Sweet spot in pot size for growing?

[Scrogdor]

Since I don’t have access to ground growing, I’m growing in pots. As far as pot growing goes, how much of a difference is say a 2.2gallon air pot to a 3.6gallon air pot? Or to a 5.6 gallon. Is there a sweet spot size wise or a point at which pot size increase gives negligible growth rate improvements?


Would appreciate a comment from anyone with some experience regarding this.

 

[leatherback]

Since I don’t have access to ground growing, I’m growing in pots. As far as pot growing goes, how much of a difference is say a 2.2gallon air pot to a 3.6gallon air pot? Or to a 5.6 gallon. Is there a sweet spot size wise or a point at which pot size increase gives negligible growth rate improvements?


Would appreciate a comment from anyone with some experience regarding this.

Look at commercial pot-growing nurseries: They up-pot every time a stable rootball has formed in the container. This might mean up-potting several times a year. It gives the roots room to grow, but you do not have a large areas of unused rooting space. (Roots tend to race out to the edge of the pot, and not use the inside that much, so uppotting gives multiple pushes).

That being said, take into account that you have different aims when growing. Is it just getting a fat trunk? Great nebari? Tight internode? All this comes into play.

A big container can hamper development, especially if you are in wet cold regions. A tree not being able to use all the water in a pot in a day or two will have a hard time. So optimally, you have to adjust the container to the tree size, and up-pot as the tree gets bigger.

I personally accept slower development over more control when growing in a pot, my grow-out containers are probably in the 2-3 gallon ranges.

 

[leatherback]

I personally accept slower development over more control when growing in a pot, my grow-out containers are probably in the 2-3 gallon ranges.

Note: I ALSO have plants in the ground for just fast growing fat. I try different things so that in 10, 15 years I can decide which I prefer . Both have pros and cons.

 

[Scrogdor]

Look at commercial pot-growing nurseries: They up-pot every time a stable rootball has formed in the container. This might mean up-potting several times a year. It gives the roots room to grow, but you do not have a large areas of unused rooting space. (Roots tend to race out to the edge of the pot, and not use the inside that much, so uppotting gives multiple pushes).

That being said, take into account that you have different aims when growing. Is it just getting a fat trunk? Great nebari? Tight internode? All this comes into play.

A big container can hamper development, especially if you are in wet cold regions. A tree not being able to use all the water in a pot in a day or two will have a hard time. So optimally, you have to adjust the container to the tree size, and up-pot as the tree gets bigger.

I personally accept slower development over more control when growing in a pot, my grow-out containers are probably in the 2-3 gallon ranges.

I plan on using air pots to avoid root circling in most of them.