RootMaker
® Containers exceed the expectations of nursery owners and farmers who are on a mission to help each plant thrive. Patented and backed by decades of research, RootMaker
® containers are designed to efficiently direct roots to openings in the container. When this occurs, the root tip dehydrates (essentially cauterized) and stops growing, and creates secondary roots that are more horizontal in growth. These secondary roots are also dehydrated when they reach container openings and create additional root branching. What does this mean for the plant? The plant is equipped with more active new root tips and a greater root tip surface area for water and nutrient absorption – just like in nature. Nature never planned on transplanting, nor for the root loss or shock to plants that follow. RootMaker
® containers plan for transplanting WITHOUT the shock or the loss.
RootMaker® Containers – Injection/Blow Molded Design
Continuous experimentation in container design during the 1980s resulted in a design system of horizontal ledges, vertical ribs, and angles that direct roots to strategic air openings for the most efficient air root pruning containers which consistently produce non-circling fibrous root systems without the use of any chemicals.
Above ground growing is affected by heat and cold more so than when plants are grown in the earth. Smooth-walled black nursery containers provide little protection to the plant roots beyond the thickness of the plastic, which is virtually no protection at all. RootMaker® containers, on the other hand, cause roots to branch once they are air pruned at the sidewall. Where a root tip is pruned by air, branching will occur about 4” back from the tip. This occurs because the hormonal control that dictates how roots grow is removed once the root tip is air pruned. Thus, in overwintering plants, all the roots are branched back into the center of the container into the medium mix and toward the base of the stem, not against the sidewall where they are exposed to the cold. The same temperature protection occurs in the hot summer months where root death can occur in as little as 15 minutes when the sun hits the exposed side of a traditional black nursery container. The RootMaker® Containers essentially imitate plant life in the earth where root temperatures are protected by the soil. This makes a big difference in the growth of the plant and tolerance to the cold.
RootMaker® Air Pruning Container Options
RootMaker
® manufacturers 2 styles of Plastic Air Pruning Containers:
- Plastic Molded Containers – Available in sizes 1-gallon up to 15-gallon. Round shape with tiered sidewalls and holes. These containers are automation compatible.
- RootBuilder® II Kits & Expandable Containers – available in propagation sizes up to 100-gallon ideal for shift up for large specimen trees. The unique sidewall similarly directs roots efficiently to small openings for additional air root pruning. This style allows for expanding pot size in the field without the need to transport trees to the potting shed to shift up.
RootMaker® Container System
The RootMaker
® System is designed to be a successive method of container root pruning that accelerates plant growth and increases efficiencies. With RootMaker
® the container prunes the tap root first which increases root branching exponentially. Much like trimming a hedge, when a root is pruned properly, it produces numerous secondary roots. The result is an abundance of horizontal and vertical roots and a healthier plant that is easily transplanted for a strong start and a stronger finish:
- Propagation
- Liners
- Field planting
- Above Ground Growing
- Finishing
What is the life expectancy of the plastic air pruning containers? 20 years.
What plants can be grown in RootMaker® Containers? Everything. Trees, annuals, perennials and vegetables.
It is recommended to use a soilless mix for 1-gallon and larger containers. The following recommended recipe is
based on a cubic yard of mix before adding fertilizer etc.
- Ground Pine Bark, Peat, and Sand (60/20/20 by volume)
- Micromax® micronutrients (1.5 pounds)
- 17-7-12 Osmocote® (14 pounds)
- Dolomite usage depends on the minerals dissolved in your irrigation water and specific grow site elements
