Tom-DE
Well-Known Member
Rand's Aircone pots cost 3-4X more money than other clear pots...are they worthy?
Aircone pots
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A $70 Timex can keep time as accurately as a $30,000 Rolex, is the Rolex worth it?
Who knows?
I recently switched to plastic pots mainly meant for Aroids. But the three sizes I am using are roughly $1, $2 and $2.70 per pot. Are they worth it? Too early for me to tell right now.
So far I like the dramatic increase in drainage and I like to be able to see root growth.
Personally, I have not used an aircone pot once. But I imagine that there are dozens of people here that do and swear by them. Use a control. Take two divisions of some thing, grow them side by side. One in an aircone, one not. Decide for yourself.
Growing orchids well is a labor of love, trial and error, it is not a one size fits all situation!
My three cents worth.
Who knows?
I recently switched to plastic pots mainly meant for Aroids. But the three sizes I am using are roughly $1, $2 and $2.70 per pot. Are they worth it? Too early for me to tell right now.
So far I like the dramatic increase in drainage and I like to be able to see root growth.
Personally, I have not used an aircone pot once. But I imagine that there are dozens of people here that do and swear by them. Use a control. Take two divisions of some thing, grow them side by side. One in an aircone, one not. Decide for yourself.
Growing orchids well is a labor of love, trial and error, it is not a one size fits all situation!
My three cents worth.
Tom-DE
Well-Known Member
LOL! Bill, your answers are always so colorful!
I ordered a bunch of orchid supplies today and I just found out how expensive those Aircone pots were...I would like to hear from someone who has been using those pots.
I ordered a bunch of orchid supplies today and I just found out how expensive those Aircone pots were...I would like to hear from someone who has been using those pots.
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I always feel like the space directly under the plant were there is usually dead area for the roots is where I want the extra air not a small bump at the bottom of the pot. I’m sure they can’t hurt. I tend to like round green pots from an aesthetic perspective though as crazy as that sounds 
Tom-DE
Well-Known Member
I have used round green plastic pots for decades and I will continue to use them...but I also see the advantages of clear pots--you can see the condition of the roots and the moisture level of the mix. Mater of fact, All of the pots I ordered today are clear pots--square and round.
I don't mind ordering a few Aircone pots next time to try if they are that good--worth 3 or 4 times more money.
I don't mind ordering a few Aircone pots next time to try if they are that good--worth 3 or 4 times more money.
CarlG
Well-Known Member
Well, you can get clear pots. And you can get small pots that you put upside down in the bottom of those clear pots. Sort of a poor-man's Aircone pot. I've bought the Air-cone pots mostly because I remember Ray Rands' advertisements. Dr. Toot indeed.
Clear pots are best for me, but my favorite pots are the Waterdance brand plastic pots with heavily slitted bottoms so no water pools and airflow is excellent.
Paphluvr
Well-Known Member
Rand’s Aircone pots are tough as nails but slippery and tough to clean due to the square corners. Also, some of the sizes I’ve purchased had mold flashing in the holes that needed to be removed for proper ventilation and drainage.
Tom-DE
Well-Known Member
Don, do the plants grow better in it?
denture brushes work really well for cleaning those pesky aircone corners!
That depends upon your choice of potting medium and your growing conditions.
In a standard pot, the evaporation of the water from the medium occurs fastest from the top surface and the medium/pot sidewall interface. If your mix is fine enough that it holds a lot of water in-between the particles, that scenario leads to a root-suffocating, soppy mess right in the middle of the root system. Throw an "air cone" into that space, and the medium there will dry faster.
In smaller pots, my mixes are coarse and airy enough that I'm not concerned about that, but in larger pots using a substantial amount of Grodan mini-cubes in my mix (for phals), I find the Rand's Air-Cone pots to be worthwhile - and as Don mentioned, they last for years. I pop 'em in the dishwasher to clean them, so that's no issue.
I am converting more and more of my containers to white plastic pails I buy from Uline, the shipping supplies distributor. Quart is great for most plants and the gallon works for bigger ones, plus they appear to be UV stable. I therefore, can drill whatever drainage/breathing holes I want, and as Carl suggested, I often invert a 1.5"-2" mesh pot in the bottom to provide that "cone".
I’ve been using Aircone pots along with others for 30+ years. I find them superior for Paphs. 1) the slit drainage doesn’t need other drainage aids. 2) they drain fast,3) the square shape packs well, 4) easy to line seedlings in comm pots, 5) very durable — several in use for over 20 years.
I use yogurt tubs. I push holes into the sides at the bottom edge. I put au upturned plastic mesh pot inside the yogurt tub so create an air pocket in the middle of the pot. It worked well but now I grow semi-hydroponic in lava stone in the yogurt tubs.
There are creative ways to do thing cheaply. Are the expensive ways better? With my skill level at growing I have no idea but sense is that fancy gadgetry is no compensation for bad practice. If you have issues with roots dying I dont think aircone pots will save your plants -- they didn't for me.
There are creative ways to do thing cheaply. Are the expensive ways better? With my skill level at growing I have no idea but sense is that fancy gadgetry is no compensation for bad practice. If you have issues with roots dying I dont think aircone pots will save your plants -- they didn't for me.
Tom-DE
Well-Known Member
Thank you all for your two cents here...
Good to know they are long-lasting, at least that might be worth a few extra pennies.
Ray, I realized it might be a dumb question(Do the plants grow better in it?) after I posted it, if people just read it word by word... O/C, that also depends on many other factors...I guess Bill might be right, to find that answer, I might have to test the Aircone pots in my growing condition with the same plant and the same mix.....
Good to know they are long-lasting, at least that might be worth a few extra pennies.
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Tom-DE
Well-Known Member
Clark, thank you for the valuations based on your own experience, and that is what I am truly looking for here.
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I’ve been using Rand’s aircone pots for some of my paphs for about a year. The complex paphs seem to love them. The ones that were reported into the aircone pots have grown much faster than their counterparts. However some of my larger multifloral paphs really dry out a little quicker than I would like. They seem to grow just fine but I haven’t noticed as much difference with similar plants in other pots (plain ground green pots, tall rose pots).
This is just my experience and may be more about the individual plants than the pots. But honestly I don’t think I would go out of my way to buy more given the enormous price difference.
This is just my experience and may be more about the individual plants than the pots. But honestly I don’t think I would go out of my way to buy more given the enormous price difference.
I do well with most genera with semi hydroponic so not an issue. Catts and vandaceous, including Phals want more air sobTiny Wells’ leca in a basket works well.
But the principle of proper air water balance at the roots is critical. With more air, too much water is less of an issue, so clay or even net pots are options. Pots are part of the root ecosystem as much as medium.
But the principle of proper air water balance at the roots is critical. With more air, too much water is less of an issue, so clay or even net pots are options. Pots are part of the root ecosystem as much as medium.
Tom-DE
Well-Known Member
Thank you for your honest opinions based on your experience on Aircone pots. I appreciate it.
I've been using Rand pots for years. The square shape packs nice on a bench...they last a long time. I put them stacked in a 5 gallon bucket with a bleach solution for a day or two, then rinse them off with a hose. They come out clean, no stain, no left over built up deposits. I use all sizes and some are 20 years old. I would like to buy them in a taller size, but I don't guess that will ever happen. Some of the smaller sizes dry out fast. Need to be careful with seedlings.
