So I have my 3 gallon smart pot. I special ordered some organic perlite which comes tomorrow. One question I have is this:
Would I have to put a layer of perlite on the bottom for drainage or would that be a waste of perlite given the pot is fabric and will drain on it’s own?
Any opinions and tips welcome. Thanks!
I went with straight potting soil in my 5 and 7 gallon smart pots and have no issues with drainage. I have to water every other to every third day.
They drain well I just mix mine in the soil to keep it from compacting during watering which also allows more air to roots and allows them to grow a little easier bit this is just the way I do it. There’s 1000 ways to skin a cat. I’m sure someone will come along that puts it on the bottom. Or uses it differently. The main thing about growing your own is you can experiment and fins what works best for you.
This is one of the questions that come down to preference I don’t believe there’s really a wrong or right answer just different reasons for doing it the way they do
It’s not necessary to put something in the bottom of these fabric pots. They drain and air dry really well, so nothing is needed on the bottom.
I’m using a mix of Jobe’s organic potting soil, FF Ocean Forest and some extra organic perlite. I was thinking of neutralizing the ph a little for the FF soil so it’s not as hot when I plant the seedling. But then again, I might not even know what I’m talking about. lol
I’ve grown with and with out. I’ve had soil compacted really hard by harvest with out perlite. Mix it in your soil and you’ll be good!
Perlite is used mostly for increasing the porosity of soil; it doesn’t do too much for buffering pH.
Usually, when we’re talking hot soil, we mean soil with a lot of nutes. This can be mitigated by, of course, going with a neutral medium, diluting the hot medium with cooler/neutral media, or by flushing your medium before use.
As stated above, there are a million ways to skin a cat.
I do, I like having the air around the entire pot and not have to worry about them sitting in runoff. I’ve also heard that leaving them on the floor negates the aspect of air pruning the roots. I grabbed these from amazon, not that expensive and I love them! Here’s a link and a pic. I’m using 3gal pots, my stands are 10.6” and they fit perfectly, just a bit larger than the pots. They also come in 15”.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08198T7Z5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_m1lrEbQHMCGN0