Have you heard about root trainers?
The world of gardening is obsessed with these fantastic gardening tools that make your new seeds grow healthier, faster, and better than ordinary potted plants.
Gardening gurus say that this is a must-have for both professionals and home growers alike.
What Are Root Trainers?
Root trainers are described as root pruning containers that support the cultivation of new seedlings. They are a popular choice by nurseries and home growers that wish to seek the perfect pot for planting new shrubs, herbs, vegetables, and even trees.
The root trainers come in many varieties that suit the needs of different plants.
However, all root trainers have these features:
- Tall, narrow shape
- Separate cells for each plant
- Ridges or grooves inside the cell
- A drainage tap at the bottom
- A tray to for collective carrying
All these elements come together to guide the roots to grow a stronger, healthier, and better root system than a traditional pot.
Here are the fantastic benefits of root trainers:
1. Healthier Root Growth
The ridges and grooves on the root trainer guide the developing roots to grow downwards rather than laterally like they do in conventional potting plants. This helps cultivate a deep root system that is not hindered by confining walls like in the pots.
The root trainers accommodate the space needed for the tap roots to grow naturally straight and feeder roots to grow dense.
2. Unique Air Pruning System
Remember the drainage hole in the trainer? That feature has two functions. Firstly, as the name suggests it helps to drain out excess water in the container.
Next, it helps you to prune plants with air. This feature eradicates risks of pot bound and root ball plants. You see conventional potting usually results in roots that circle, twist and get tangled inside the closed pots.
However, with the holes in the root trainers, their growth will stop as soon as they get exposed to air. When this happens, new roots start developing to replace the air-pruned ones and the ridges guide them to form a healthier structure.
3. Monitor Root Growth
Unless you have an X-ray vision, you can’t really see the progress of your developing roots. This limitation makes judging the transplantation time rather difficult.
Lucky for you, the root trainers open like a book. Hence, they allow you to keep a check on the root’s growth. In this way, you will know precisely when to transplant the new saplings.
Other benefits include:
- Minimum root shock
- Easier transplantation
- Useable containers
- Durable for multiple planting seasons
In a nutshell, if you want to give your saplings a good start then you must invest in root trainers. They are the best way to assure a higher germination percentage and a better future for the seeds you sow so carefully.
Need a Root Trainer?
You can browse through the fantastic range of propagation planting root trainers right here at Little Fields Farm.
