How to remove plant from smart pot?

[KrazyAnneBanks]

Any advice? The guy at the hydro store said I should just cut it off..

 

[eddy600]

When the plant is dead it shrinks a bit from drying out & you can remove it.For a transplant the easiest way might be to cut it.

 

[Tripping With Rocks]

........................................................................................................................................................

 

[valjack]

When mine are ready for harvest (I use 20, 30 and 45 gallon tan fabric smartpots) I simply chop 'em near the base and hang 'em in basement. I would spend time hacking at the roots to remove them entirely out of smartpot but at that time of year I have zero time for that! Too busy with everything else! I usually clear the Roots 707 soil beginning of next spring because I recycle the soil to keep costs down.

 

[SouthCross]

Squeeze the sides 360°. Loosen the soil from the sides of the pot. Grab the plant by the lowest part of the stem. Gently pull the plant while pulling on the bottom of the fabric pot. The two should separate fairly easy. If it doesn't. Loosen the pot some more.

The plant will have some roots that hook into the fabric. They don't grow through it but grow into it. Those roots will get ripped.

 

[mightyBUMone]

I'm assuming you mean to transplant? I used to run a butter knife around the outside edge where the dirt meets the pot, then kinda push the bottom of the plant up while I pulled the sides down. Make sure it's pretty dry or it will fall apart.

 

[GroErr]

Large plants like outdoor's in 40+ it's easier to cut them, should have enough yield from those. For typical indoor plants like 3-5-7-10 gallon pots I let them dry out, you get some shrinkage around the edges which makes it easy to dump upside down, push on the bottom and get the whole rootball out.

For transplants, like 1 to 3, or 3-5 gallon's, let them dry a bit, not completely, some moisture is good, definitely don't try to transplant when they're very wet. With the right amount of moisture you can hold the pot with your thumbs on the bottom, fingers on the sides and push up with your thumbs. Takes a little pressure to get them to separate any roots stuck to the sides/bottom, but once you break that seal, you can just push up with your thumbs until you get a few inches of the rootball above the edge of the pot. Once it's above the top edge it's easy to get the whole rootball/plant out and into a bigger container.

I italicized the key part, the right level of moisture in the pots when transplanting makes a huge difference in how easy (or hard) it is to get them out.

 

[Roger A. Shrubber]

i've used them in the past, gro pretty much has it, you have to kind of turn them inside out slowly then you can get to the bottom without too much damage

 

[Lordhooha]

Any advice? The guy at the hydro store said I should just cut it off..

If they are the smart pots with the little valcano shits all over most have a couple of little screw like shits down the side so that can come apart. If they're dirt pots or clothe pots use plastic until your final trans plant then put your plants in their final home to finish out they you can just dump them when you done and clean them.

 

[Walter9999]

If it's after the harvest you're talking about, I put them on their sides and roll them around and it loosens the dirt and roots from the side of the pot and then you can pull the entire root ball out...g/l

 

[too larry]

I have seen people cut the sides and sew in velcro if they are going to transplant out of them. At harvest just chop and let the dirt sit a week or so to dry out, then it will come out easier.

 

[D'sNuts]

Roll it off like a rubber. That's what I do.

 

[too larry]

Roll it off like a rubber. That's what I do.

It is much easier when the root ball is flaccid.

 

[Father Ramirez]

It is much easier when the root ball is flaccid.

HEY! Watch that dirty talk!