Roottrainer advice needed

[Garlic_Guy]

I've used Roottrainers for a few years now. One thing I've always struggled with is transferring the plantlets from the modules to their planting site.

There are three main issues:

1) Whilst they're growing, some of the compost washes out of the lower end of the tube (eg. when watering into the base). As a results you don't get roots growing right to the bottom.

2) The rootball disintegrates as I try to remove it, so I only get part of the original tube of soil & roots. It's often the lowest part that's lost

3) I can get one or two plantlets out, but in doing so manage to disturb the ones still remaining in the module and problem 2) above occurs.


I can see that having a rootball that stays in one piece will be affected by:
- The growing medium used (I generally use potting compost)
- How damp/dry it is
- The plant & the type of root growth


Can anyone give me some tips to get better results?

Do you vary the approach according to the type of plant being grown?

[sandersj89]

Colin

I am a big fan of rootrainers and have used them for a few years now.

As to what I do......

1. When filling with compost I used sieved compost. I half fill the modules and tamp down with my fingers.

2. Fill to the required planting depth and tamp again. Water and sow the seeds.

3. Cover with the required depth of compost or vermiculite.

4. When it comes to the time to transplant I water well from above about an hour before I need to transplant, immediately after watering I fill the transparent hood of the rootrainers with about 2" of water and stand the modules in this and leave to soak up the water.

This seems to give me a firm root ball of roots/compost that stays together well.

HTH

Jerry

[Johnboy]

Hi Colin,
I have never used a 'Root Trainer' in my life but think that your problem lies in your compost and the root formation that you have within the pot.
I grow in 7cm pots and unless you tamp that compost down firm, faults 1&2 occur in normal pots.Even sowing in Modules you get the same.
The soil will disintergrate from the roots when transplanting if too lightly packed. All my plants in pots are mist watered and not even by a fine rose.
I generally use a MM fertilizer to ensure good root growth which has the effect of binding the soil together. I work on the principle that a superior root system produces a superior plant.
I sold vegetable plants by mail order for many moons and never had a complaint that the soil had fallen from the roots in transit. (Royal Mail)
Perhaps somebody else will either confirm my comments or blow me out of the water!!

[Tigger]

I'm with you Johnboy.......!

[John]

I agree with Johnboy on this. Its a compost problem. I use a peat based compost and push it quite firmly down into the cells especially at the first fill so that it reaches the cell bottom. Then firmly fill to the top and make a hole with a small dibber for sowing peas beans etc. You've also got to wait for the seedlings to fill the cells before opening up the books.

John

[Allan]

My experience with Rootrainers is limited but the same principles apply to any plant in a pot or module in that one has to find a middle road between too firm and too loose with the compost. I rely very heavily on bottom watering which doesn't work with too loose a compost but too firm and the roots don't spread out. The best that I can do is put some compost in and press it very firmly into the bottom of the pot or module so that the water on the microperforated film can penetrate by capillary action, then fill the upper part with relatively loose material together with the transplant or seed. I recently switched to a non-peat compost which contains a large percentage of rougher material which seems to stimulate root growth but for seeds I sieve out the worst of the rough stuff and end up with a very nice open material for finer seeds. It doesn't suffer anything like as much as the peat mixes from waterlogging and anaerobic conditions.
In most instances the rootball survives when planting out, I would rather risk its disintegration than have an over-compacted rootball.
Hope this helps
Allan

[cliff_the_gardener]

My experience has been that you need a fiberous, coarse peat / coir to make a plug at the base. JI compost seems to wash out, so I put the coir at the bottom and JI on top.
If the compost is falling off, I would suggst that you are trying to move them too soon - the roots have nove developed enough to lock the soil together.

[Garlic_Guy]

"JI compost seems to wash out, so I put the coir at the bottom and JI on top."

Yes, several of you have pointed at the type of compost - I certainly use a "seed & seedlings John Innes type compost". I'll try something rougher/coarser in the lower sections.

By the way, Johnboy mentions he uses a MM fertilizer to ensure good root growth. Can any of you explain a bit more about this & what MM stands for?

"I would suggst that you are trying to move them too soon"

Yes, that could be true - certainly mine don't often look like the ones on the roottrainer website (a white mass of roots with just a faint of soil being visible!).

Thanks to everyone.

[Johnboy]

Hi Colin,
MM = Man Made eg, Artificial fertilizers.
These are a naughty words in some quarters but they certainly have their uses.
I generally add a little Super Phosphate to my potting compost. I also have a liquid feed with an NPK of 10:52:10 which ensures a really superior root system. This was used when I used to produce Shrubs for a living. I use a very diluted application on growing Onion seedlings and Leek seedlings.

[Happymouse]

I wish I had read this yesterday before I used my Rootrainers for the 1st time. I will empty them and start again tomorrow. Luckily I have only sown 15 courgettes in them so far