# stands for smart pots



## grass hopper (Feb 18, 2016)

i would really like to get all my smart pots off the floor. i had found some 4 inch and 9 inch high stands from the container store. i was just adjusting positions in tent and again noticed what a big difference how much lighter, dryer the plants were that were up off the tent floor. called htg, they had nothing. looked online and found nothing. any ideas?? would love to find some 10 by 10 by 1 inch high stands for 5 gal. smart pots. thanks


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## Grower13 (Feb 18, 2016)

cut to size


Louvered Ceiling Light Panel http://www.lowes.com/pd_18429-1638-...ouvered+ceiling+light+panel&productId=3280904


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## grass hopper (Feb 18, 2016)

Grower13 said:


> cut to size
> 
> 
> Louvered Ceiling Light Panel http://www.lowes.com/pd_18429-1638-...ouvered+ceiling+light+panel&productId=3280904[/quot                           Brilliant. :clap::yay:THANKS!


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## Rosebud (Feb 19, 2016)

I just have plastic saucers under mine. Is that what you mean?


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## grass hopper (Feb 19, 2016)

Rosebud said:


> I just have plastic saucers under mine. Is that what you mean?


 
Hi rose, see pics. These are 9 1/2 x 9 1/2 x 4 inch high and 9 inch high cabinet shelf stands, model # 344011 from THE CONTAINER STORE. The 4 in. tall stands  sell for $3.99 ea. I think they stopped carrying the 9 in tall model. THEY are baked enamel painted steel and have had them for 5 or 6 yrs. They look brand new. Anyway, my smaller girls (ones on stands) dry Soo much faster when they are OFF the tent floor. Drainage is much better and air can get to the bottom roots.  I have been looking for a shorter (maybe 1 inch high) stand for the taller plants. I was considering cutting legs shorter off the 4 in. high model. the louvered light panels 2 x 4, i could get 8 stands out of ea. panel. This would work. Only downside i see is they are brittle. Any thoughts?   THANKS!       9 1/2 sq. or 10 in. square would be a PERFECT size for my 5 gal. smart pots. 

View attachment 003.jpg


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## grass hopper (Feb 19, 2016)

i over water, feed. allow runoff, drain into bottom of tent. then shop vac., ph. and throw overflow onto lawn. greener there.


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## WeedHopper (Feb 19, 2016)

What,,,you aint got a plastic swimming pool? :rofl:


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## Rosebud (Feb 19, 2016)

I have those in my kitchen cupboards.. Those will be nice.. i would still use a saucer with those.


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## Hushpuppy (Feb 19, 2016)

If you take a razor knife to the side that has the diamond shapes and cut down between those in straight lines, you should be able to snap them off in the sizes that you cut. If that doesn't work, you may need a tool like a Rotozip or similar tool.

However, if you use the plastic panel under the smartpots then they would prevent the bottoms from aerating, I would think.


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## sMACkaddict (Feb 19, 2016)

Not trying to hijack here grasshopper, but I'm also looking for a "perfect" solution to a similar problem.  I also want my smart pots off the tent floor.  I use plastic saucers when I water and I really like that they can suck back up any runoff, but I don't like leaving them under the plants once theyre finished drinking...  I also have some significant height diferences, which wont happen all the time, but having a solution for that as well would be nice.

Needs:
- a tent-wide system would be better than a per plant solution
- raises plants off tent floor
- allows bottom of container(smart pot) to dry better
- a container to catch runoff from watering

Wants:
- the system to be set up so runoff can be reabsorbed by the plants in some manner
- some way to adjust the height of the stand for each plant individually (I know this confilcts with tent-wide vs each plant)


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## The Hemp Goddess (Feb 19, 2016)

You could get 2" thick Styrofoam insulating panels and cut them to size.  I don't think I would worry about raising something up 1", but if you think that increments that small are necessary, they do make panels in a lot of different thicknesses.  

http://www.homedepot.com/p/R-Tech-2-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-R-7-7-Rigid-Foam-Insulation-310891/202532856


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## bud88 (Feb 19, 2016)

I wish I still knew people at my old place of employment. I worked with all sorts of perforated metals and could have easily made up racks with some stainless steel. Not helping much now.....Do you know anyone that works in the metals business?


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## pcduck (Feb 19, 2016)

I use stacked 2" Styrofoam insulation cut to fit. When I need to raise a girl 6" I use 3 pieces.


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## RubyRed (Feb 19, 2016)

I like to use the milk crates, you can stack them easy and if need be can be cut down:aok:

tcabs


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## grass hopper (Feb 19, 2016)

WeedHopper said:


> What,,,you aint got a plastic swimming pool? :rofl:


 
:rofl: nice!! hopper.

 rose, i have used plastic saucers in past. ones i used  block the runnoff and dont allow air to circulate to bottom AND lower 2 inches on sides of pots. i have not used saucers with the stands. think it would inhibit airflow as well as drainage. i stopped using saucers a while ago. 

pup, i could drill the crap out of the bottoms of the HEAVY clear plastic saucers. this would help with drainage but not much with air pruning, curculation. the light panels i have worked with before. they have 3/4 to 1 inch sq. holes. they stand about 1 inch tall. would give much better air prune than skin tight saucers. drainage would also work better than floor. 

thg, which, what drip trays are u refering to?? the ones i had tried wind up fitting skintite to the smartpots.

mac, u r asking alot there.

htg sells 1 inch high stands for smart pots. made by "CLEAN ROOTS" manuf. in R.I.. they come in 8 in. dia. and 15 in. diameter. no good for me. also the 15 in. size are $ 9.00 ea.


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## Hackerman (Feb 19, 2016)

Old BBQ grills should be pretty easy to come by. They come in round and square. Size, should be pretty close to a 5 gal pot. 

If you want them an inch off the ground, put 4 golf balls under the grill at the 4 corners.

If you want them 3 inches off the ground, use tennis balls.

6"... a softball or whatever.

Just tossing it out.

Or, if you're Mr Big Bucks... http://www.homedepot.com/p/Devault-Enterprises-12-in-Plant-Lift-Clear-DEV12CLIPCL/202674394


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## grass hopper (Feb 19, 2016)

thanks for your thoughts hack. i gonna ask on that wednesday night live radio show. they had a girl from smart pot manuf. on the show 9 days ago. get their thoughts. will tell u what they said next week. thanks


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## WeedHopper (Feb 20, 2016)

http://www.homedepot.com/b/Outdoors...nter-Accessories-Planter-Saucers/N-5yc1vZc60o


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## grass hopper (Feb 20, 2016)

thanks hop, i've tried both hard and softer versions of these. am trying to get air to bottom of felt as well as get better drainage. the stands i use now dry soo fast compared to the ones sitting on a flat surface. its also probably better for the rootball to get air on the BOTTOM as well as the sides. not positive on my thinking here. gonna look into further. let u know.


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## pcduck (Feb 20, 2016)

Your soil draws air to the roots/microbes when you water. No need to worry, if you are using good soil.

They make all different sizes of saucers. I have ones big enough for 5 gal. Smart pots that has room to spare.


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## grass hopper (Feb 20, 2016)

pcduck said:


> Your soil draws air to the roots/microbes when you water. No need to worry, if you are using good soil.
> 
> They make all different sizes of saucers. I have ones big enough for 5 gal. Smart pots that has room to spare.


 
The ones i have fit quite snug. I usually have a packed tent. could go a little larger, 1 inch, 2 inch larger may be too large.  not worried duck. just trying to get the max. efficiency out of felt pots. again, i love how much quicker the felt pots dry on the elevated stands. these need watering almost twice as often as others.


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## sMACkaddict (Feb 22, 2016)

grass hopper said:


> mac, u r asking alot there.



hahah :rofl:

I guess I am, I was just hoping some one here had figured the perfect solution out...  I really like idea of bbq grills elevated using golf balls! good one hacker!

woah, the plant lift is pretty awsome, not gonna buy it, but looks like a pretty solid solution...

what abotu a cheap version of this: http://www.harborware.com/harborware-plastic-grate-decking-panels-3-x-4/


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## sMACkaddict (Feb 22, 2016)

one more thing...


what about these?  not too bad pricewise:   [ame]http://www.amazon.com/Wilton-2105-459-Excelle-3-Tier-Cooling/dp/B00030CGKY/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1456159415&sr=8-10&keywords=large+cooling+rack[/ame]


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## The Hemp Goddess (Feb 22, 2016)

sMACkaddict said:


> one more thing...
> 
> 
> what about these?  not too bad pricewise:   http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00030CGKY/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20



Make sure they will hold the weight.  Larger containers can weight a whole bunch when full of soil and just watered.


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## sMACkaddict (Feb 22, 2016)

ahh good call THG

just read through the questions/answers and one said they are very wobbly... so definitely a no go!


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## grass hopper (Feb 22, 2016)

Your first thought is ideal if not for the price. The 3 tier is wasted tiers, money, labor etc. Also need between 9 x 9 and 10 1/2 x 10 1/2 size, perfect for 5 gal. felt. Or able to cut somewhat easy. But again, you are on the track I was looking for. Thank you for your ideas mac!! There must be something someone has found or just lucked into. These pots have been around for sometime. Either my thinking is wrong as they will hurt, not help vs help like I think and a solution is out there somewhere. Thanks Mac.


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## sMACkaddict (Feb 22, 2016)

the tiers rack separate into 3 individual racks, which makes the price very attractive.  Unfortunately it looks like they wouldnt be able to support plants really.

I get what you are saying about maybe it not helping... like if the solution isn't around, maybe its because it isn't a good idea... haha

Either way, I'm right there with you man, im gonna keep looking around for a good solution.  I will post here if I find anything worth discussing.


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## Bongofury (Feb 22, 2016)

I searched amazon for cooling racks. There are a bunch to choose from.


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## Hackerman (Feb 22, 2016)

Ya know.... I hate to throw a monkey wrench into the works but after some thought... and some experiences lately with my first grow in smart pots... I don't think you should try to drain the bottom. In fact, I believe you should be trying to do exactly the opposite.

I was watering my smart pots today and I noticed how the water runs out of the sides and down into the saucer that I have my smart pots in. It made me think of something THG said about my grow a while back.

I never used saucers. Whatever the plant didn't take as the water passed through, ran out the bottom and into the drain. Add to the fact that I was using my own mix of soil that had a ton of perlite and vermiculite in it so it drained like crazy. As THG put it... probably too fast.

Since then, I have been using saucers and I find I have much better control over the pot and I waste a lot less nutes.

Some mixes drain really fast. And, these smart pots drain even faster because they drain from everywhere. LOL

Now, I let mine run though and sit in the saucer until the plant has had a chance to suck it all back up and use it.

Whatever is still in the saucer a few hours later..... I just bend the plastic saucer down to the ground and the remaining water drains out of the saucer into the floor drain system.

So.... with that in mind, I believe I will go against the pack here and suggest that you stop looking for a way to drain the bottom and start using saucers.

JMO JME

Why am I always the bad machine. LOL


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## WeedHopper (Feb 22, 2016)

Yep,,thats what i always did when i grew in dirt. My runnoff fed the plant till dry. Makes the roots stretch.  Ive had roots coming out the holes in the bottom of the pot. Lol


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## Rosebud (Feb 22, 2016)

You don't need to worry about smart pots hanging on to moisture..they are smart pots. I like having mine in saucers and water just like Hackerman does. I thought you just wanted them raised... you don't need to have a stand...really.


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## grass hopper (Feb 22, 2016)

When my gals are halfway thru flower, they suck up ALOT of food/water. From what ive been told, I over feed, water, but wanna make sure every root is fed. After a 20 minute runoff time, I vacuum out tent., all sacks are saturated at this point. What ive noticed is the gals on stands dry much faster than plants on the tent floor. Stand plants need water in 3 days. Others will need water in 5 to 7 days. I heard, read shorter is a desired effect. Also air can get to the bottom as well as all sides. Again, this APPEARS to be a better case. I use mostly fox farm soils.   I just remembered,  :huh:  the reason I stopped using the tight saucers Htg sold me was my plants were taking forever to dry. (My over watering, feeding.) Especially mid to late flower.


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## Hackerman (Feb 23, 2016)

OK, my bad. I was not aware that your plants were soaking in the runoff for 20 minutes.

How will they do that if they are on stands?

I do agree with a faster wet/dry cycle being better, overall. So, trying to achieve that is a good thing.

Although, I don't understand how they will soak in runoff if they are on stands.

OK, how about this......

Use regular, good quality saucers. at least a few inches deep and slightly larger than the base of the smart pot.

Put a small lift, like the 1/2" light grids mention earlier, into the bottom of the saucer under the smart pot.

Poke tiny, pin-sized holes in the bottom of the saucer. Start with one or 2 and adjust as needed.

When you water, the runoff will go into the saucer and the plant will soak it up. However, the tiny holes will allow the water to drain so that in 20 minutes, the saucer is empty and the smart pot is 1/2 inch off the bottom of the saucer so it will dry.

You don't think of stuff like this without cannabis. LOL


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## grass hopper (Feb 23, 2016)

hey hack, i have had the edge runoff as well. i slow feed more now and all plants are soaked when done. gonna ask, read somore and let u know what i find out next week. thanks hack.


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## WeedHopper (Feb 23, 2016)

I was talking about watering to you get SOME runoff.  With small amounts of runoff there should be no problem with your roots sucking that up.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Feb 23, 2016)

If you raised them up with something solid, like the pieces of insulation that duck and I mentioned, then they would not dry out as fast.  The reason that they dry out faster is that they are draining out of the bottom of the bags and also have air flow all the way around.  If they were sitting on something solid like a slab of insulation instead of something like a rack, then they would all dry out about the same time.  

I still recommend drain trays.


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## Hushpuppy (Feb 24, 2016)

I have to agree with THG, WH, and Hackerman (at least in principal as I don't grow with that method), that you shouldn't HAVE to lift them to allow the level of drying that you are seeming to need. One thing that always helps, if you aren't using it already, is to aerate your water for a good 24hrs before using it. This allows lots of oxygen to get dissolved into the water. That will help protect the roots after watering.


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## grass hopper (Feb 24, 2016)

You guys are probably correct. Will learn more. Thanks


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## Hackerman (Feb 24, 2016)

Hushpuppy said:


> One thing that always helps, if you aren't using it already, is to aerate your water for a good 24hrs before using it. This allows lots of oxygen to get dissolved into the water. That will help protect the roots after watering.



My aerator is on 24/7. It's only a tiny 2 line fish pump so it's not eating electricity. I keep about 20 - 1 gallon jugs filled. I run air stones into 9 jugs (3 stones on each line from the pump). When I water, Usually use 4 or 5. Sometimes 6. Then, the stones go into more jugs for the next time.

I can't say I notice a difference but I never really did any side by side testing on it. Seems like it would help dissipate the chlorine.

One thing to remember, aerating your water changes the pH. Watch for that.


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## bud88 (Feb 25, 2016)

GH, 
I was just at one of the hydro stores that I frequent and came across this.....Only one problem...They are currently on backorder... 

View attachment 20160225_182049.jpg


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## The Hemp Goddess (Feb 27, 2016)

Bud what is that?  And what makes it so special?


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## bud88 (Feb 27, 2016)

There's nothing special... GH was looking for something to raise his pots and that's what that is..a pot stand....lol... I just put my fabric pots in saucers ...


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## grass hopper (Feb 27, 2016)

bud88 said:


> GH,
> I was just at one of the hydro stores that I frequent and came across this.....Only one problem...They are currently on backorder...


 
Thanks bud!! I think there will be a demand for a stand like that. Do you know who makes this stand ???  Or the outside diameter(s)?? Price??  That's exactly what I was looking for if it accommodates the 5 gal. Smart pots..


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## mrcane (Feb 28, 2016)

GH...I am using three gal smart pots with saucers under...have been on occasions, feeding {watering}  from the bottom, the plants seem to suck the water up {holds 6 cups} in like 10-15 min.... Had one of those wire racks in the wife's closet, so giving it a try on one of the plants, that don't dry out quite as quick....Like the Idea and the saucer fits under the rack....Plus I needed the height to keep the canopy even...
Thanks For the Idea ....:48:


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