tree rooting pots

[myheaven]

HAve any of you wonderful people ever used these? Either in your personal or professional careers? I am looking at investing in them but cant find any reviews. here is the link
http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page...,47236&p=46938

[thechickenladyx]

not me. too cheap to buy stuff like that.

jesse

[myheaven]

well if I can root my existing fruit/sap trees and not have to pay a small fourtune per tree to get the fruit/sap trees we need. It will save us a bundle.

[RoseGarden]

I don't think the price is so bad. It could be considered a kind of investment, I guess. But may I suggest that first you determine if the kinds of trees or shrubs you are interested in rooting are going to be successful with the air layering method? Not all trees or shrubs will air layer. Some air layer very well, some will but after a long time often months or even a year or more, and some simply never will.

If you can determine that the plants you want to multiply will air layer successfully, then I would suggest trying it. I do a lot of air layering of ficus, both edible and ornamental, among other things, so I have sort of perfected the messy method of using plastic and moss that your website talks about. I've just done it so long that I have a little system worked out, and I can layer one in just a couple of minutes. I also need so many layers that I would have to spend too much money buying those rooter pots, so for me it wouldn't be cost effective.

They would probably work pretty well for the right kind of plant.

[minnikin1]

It looks like something that you could buy once, use and get experience with, and then be able figure out how to make at home.
Seems like you could use empty yogurt cups or something similar, but I'd need to see it and try it before I could figure it out...

[myheaven]

The trees I have are from this type of system already I know they will do well. I was thinking on trying the whole bag moss system but to have to remove the whole system and disrupt the root growth may hinder all I try to do. I was thinking on trying the clear containers from the deli but how to hinge it with out compromising the integrity of the weak container.
I would look at these as an invesment I need about 20 or more trees. To get them all for 20.00 that would be like stealing. In my opinion. I realy like the trees I have. ANd to purchase more would be around 50.00 a tree. so as you can see my thaughts of wanting to see if anyone had experiance with these.

[myheaven]

Oh by the way I only need the pots. I already have everything else.

[Mountaineer]

I love Lee Valley.

[Nessa's Nannies]

well, from looking at it (and warning, i have never done this) you could cut 2 deli cup/yougurt cups lengthwise, hinge the sides by using the little cable ties. by having one cup inside the other you would have a reservoir for the water. But unless you have all the supplies laying about, it might be best to buy them instead.

[Wolf mom]

Dunno. My grandmother always used the plastic bag method with some sort of moss & it worked well. After a while she could tell how long it took for it to root.

If you want to use plastic containers, I'd use the clear deli ones & elastic band the sides & top closed. (I'd only slit one side of the container, then overlap after it was around the branch) Easy to see what's going on inside, easy to add more water. KISS. (Keep it simple,...)

My kiddos used to root vines in zip lock bags with damp potting soil.

[RoseGarden]

If they air layer easily, then go for it. You might give the plastic and moss a try, though, it's not that hard once you figure out how to juggle all the stuff.

The moss should be soaked for a while and then wrung out just to the point it stops dripping. Wrap the wounded branch all the way around with moss, and hold it in place if necessary (sometimes it stays put by itself) while you wrap plastic around the moss. To minimize or eliminate water loss from the moss, make sure you cut the plastic large enough so that the plastic will extend at least a couple of inches above and below the moss. Make the plastic wrap completely around the moss a couple of times, and then holding it in place, start with black electrical tape, at the bottom, so that some of the tape is on the bark and some on the plastic, and start wrapping around the plastic. Extend the tape beyond the top of the plastic so that it covers the bark all the way around. Then go down the side seam of the plastic with the tape. This ensures that no moisture will escape the plastic, as it should be thoroughly sealed. And then wait.

I don't know what you mean by 'disrupt' the root system'? When you cut the rooted branch off, you just cut up the side of the plastic and pull it off, and the roots and moss stay intact. You are not disrupting the roots any more than you would be with the rooter pots, so I don't understand what you mean. Once you cut the newly rooted branch free of the 'mother' plant, cut off the plastic and simply pot it up, leaving the moss intact. No reason to try to pick it off. You may have to remove some of the lower leaves on the branch and put the pot in the shade until the roots start to take off. But disrupting them... no, it doesn't. It's pretty easy.

[myheaven]

by disrupt I ment taking off the plastic to look and see if the roots are forming. With clear plastic I may not need to.

[shadowwalker]

Again, go to www.freeplants.com. He has a method that uses a ten gallon aquarium. I have used this method for three years. I have rooted, fruit, nuts,flowering,ornamental, herb trees. Also works great on bushes and hardwood trees. I got two aquariums going most of the time.

[minnikin1]

Originally Posted by shadowwalker

Again, go to www.freeplants.com. He has a method that uses a ten gallon aquarium. I have used this method for three years. I have rooted, fruit, nuts,flowering,ornamental, herb trees. Also works great on bushes and hardwood trees. I got two aquariums going most of the time.

Thank you for this link.
I can't wait to try this system!

[longshadowfarms]

We have some of those Lee Valley pots. Not sure if we didn't start early enough in the season or what but it was a pain in the patootie (imagine cold water running down your arm while trying to water through a tiny hole) and didn't work.