Rootmaker Medium Question

ts_13

5 year old buck +
I have about 12 rootmaker starter pots (18's). I do not want to order a large bale of the medium because its expensive and I will not use much at all. So my question is: are there any alternatives that are readily available at stores? 2) Is there a good mix to make? I have tried in the past but most have died because too much Peat I guess (root rot).

Thanks guys.

T
 
Keep in mind that root pruning is a system, not a single container. I've had very poor results planting from 18s. I've had good success when I upsize to 1 gal RB2s and fill them with roots before field planting and great success when I upsize a second time to 3 gal RB2s and fill them before field planting.

That means, you will probably use a bail for a dozen.

Having said that, you can certainly make your own. Here is a thread I transferred over from QDMA on the subject: http://www.habitat-talk.com/index.p...s-from-seed-transferred-from-qdma-forum.5571/ Other than some guy going off the deep end over the word "metro", you'll find a lot of good information in the thread. If you want to make your own, you can look at the ingredients on any of these professional mixes. Avoid buying mixes like miracle grow that are designed to retain water. You want a well drained mix with lots of air pockets for the roots to fill as they grow. The article above is focused at chestnuts, but those same mixes work well for most of the trees I've grown in rootmakers.

Thanks,

Jack
 
Thank you! This is what I was looking for. If you think I will use that much it would be easier to buy a bail. I did not think I would use that much but you know better than me.

Thanks again,

T
 
Thank you! This is what I was looking for. If you think I will use that much it would be easier to buy a bail. I did not think I would use that much but you know better than me.

Thanks again,

T

You don't need much for 18s and you can fill quite a few 1 gal RB2s from a bail. The 3 gal RB2s take a lot more mix. So, how much you use depend on how many transplants you plan to do. This thread shows the advantages of multiple transplants at the right time: http://www.habitat-talk.com/index.p...h-rootmakers-transfered-from-qdma-forum.5556/ You've got to decide what works best for you.

I've been using promix lately that comes in bales, but I've also used Fafard 3b. You can get that in bags that are smaller. Note, when you first look the bags seem to be less expensive on a volume basis but they are not. The bags contain loose mix and the bails are compressed. So, when you decompress the bail, it contains much more volume than when it is compressed.

Thanks,

Jack
 
A bale of ProMix BX from True Value hardware is $42 if you get it delivered to the store and pick it up yourself: http://www.truevalue.com/product/pro-mix-bx-potting-seeding-mix-3-8-cu-ft-/40360.uts

You can cut costs by mixing 50/50 with mini-pine bark nuggets when you move to 1 gal and 3 gal pots. I've used some other commercial mixes with decent success...even Miracle Grow has an "organic" potting mix that lacks the water retention of their regular mix, is generally available at big box stores and is available in a pinch.
 
A bale of ProMix BX from True Value hardware is $42 if you get it delivered to the store and pick it up yourself: http://www.truevalue.com/product/pro-mix-bx-potting-seeding-mix-3-8-cu-ft-/40360.uts

You can cut costs by mixing 50/50 with mini-pine bark nuggets when you move to 1 gal and 3 gal pots. I've used some other commercial mixes with decent success...even Miracle Grow has an "organic" potting mix that lacks the water retention of their regular mix, is generally available at big box stores and is available in a pinch.

There are plenty of commercial mixes that will work. The key is having sufficient drainage. Promix is just a brand name but there are lots of professional mixes you can get from nurseries that are just as good. As I said Fafard 3B is one I've used that has been just as good. The cost is deceiving. I'm paying closer to $35 a bale for Promix these days. Because the bales are compressed they contain roughly 3 times as much medium as the uncompressed bags on an uncompressed volume basis as the bags you get in a retail store.

There are two important reasons you want a professional mix with the right kind of chunkiness for growing with root pruning pots. First is that the voids in these mixes great gaps for the roots to fill as they are pruned and branch upstream. When a tree is ready to transplant from a root pruning pot, the density of roots is extremely high compared to a non-root pruning pot. The second reason is even more important for most.

One of the biggest issue folks have when starting out growing trees indoors under lights is watering. Many trees like chestnuts don't like wet feet. Until folks get the hang of it, deciding how frequently to water and how much water can be very difficult as it changes fast during different stages of tree development. Most of the problems I see are related to water. A professional mix with proper drainage in an 18 makes this process much simpler. One can water by weight. I've discussed this technique on other threads. Watering on a schedule or with a certain amount usually doesn't work well. Watering by weight ensures you are providing enough water but allowing the roots to dry out sufficiently between watering.

One more note. I would not mix promix or any other mix with the pine bark nuggets when using 18s. I do that with larger RB2 1 and 3 gal containers and it works well, but it is too chunky for 18s.

If you get the watering right, you can make any old mix work, even regular Miracle Grow. If you want to maximize your chances of success either mix your own or get one of the professional mixes for tree growing. The link I provided in the previous post lists lots of brands and shows their performance. You can find a good performing one and try to find the components and make your own, or use a big store mix as a base and add what is missing. I've been growing trees in rootmakers for a number of years now, and I'm still not good enough at watering with other methods. I find mixing my own too inconvenient and end up buying a professional mix.

Thanks,

Jack
 
How many 3 gal pots can you fill with a bale of Promix?


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How many 3 gal pots can you fill with a bale of Promix?


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Never counted but I mix mine with pinebark and compost for larger containers like that. Keep in mind that 3 gal is a nominal number used in the nursery industry. They don't actually hold 3 gallons. Also, keep in mind that you don't remove the medium from the previous size container. So, if you transplant from 18s directly to 3 gals it will take quite a bit more medium than if you are transplanting from 1 gals into 3 gals.

Thanks,

Jack
 
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