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They Propagate Healthier Plants With “Air Prune” Pots
Planting seeds in RootMaker containers produces healthier plants with more fibrous root systems. The specially-designed pots utilize air-root-pruning which means that when roots travel toward holes in the pots they die back as they come into contact with air. This causes them to branch, producing a more dense root system.
  The block of fibrous roots is more ready to grow when released into a larger container or into the ground. The containers and the concept are based on a system developed by Dr. Carl Whitcomb, a professor at Oklahoma State for 13 years.
  The system can be used with plants of all sizes from vegetable and flower seedlings to trees. The company gives an example of a 6-year old bur oak grown with the Whitcomb system. It spent 3 mos. in a RootMaker propagation container before being repotted to a knit fabric container for 2 1/2 years. With the fabric removed, the oak was transplanted and grew for 3 years before being dug for sale. The tree had grown to a 6-in. caliper size with a dense root mass when dug by a tree spade.
  RootMaker containers vary from injection-molded trays with 18 individual cells for starting seeds (priced at $17.25) to pint, gallon and multi-gallon containers.  
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, RootMaker, P.O. Box 14553, Huntsville, Ala. 35815 (ph 256 882-3199; toll free 800 824-3941; www.rootmaker.com).



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2017 - Volume #41, Issue #2