🍃 AMA with Eric Olsen of High Caliper Growing (AKA Smart Pots) Wednesday, June 26th at 11 AM PST

[Growernick]

@smartpotseric

he showed me some pics of his plants growing in Smart Pots, in coco, getting top fed about once an hour or so

I know who you are referring to and I absolutely believe him!

[Growernick]

For how long have you been growing? What got you started? What first ignited your passion and what keeps you growing today?

[smartpotseric]

I’d say that 3 and 5 are definitely our best sellers for indoor grows. I’d say that a 3 would have the medium dry out a bit quicker, and you’d be able to feed more often. We’ve seen quite a few growers flowering in 1 gal smart pots, but then for those growers, plant count is probably no issue (permitted, legal grows)

[Growernick]

I’ve seen a lot of facilities top feeding 3’s with phenomenal results! Explosive growth with frequent waterings

[Growernick]

I have always wondered something: the name Smart Pot has become synonymous with fabric pots, much in the same way the brand name Kleenex has become the given name for facial tissues. Was that a carefully crafted marketing plan?

[whywegrow]

I usually let my pots dry out till I see leaf wilting, is that the best way or should I water more often, usually the pots are very light, on tall trees they can actually tip with watering like that.

[smartpotseric]

I grew up in Wisconsin, and have for most of my life had issues with anxiety. I found in college, that cannabis really helped me overcome that to smooth out the edges of life. A few of my friends from WI had moved out to CA in '06 and I had visited them and seen what the cannabis industry was growing up into. Make money for growing cannabis, why not!
So I moved out in '07 and started growing w a group of friends. Eventually started my own grow, moved on to manage a 35 light facility by myself… around 2012 I got disillusioned with the “grow game” and started to transition into the “fertilizer game” and started distributing a product called Sea-Crop in SoCal. That led me to then sell those accounts and start working with NPK Industries (Medford OR) full time. Then a year ago, Smart Pots came a knockin. I haven’t really grown for profit in 6 years or so, but have never stopped the home grow. I’ll have a few plants out on the porch year round and a 315 MH light for a consistent indoor production/ veg growth.

[smartpotseric]

I’d say that might a little light. I’d say for my soil, I will dig down about an inch or two and if the soil is still wet, I’ll wait another day. One nice thing about Smart Pots, is even if you are “overwatering” the downsides won’t be as noticeable, especially vs a hard plastic pot

[whywegrow]

I’m a little lazy, as well when it comes to watering so it’s become a habit, thanks.

[smartpotseric]

“IF YOU’RE NOT FIRST, YOU’RE LAST!”
Smart Pots were the first fabric pot, and have been pumping out almost 30 million grow containers since 1984. Yes, every fabric pot is a “smart pot”, or is marketed as such. It’s kind of annoying to see on Amazon or Ebay when you search, “smart pot” and the first 10 entries are Chineese knockoffs. Some say they don’t notice a difference, but, the main one is longevity. Knockoffs last MAYBE half as long, if you’re lucky. Then, typically they hold onto water too much (root wrapping) or not enough (lost water/ nutes). Then, who knows what these knockoffs are made with???

I’ve been hearing reports of growers getting their flowers flagged for heavy metals and contaminants such as arsenic, lead, etc. The growers have deduced that it wasn’t from their nutrients, but from leeching garbage from their plastic pots!!!

BTW: Smart Pots are made in the USA, are BPA and lead free!

[smartpotseric]

Better to underwater, than overwater, I’d say
What size container are you using?

[whywegrow]

I use 1, 3, 5 gallons mostly 1’s and I flower in the pot they happen to be in, depends on how much space I have at the time, I mostly use 1 gallons for photo’s and 3 gallons for auto’s. hardly use 5’s.

[smartpotseric]

Ah the life of a grower… I always find that I have more plants/ genetics than I have lights or, outdoor space

[whywegrow]

For sure, I’m trying to burn through stuff to find the goodness, so I’m going small in the 1 gallons, when I find something good may let it get bigger in a 3, in another round.

[Growernick]

So I’ve been flowering in fabric pots for over a decade now and I am hooked…full on convert! My issue that I run into, especially in a commercial facility, is cleaning the scale and calcification from the fabric. @smartpotseric, have you got any pro tips for cleansing?

[smartpotseric]

Boom! Smart move. I met a genetics grower in Hawaii last month and he was doing his sexing in 15 gal pots… wasting time, in my opinion.

[whywegrow]

Yeah it’s the only way that makes sense to me, not enough time for the love of the plant in our short lives.

[smartpotseric]

LOL, everyone has, or knows someone who’s taken their Smart Pots to the laundromat…

I’d say the easiest way to clean is to fill some container (bucket, trash can, etc) with water, and add 1 oz per gal of vinegar. Let this sit in the solution overnight, give your pots a quick rinse, and they are good as new!

[Herbert_Ashe]

Hi there. Thanks for being here. I love your products.
I’m looking at grow beds, and because of my space, I have some irregular, rectangular sizes. Can you guys accommodate this?

Also, what’s the best way to get a thorough watering with Smartpots?

[smartpotseric]

Last pic has some roots that didn’t quite get cleaned out. I’m not too picky on that.