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Is plant partitions a thing
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Is plant partitions a thing
Hi All. Second time posting.
I’ve been a hack grower since college, and started back up again a couple years ago in my 40s. I am starting to get more serious about it, and growing vegetables and so on. I am looking at using plastic jugs or bottles as partitions in the soil of large pots to try and reduce plant stress and transplanting.
Is it possible to plant your seeding in a 20gal. pot with a plastic jug/bottle around the rooted plant (about 1-2” away from root ball), then with soil filled in around doing the same thing with a much larger jug to partition the next set of roots from the rest of the soil in the pot, and so on.
So, essentially you would plant your seeding in the middle of the big pot, with a plastic partition to simulate a small pot. When the plant grows to the point of transplant (normally) you remove the partition and then have the next one to hold back the plant from using the outer soil, and so on…
The only downside is there would be no partition under the plant, because then the partitions cannot be removed.
I hope I’m explaining this okay.
Thank you for all of your time and effort.
Jon
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7 Replies
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It’s an interesting idea.
If the problem with bigger pots is difficulty watering small plants without overwatering, I don’t think this will address the problem. There is still a substantial column of soil even in the smallest ring. Lots of wet soil at the bottom is the original problem.
Are you trying to solve a different problem?
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Roots do not stay confined to a small space when given a large space. Roots will be sent out initially to the bottom and sides of any container within a week to see what the plant has to work with. There is no getting around learning how to properly water a plant.
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So the idea was to make it think it didnt have more room to bind up the roots growing horizontally.
Then after a fert and water at sign of roots at the plastic partition wall, remove the partition from the sides to give the roots more breathing room.
I was thinking it might feel cooped up like it was quarantined and then broke free from the house to a big open world. Without transplanting and stressing the plant out.
The bottom 1/3 of the pot i would use coco coir mixed with some of the 707 soil from above. Root growth vertically wasn’t a concern in the thought process thus far.
Crazy thought, but you don’t know if you don’t ask.
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This reply was modified 1 month, 3 weeks ago by Liquidjestr. Reason: wanted to add the bottom 1/3 soil mix
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This reply was modified 1 month, 3 weeks ago by
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Thank you. I wasn’t worried about watering issues or root rot, it was more to save nutrients in soil instead of replenishing soil (like in transplants to bigger pots) and avoiding the stress of the transplant.
I was originally planning on growing small to 5-6 nodes and then put in its final pot.
I’ve done it in the past without issues but was curious if there were ways to trick the plant into thinking it had a smaller space, then when the time was right remove the partition for the roots to grow out more. I don’t know if it is beneficial for the plant or it’s growth rate; but it was a thought I had, and was curious if it did anything beneficial.
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Limiting root space, limits plant structure. The more space you give roots, the thicker the stalks will form.
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I feel as if you would limit root expansion. This will limit the size of your plant and reduse the amount of nutrient it can uptake. If I were thinking this way I would simply use a 1gal plastic pot, and uppot at the appropreate time.
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Ok, thank you very much. That was what I was looking for.
Thank you for all of your time and effort all.
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