Composition

Fertilpots are natural, organic, biodegradable plant pots. They are composed of 80% wood fibre, (primarily spruce, from forest thinnings), and 20% peat moss (from sources dedicated to horticultural peat production), mixed with a very small amount of crushed limestone. There are no glues, binders or other chemical additives used in the production process.

Logs used in production are heated to 140º C for 6 hours, and once formed, the pots are dried at 170 - 180º C for another 35 minutes to ensure that the pots are free of any pests or pathogens.

Product Range

Fertilpots are available in a wide range of sizes and configurations including strips, trays, and preloaded trays.

A smaller Fertilpot can be used, compared to conventional pots or bags, which saves potting mix and nursery growing space.

Automated handling

Fertilpots work well in automated pot dispensers. The primary modification is a small needle on the gripping mechanism to penetrate the pot wall and allow for gripping and stripping.

Mechanical Strength

Fertilpots are designed to retain their strength during the growth cycle, but degrade quickly after planting into the next container or landscape. Under greenhouse conditions small pots can be expected to retain their structural integrity for 4-5 months and larger pots from 12-15 months (10-13 months in outdoor nursery conditions).

The strength of the pot can be demonstrated by crushing it by hand. It should spring back into shape and remain intact. This suppleness helps prevent any breakage when the plant is repotted, and is a gauge of the pot strength while the plant is growing.

Permeability

Because water, air, and roots will penetrate the walls of the Fertilpot so easily, there is no need for drainage holes.

Its unique composition allows water and air to permeate the pot, thereby assisting growth.Look closely at how open and porous the wall of a Fertilpot is. Even the finest of root hairs are penetrating the wall, forcing even more natural branching in the root structure.

Aerial Root Pruning

When plants are grown in a Fertilpot, the roots quickly penetrate the pot walls. Contact with the air stops the roots from elongating, root buds start to appear and secondary roots start to develop throughout the pot. A dense network of root hairs develops throughout the whole pot.

Here you can see the lateral branching developing after the roots' apical dominance has been stunted by air-pruning. This gives the plant many more root tips with which to uptake water and nutrients.

Faster Growth

In containers with impermeable walls, a few very long roots dominate the root system, reducing overall root development. This difference in quality of the root system is the main explanation for the marked difference in development between two identical plants grown in a Fertilpot (left) and a plastic pot (right).

Comparison

This shows comparison of root structure between plant grown in Fertilpot (left) and conventional plastic pot of the same size

Conventional Pot or Bag

This is an example of a root structure from a plant left in a plastic pot too long. Eventually, sometimes several years later, this plant will die as the roots enlarge and choke the plant. Eliminate circling roots with Fertilpot.

Strong Fertilpot Root Structure

This is an example of a root structure developed with the biodegradable wood fibre pot. Notice the good branching structure and the development of secondary branching.

Fast Growth

This squash seed was planted 5 days ago. It took 3 days to germinate. You can see that the first true leaves have yet to emerge, but the roots are already well through the wall of the wood-fibre pot. No need to wait for the pot to begin to break down before getting root penetration.

Fast Establishment

When a plant grown in Fertilpot is planted or repotted (without removing the pot), the dormant root buds set during aerial containment are immediately activated. There is no shock from transplanting. This difference is particularly marked when ground conditions are difficult (cold, drought, adverse season). Finally, as there is no deformation in the root system, the plant establishes easily and settles into the soil quickly. (Photographed after two months).

Faster Plant-out

Fertilpots are often used in forestry plantings. Planting speed is essential to the economics of reforestation. Taking time to remove plastic pots means taking profits off the table. Better root structure means better viability.