The team behind the British-made Air-Pot® system has launched a new generation of containers at IPM Essen, designed to further enhance plant growth through greater root health improvements.
"Its patented angled cones make the new design easier to work with, while enhancing the effectiveness of the air pruning process – leading to better root development and stronger growth", the team shows.
Jamie Single, Founder of the Edinburgh-based company, says: "We're constantly working to improve, advance and evolve the design of our products. Now, after 30 years of refinement and innovation, and six generations of evolution, it got even better with the launch of the Air-Pot 7 range. The radical improvement to the container that we've developed is the new shape of the cones, which encourages even better and more consistent root manipulation. The fact that it's easier to fill is boosting the pot's performance, as each cone can be filled and compacted properly, allowing the pot to do its job."
During 2024, selected nurseries in Europe trialled the prototype Air-Pot 7 containers including Hardy Eucalyptus at Grafton Nursery in Worcestershire, UK. It grew Eucalyptus Azura for eight months in a nine-litre version of the Air-Pot 7. The results showed even better root development in the Air-Pot 7 container.
Hilary Collins, CEO Grafton Nursery Ltd, says: "We have been using the Air-Pot Container growing system for well over a decade. We think the pots are fantastic at producing a vital and healthy, actively growing root-system for all our trees. When Jamie approached us about their new generation of pots – the Air-Pot 7, we didn't think it was possible to improve on what is already an amazing pot."
Meanwhile, Boom de Kwekerij in the Netherlands trialled growing Cornus Kousa (China Girl) for one season in Air-Pot and Air-Pot 7 containers. The containers were opened and the roots were compared at the end of the trial. The team saw some great results. At Bruns Nursery in Germany trials with the new Air-Pot 7 Flexi Wall also showed fantastic root development.
Georgie Single, Marketing & Sales Representative with Air-Pot, says: "As the originators and innovators of the system, we feel it's very much our continuing role to evolve and improve the products we make using our expert horticultural knowledge and the experience we've gained from our own nursery and growers around the world. Air-Pot 7 will eventually replace all previous models; however, the existing range still does an excellent job, and each container can last up to 15 years."
The shape of the Air-Pot container's wall guides each root towards an air hole where increased air in the growing medium dehydrates the tip, pruning it and stimulating root branching. The process repeats until there is a mass of healthy fibrous roots.
Founder & Director, Suzie Single, Production Manager, Joe Black and Founder & Director, Jamie Single
Georgie concludes: "Healthy roots mean better uptake of nutrients and water which equates to faster growth – this is good for the planet, as healthier and efficiently grown plants help combat the impact of climate change. One side effect of the climate crisis is that container growing is increasing but, as trials in Holland and elsewhere have shown, growing in an Air-Pot container is as good or better than growing in the ground."
For more information:
Air-Pot
https://air-pot.com/garden/