Conventional smooth-walled plastic nursery pots create damaging problems for plant roots. Roots deform and begin to circle the pot once they reach the plastic sidewalls. This leads to a poorly developed root system that jeopardizes the survivability of the plant or tree once it is transplanted. Nurseryman recognizing the damage caused by conventional nursery pots, use the RootMake
® Pot Licker
® as a solution to “retro-fitting” their can yard with technology that will trap root tips from circling the pot, and instead stimulate air-root pruning which will develop a fibrous root system by branching 4” back toward the center of the root.
Benefits of Retrofitting Black Nursery Pots with Pot Lickers®
Growers who prefer to keep the conventional smooth-walled nursery pot for their production set-up recognized many benefits to retrofitting the inside using the RootMaker
® Pot Licker
® air pruning container. Circling roots will be eliminated which will result in healthier plants. Additionally, the white coating will help manage both hot and cold temperature fluctuations caused by weather and the beating sun on the black plastic pot. It is not uncommon for there to be root death on the sun-facing side of the plant due to the extreme heat generated on the sidewall. The Pot Licker
® will reduce inside container temperature by as much as 20°.
Instructions for Retrofitting Smooth-Walled Nursery Pots
1. Insert Pot Licker® inside a conventional nursery pot with the white side against the plastic pot wall.
2. Fill the container with growth medium.
3. Plant the liner in the mix.
4. At time of planting into the next size container or into the landscape, simply grasp the end of the Pot Licker® material and peel like a banana. Because roots do not penetrate the Pot Licker® sidewall, removal is easy
5. Clean Pot Licker® with mild soap and water to reuse.
Of what material is the Pot Licker® bag made? The Pot Licker® has a bi-layer material composition. On the inside is a synthetic wooly, needle-felt polyester. The exterior is laminated with a white polyethylene coating.
Why are there no bases on the 10-gallon and under Pot Licker®? 10-Gallon and under containers are typically used for only one growing season – too short for roots to reach the bottom of the pot. However, for aggressive rooted species such as Elms and Oaks, or for plants that will remain in the container for more than one growing season, a base should be used. The 15-gallon, 30-gallon, and 45-gallon are sewn with a bi-layer base material for this reason.
What is Air Root Pruning? As roots grow out and contact the sidewall of the Pot Licker® the root tips are trapped as they cannot penetrate the material. The air caused the root tip to cauterize. When the tip can no longer extend, it branches back toward the center of the root in a manner as if it had been cut or air-pruned. This causes root branching that develops an extremely fibrous root system throughout the container volume.
What plants can be grown using a Pot Licker®? Everything. Trees, annuals, perennials, and vegetables.
