Root Trainers

[Florence Fennel]

Some really good advice on here, thanks very much.

[smallblueplanet]

Oh and if you are a bit 'oops pulled that too hard' with the rootrainers then I've used some 'thin' (1cm wide?) electrical tape to hold the rips together, it sticks really well even after rain/watering. We're still using our first lot which must be about 5 years old by now.

[vegnut]

I'm with zazen999 on the direct planting of snips and carrots, although i usually sow mine march to april. Probably something to do with being a little further south.

I also love them rootrainers, iv'e had mine for about 4 years now, and haven't really suffered with any splitting.

Oh, and i don't buy newspapers.

[northmaid]

Sweet peas and peas going in my rootrainers at the minute. I like them, and last year did a sort of trial with sweet peas in rootrainers, loo rolls and ordinary pots. My vote for stongest roots went to the rootrainers.

[Kristen]

My vote for stongest roots went to the rootrainers.

Was there a tangible difference as the plants grew on? (maybe you did not segregate them to be able to make that comparison)

[zazen999]

I grow my climbers mainly in R-Ts and the dwarfs mainly in loo rolls, for that reason.

I even grew potatoes in them once....believe it or not.
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ers_33429.html

[Kristen]

I love the Spuds link!

I grow things like Petunias and Trailing Lobellia in 3" pots - and its a tight squeeze to get the root ball into my tubs & urns [because there are several plants to squeeze in].

Root trainers are narrower and probably better suited to cramming lots of plants into a tub / hanging basket. I could use tray or modules but I reckon that creates a lot of disturbance when they are transplanted.

[zazen999]

I end up using anything and everything that will hold compost - during April...

I also use the loo rolls folded into squares shoved in pots so that when they come out, there are 9 distinct root balls, but I've only used 4 loo roll insides.

The Linear Legume: Using loo roll insides

*The GO SG on my Wild Pigeon Bean label is to remind me that I was saving them as a Garden Organic HSL Seed Guardian...

This works in seed trays, cut each loo roll inner into 2 or 3 [depending on depth], and put into a seed tray like a chess board....add compost and sow one seed to each 'module'. When they have got their true leaves, then they will come out in small root balls. Really good for beetroot, swedes etc...and you can do smaller trays and have a pinch of lettuce seed in each 'module'.

[Bigmallly]

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]

Have you considered kitchen roll inners?.....assuming you buy it of course.

[Kristen]

Have you considered kitchen roll inners?.....assuming you buy it of course.

Yup, they would do. But I grow 100 - 120 sweetpea plants - and we don't get through that much kitchen paper in a year. I could use them for some of the sweetpeas though - I'll think about that for next year, thanks.

[Florence Fennel]

Sorry to bump this again, but I haven't sown anything in the RTs yet and wondered if I could try starting off some brassicas. What do you think?

[King Carrot]

I'm saving my RT's for beans and sweetcorn as it saves loads of space not having 3 inch pots and trays for the pots, plus a crate or two of kitchen roll inner tubes full of sweetcorn falling about even if they're wedged in tight. I find the RT's great when space really gets a bit tight in April, don't know how I managed without them.

[Alison]

I don't do brassicas in them as I don't think there's that much point, they don't need the deep root space and they seem to thrive on potting on. So far this year I've sown broad beans and sweet peas in my trainers and tomorrow will be sowing my forced early French beans in them for planting out next month in the polytunnel. Did it last year and it was lovely to get an early crop before the main ones outside were anywhere near there

[King Carrot]

I don't do brassicas in them as I don't think there's that much point, they don't need the deep root space and they seem to thrive on potting on. So far this year I've sown broad beans and sweet peas in my trainers and tomorrow will be sowing my forced early French beans in them for planting out next month in the polytunnel. Did it last year and it was lovely to get an early crop before the main ones outside were anywhere near there

Thanks, that's a great idea for me too, I've got a wood and plastic frame to grow them in - I'll just be starting them a bit earlier than usual, so I'll get some going next week.

[Newton]

My root trainers look to be of an older design. They are open bottomed like a loo roll but slightly conical in shape so the compost does not fall out so easily.......I bought them from the lottie shop last week. They look as if they might have been there for some years....

I like the tea bag idea for the loo rolls though......brilliant!