Root Trainers

[Alison]

Have you considered a job in sales for Root Trainers Inc?

Do think they'd pay me commission?

[vegnut]

I think they should give something to the grapevine, due to all the advertising were giving them.
Free rootrainers for all grapes YAY

[Kristen]

I've used root trainers, loo rolls and newspaper pots

I found root trainers flimsy and that I created a lot of root disturbance when I transplanted them - root-balls disintegrating somewhat etc. whilst being handled. I don't buy the "groves make the roots grow straight down" as being a major benefit to better plants, but what it needs is the evidence and findings of a side-by-side experiment to see if there is any tangible difference.

Loo rolls are the easiest to transplant as they are pretty robust, but being open at the bottom there are more annoying to fill and move about. I found them too narrow a diameter and not tall enough (I only use these for crops that don't like being transplanted, and things like Parsnips need plenty of depth!). They tend to develop little mushrooms and other furry growths - which I think comes from the adhesive used to make them - doesn't effect the plants.

Newspaper pots (fold a sheet of newspaper in half [top to bottom], and roll it around an aerosol can, then tuck the bottom in) doesn't suffer from the "bathroom full of empty loo roll" syndrome - but even so I am keeping ours to put over Leeks to blanch them a bit more.

We have plenty of newspapers lying around, so "supply" is not a problem. I can make them on-demand. They rot down easily. They are more robust than you might expect for a bit of soggy newspaper! but they do need standing in a seed tray or similar (I use 60cm square gravel trays which take about 50 and are about as heavy when wet as I am comfortable carrying for the distance to the veg plot), and you need to pack the tray full to make them stable. 6" or 7" tall is easily done, which is deeper than the other two (unless you use a lot of kitchen roll!).

If you are using loo rolls, newspaper pots, peat pots etc. make sure that there is no pot ABOVE ground when you plant - otherwise it will act as a wick drying out the pot and compost. Just tear off the top inch or so (I just push the torn off tops of mine into the soil nearby, they aren't there come Autumn!)

[FoxHillGardener]

...Newspaper pots (fold a sheet of newspaper in half [top to bottom], and roll it around an aerosol can, then tuck the bottom in) doesn't suffer from the "bathroom full of empty loo roll" syndrome - but even so I am keeping ours to put over Leeks to blanch them a bit more. ...

I find that newspaper pots stick to each other when they're in the seed tray and then tear apart when you try to separate them. Do you stand them individually, not touching or use something to separate them?

[Kristen]

Mine are touching, and I do get some of what you describe. I don't stand mine in water to water them, I water from a watering can with a spout, and the "gaps" between the pots dry out.

It may depend a bit how long you leave them before planting. I have left Sweetcorn too long and the roots have grown through into the neighbouring pots (basically sown too early and still a risk of frost, so was trying to hold them back, that didn't work! they were far too vigorous).

I now get Sweet Corn and Parsnips in the ground within 3 weeks of germination (including a week's hardening off). The only ones I use for longer than that are Sweetpeas and I use a double layer of Newspaper for them; they aren't so fussed about root disturbance [I only use newspaper pots as I haven't found anything tall enough for their roots, I'd be happy with a 3" plastic pot that was 6" or more tall - and didn't cost a fortune! Eagle Sweetpeas sell a plastic-bag pot, but I found the rim flopped over and made them hard to water, and they were also very fiddly to fill with compost]

[FoxHillGardener]

So I will try to be more careful with my watering and less tardy with my planting out

[Kristen]

Good points though, particularly for anyone trying it for the first time I reckon.

[Suky]

Loo rolls are the easiest to transplant as they are pretty robust, but being open at the bottom there are more annoying to fill and move about.

I drop a used tea bag in the bottom when I fill them. It fits fairly snugly and the compost doesn't fall through if you knock them accidently. They pretty well rot away like the loo roll and they hold some moisture too.

[smallblueplanet]

I think rootrainers are the marmite of gardening accessories. You either love em or hate em!

They last ages, as long as you're not heavy-handed with them, they stack easily into a gravel tray, they're easy to open take out a plant or two then put the row back. I think they grow really strong, healthy roots - rootrainers I love 'em!

[Bren In Pots]

I fold my loo rolls so they're square then stand them in trays like these :-

Wilko-Seed-Tray-Inserts-


it solves the problem of them touching each other.

[Kristen]

They last ages, as long as you're not heavy-handed with them, they stack easily into a gravel tray, they're easy to open take out a plant or two then put the row back. I think they grow really strong, healthy roots - rootrainers I love 'em!

I wonder if the ones I have were rubbish quality then? I just got them from the garden centre about 3 years ago. Having used them a few times they've struck me as a 5-minute-wonder, but I'd hate to write them off if the Brand I have is rubbish.

Making pots from newspaper is a lot of faff of course, so I could tolerate some faff on the part of rootrainers and be no worse off.

I'm sceptical they are tall enough for Parsnips (I get trap roots starting to come out of some of my newspaper pots that are 6" - 7" tall only 3 weeks after germination ...), but for sweet peas and sweetcorn root trainers ought to do me.

I use ordinary plastic pots for things that don't mind transplanting - easy to wash and reuse etc. but there may be advantages to something as neat-and-tidy as root trainers purport to be. 3" for things that I will pot on, 9cm for things that I direct plant (they are a bit bigger than 3" and give me a little longer to "hold" them before planting).

I reckon root trainers would be smaller volume of compost (per plant) is that right? (Some money to be saved there )

[salilah]

I find it easier to plant out from RT than from module trays (especially the latest green ones, they are rubbish!) - so use them for most things - peas, beans, courgettes (to be planted on to pots) etc...
Yes they do tear a bit, but mine are still going strong after 3 years
Worth the money? don't know

[zazen999]

You do have to be a bit delicate with them - but roottrainers are made by Hankicks so they would be interested if someone else has made and is selling them [they would have Hanicks written on the frame IIRC].

I'd not put either carrots or parsnips in them; but I sow those direct.

They are fab - if the compost is falling out when you open them, then the root system is not ready yet....hence not sowing carrots or parsnips in them.

[Kristen]

Good point, root trainers won't be suitable for Carrots / Parsnips as the plants only have a single tap root at planting out time so nothing to "bind" the compost.

Most people / normal people would sow Carrots and Parsnips direct.

My Parsnips are fabulous (complete unbiased comment ) but there is a significant amount of faffing involved. I persuade myself that making 50 paper pots once a year for a winter's supply of Parsnips is "not a lot of faffing"

Flip side is that if you direct-sow and have erratic germination then space is wasted ("station-sowing" probably solves that), and Parsnip germination can be slow which means that re-sowing can be too late in the season to then get a decent crop, and slow germination can also mean that the weeds are competing by the time the plants are up.

[zazen999]

I sow in April/May, then hand weed about 6 weeks later and pretty much don't do anything until picking time. I do mine in squares not rows; so it is a manageable space for weeding.

I do dig the soil over and dig sand in though, just for that area. And I put sand over the seeds to try and keep the weeds down.

If I get alot of weeds, I'll do one more weeding session around August but that really is it!

The main issue I have is slugs, so sand does cut down the numbers....