Air-Pot Kits
Air-pots are designed to promote a strong radial and fibrous root system and actively enhances plant growth. The design of an Air-Pot container results in plant roots being air-pruned once they reach the outside of the container, this in turn stimulates the production of more new roots which grow outwards from the plant and keeps the root system healthy and and actively growing. Once the Air-pot is removed all the roots are growing radially from the plant, there should not be any roots wrapped around the inside of the pot as in a conventional container and you do not need to tease out any of the roots. Because there are always new radial roots growing in the rootball, once you plant your new tree into the ground these roots will penetrate the surrounding soil more rapidly and the tree will establish itself much better than a similar sized tree grown in a traditional pot. So all in all this is a win-win for you the gardener.
This product page is for Air-pot Kits.
Decorative patio pots or planters are not supplied with this product.
How to use an Air-pot
(Please see the diagram above.)
Pot on your Eucalptus into a bigger Air-pot if you want to grow it in a pot for a short time before planting out in the ground.
You can also keep your smaller growing Eucalyptus in a pot for life as a patio plant.
We suggest that you sit your Air-pot grown tree inside another, more decorative, patio pot or planter. (see the diagram above)
This pot/planter should have a drainage hole to prevent the bottom sitting in water, and should be sat on a stable solid surface e.g. a flagstone, to prevent it tipping over or prospecting roots penetrating into the ground.
Please leave an air gap between the two pot walls of approximately 5cm. Do not fill the gap between the decorative pot and the Air-pot with soil.
Growing your tree in an Air-pot protects it’s root system and stimulates new foliage growth.
Do not plant a Eucalyptus in the ground that has been grown in a traditional smooth-walled pot or grow-bag as the roots will not be stable.
What size should I choose?
We suggest that smaller stock is potted on by 4 times the volume:
3 litre plant is potted into a 12 litre pot, or 20 litre for a slightly longer life in its new pot before needing to be repotted.
5 litre plant into a 20 litre pot
12 litre plant into a 45 litre pot
Larger stock can be potted on by 2 times the volume:
20 litre plant into a 45 litre pot
45 litre plant into a 100 litre pot.
How big are the pots?
The 12 litre Air-pot – this pot is on the smaller side, so would be suitable for potting on a 3 litre tree, but not anything bigger. The pot is approximately; 306mm tall x 295mm external diameter, and comes with green screw fittings that may stick out a bit further.
The 20 litre Air-pot – we find this to be quite a useful size for people wanting to buy a small tree and grow it on. The pot is approximately; 315mm tall x 354mm external diameter, and comes with green screw fittings that may stick out a bit further.
The 45 litre airpot – Ideal for not only larger Eucalyptus specimen trees and bushes, but also Lemon and Olive trees which enjoy a free draining root run with plenty of oxygen. This kit is approximately 435 mm tall and 388 mm in diameter, and comes with green screw fittings that may stick out a bit further.
5 x 1 litre airpot kits – ideal for raising your own seedlings and cuttings to produce a vital, healthy root-system.
We grow in Air-pots at the nursery and can supply a range of sizes up to 100L. If you would like a larger size, please do get in touch.
Why Airpots?
We grow all of our trees in Air Pots (R) – we’d be lost without them.
We would never grow a Eucalyptus tree in anything else (other than the ground!), and wouldn’t recommend you do either. This is not some latest gardening fad sales-pitch, we’ve done the research in traditional round pots and thrown away the dead trees for you!
Air Pots were invented in Australia during the 1970’s specifically for Eucalyptus. The clever engineering of the pot is designed to produce a safe and stable, radial root system – a bit like a baby’s bottle brush, with roots trained to emante from the root crown in a 360 degree formation. Not only does the unique pot shape prevent root circling (to which Eucalyptus are prone), but also promotes a healthy growing environment for your leafy friend. Eucalyptus grown in traditional smooth walled pots are a liability. The smooth walled pot has trained them to grow an unstable, congested and circular shaped root-system, which stays with them for life. These corkscrew-rooted Eucalyptus trees should only ever be grown to a maximum height of 10 feet (3m) as they are apt to fall over when around 20 years old or at the very least develop a nasty lean. Air-root-pruned Eucalyptus is the only way grow a successful specimen.
Airpot containers come in a huge range of sizes, so we can provide really large trees for sale or you can grow a tree in a larger pot at home.
They’re tough, made from recycled material (bottle tops and the like) and are fully recyclable. At the time of planting out or potting on, remove the green screw(s) and uncurl the pot to release the rootball. Re-make the pot; wash and reuse afterwards for more plants.
Air Pots are widely used by a variety of vegetable growers, tree nurseries and other well respected horticultural establishments across the globe.
We do not recommend that you buy or grow-on a Eucalyptus in an enclosed, smooth-walled container. This means; a traditional round or square ‘garden center style’ pot, a grow-bag or sack, or a decorative patio pot (see below) etc.
Even if it’s only been in that enclosed pot for a few weeks, it’s too late and the damage to the root system may already be done. We advise that a round pot or grow-bag cultivated Eucalyptus is never planted out in the ground to prevent it becoming a liability. Eucalyptus with badly trained roots can die in the cold or fall over in high winds.
If you can’t plant your tree in the ground right now, or want to stand it on a patio or want to be able to move it, then dressing the Air Pot by placing it inside a decorative patio pot is a great idea. See our info on this here.
As you can probably tell, we take this quite seriously!
We think Air-pot containers are fantastic; they are definitely ‘the experts choice’.
You can read more about them here.
We will deliver a single pot assembled unless you request otherwise. Multiple pot purchases: the pots may be dispatched as a flat packed parcel.
How to assemble:
- An extra pair of hands and gloves may be adviseable! Reference the picture on this page as you’re going along.
- Lie the large black pot-wrap out flat on a table, blanked-off cones facing up, holes facing down.
- The long edges form the top and bottom rims of the pot. The diagonal cut edges overlap to form a seal – a bit like unfirling a cardboard loo roll tube. You could practice joining the diagonal edges together now.
- Find the rows along one edge without any holes – this is the top of the pot and forms a hole-less rim to prevent water running off.
- Count up three rows from the bottom of the pot. This should be a row of slightly longer cones. These hold the base plate in position.
- Take the base plate (coloured grid) and identify the bottom face. Place it on the pot-wrap with the top-side facing into what will be the middle of the pot, and so that it will be supported by the row of longer cones.
- Roll the base plate along the one row, picking up the pot-wrap as you roll. This forms the pot shape. The ends should seal neatly, and there should be no awkward overlaps on the rims.
- The holes should be on the outside of the pot, with the blanked-off cones facing into the compost.
- Use the green screw(s) to hold the pot together. Place a few rows in from the top and bottom of the point, ensureing they hold the bits of plastic that overlap together.
- If you think it hasn’t worked, you can release it and try again – be aware it springs back into shape
Watch a really helpful video about how to assemble an Air Pot
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