BENEFITS OF FABRIC POTS

Hard Data

• Planters using fabric pots see an increase of 10% to 12% in yields as well as a significant increase in stem width when compared to plastic pots or terracotta pots.

Qualitative Data

• Fabric pots have more air pruning capabilities than plastic or ceramic pots which results in healthier roots being able to provide more nutrients to the plant.
• Fabric pots can absorb more water and provide lots of nutrients to the plants.
• Using a fabric pot allows air to enter the root zone from all surfaces of the container providing a healthy environment for the roots. It also supports beneficial microorganisms and bacteria.
• A common problem with traditional plastic containers is poor drainage leading to anaerobic condition that result in soil borne diseases like Phytophthora and Pythium, responsible for devastating root rot.
• Compared to plastic or ceramic pots, fabric pots allow air to penetrate the sides of the container, keeping it cool when exposed to direct sun on hot summer days through the process of evaporative cooling.
• Based on the study by Catherine A. Neal at the University of New Hampshire, Dept. of Plant Biology - Fabric pots reduce maximum root zone temperatures through evaporative cooling and reduced absorption of solar radiation compared to standard plastic pots.
• Another benefit of fabric pots is that they are reusable. GeoPot Fabric Pots can be easily vacuumed to remove dirt and then washed with a peroxide or oxidizing detergent such as Oxi-Clean to disinfect.
• This allows growers to re-use their pots between growth cycles without running the risk of cross-contamination. While in terms of storage, one can easily fit over 50 fabric pots in a 20x20 inch space, something that would likely be very hard to do with traditional, bulky plastic pots.
• Fabric pots are permeable, meaning that water and air can pass into and out of the container. Plastic pots, on the other hand, aren’t oxygen-permeable causing the roots grow to unhealthy proportions, getting tangled in the process.
• In fabric pots, oxygen flows through the container from all sides, so when the roots reach the container boundary, they sense optimum moisture and oxygen levels.
• While for plastic pots, plant roots will eventually reach the boundary of the container causing the roots to begin circling the vessel in search of oxygen-rich soil. This will result is a root-bound plant that is stressed or dying from lack of nutrition.
• Using fabric pots showed that flowers are growing more abundantly, vegetable yields are off the charts, and plants grow bigger, denser, and stronger when compared to plastic pots.

Studies — Benefits of Fabric Planters

• According to the study conducted by Department of Horticulture Sciences at Texas A&M University to measure the growth of rose bushes in traditional plastic pots compared to Smart Pot fabric planters, they found that the roots of the flowers grew larger in fabric containers but the rose buds themselves remained the same which was partially due to differences in temperature around the roots because of the pot type. The temperature near the roots in plastic pots were found to be more than 30°F higher than in fabric pots, which resulted in higher water evaporation rates and thus less growth.
• In a study conducted by the University of Tennessee's Institute of Agriculture in 2015, evidence showed that fabric pots are capable of increasing plant growth and survival, especially in plants that have a higher risk of root rot. This was found to be the case largely because of the porous walls of fabric planters which permits better air flow and more stable evaporation rates for water, thus leading to stronger root growth.

RESEARCH STRATEGY