ]
________________________________________________________

****Remember the idea is not ------------- colanders --------------- but colanders
in the ground for trunk expansion and 6 branches.

The colander allows for safe removal and regeneration of fine feeder roots *******
______________________________________________________

If Mr. Kiktavi copyrighted the book in 49, there is a good chance this information
was know well before the 40's.

Good Day
Anthony

 

[Gary McCarthy]

@Gary McCarthy ,

the tape on the air-pot illustrates the limit of the soil within.

OK, got it.

I'm assuming the bottom is just filled with rocks/stones, is that correct? Any reason to use that large a pot? Could you use a pot that would be just big enough to hold the amount of soil you want?

 

[Anthony]

@Gary McCarthy ,

the air pot is a flat shape that is rolled into a cylinder.
There is a circular shape with square holes that fits between
the points internally.
You can adjust the volume of soil held by the cylinder by moving
the circular shape up and down inside.

Here is an image that should explain.
Plus the blue plugs that lock the flat shape together.

Look closely at the top left hand side to observe how the flat is folded into
a cylinder.

http://air-pot.us/hydro/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/15-litre-Air-Pot-hydro2.jpg

Good Day
Anthony

 

[Victorim]

Google them guys. Lots of info and fancy diagrams about.

@Anthony ok your drumming this into me so come spring I'll do side by side and document. Have 3 few year old birches on tiles in compost. One will be a mame attempt and the remaining 2 I'll get one in the ground, in a colender and the other next to it in a pot. My fear is after I'll want alot in the ground.. and I don't have that much ground.

 

[Anthony]

@Victorim ------------------------ do you have friends/relatives/neighbours ?

 

[Victorim]

@Victorim ------------------------ do you have friends/relatives/neighbours ?

Haha. Yes I know this can be overcome. Could rent some allotment space near to me.. not the same as having daily viewing

By the way was meaning to ask you a while ago. Are you interested in getting a salix boydii rooted cutting? Dunno about getting it to you or cost tho.