A LEADING British plant retailer has selected the latest Air-Pot® range to help boost sustainability and showcase how horticulture’s new generations are working in harmony with the environment.
 
Hampshire-based Roots Plants is using Air-Pot® containers, which are made from recycled plastic and have a 10–15-year lifespan, to improve plant growth by allowing more air to the rootzone.
 
Alex Curran, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Roots Plants explains: “We’re part of the newest generation of innovative growers and nursery owners. We’re pledged to cutting our carbon plant-print and only work with those whose high standards of sustainability match our own, and who are constantly finding new ways to cut down on plastics and reduce waste.
 
“We grow plants the tried-and-tested traditional way, with lots of hard work, time, effort, and attention given to each and every one, while striving to eliminate the need for man-made chemicals.
 
“We’re constantly investing in innovation to help us achieve our environmental goals, and we’re confident that growing in Air-Pot® containers will give us strong, healthy plants that are better able to cope with any challenging growing conditions they may encounter thanks largely to the superior root systems they develop. This is, of course, especially important given the extreme weather we’re experiencing due to climate change and the rising cost of maintaining plants on the nursery. 
 
“Another fantastic benefit for the impatient grower, is that we’re also able to keep a closer eye on roots as the Air-Pot® containers can be easily undone and removed. When the plants are ready, and it’s time to send a plant out to the consumer for their garden, we can remove the Air-Pot® and replace it with a hessian wrap for shipping, which again is much better for the environment.”
The British-made Air-Pot® system has been in existence for 30 years, but the latest generation Air-Pot® 7 was launched at IPM Essen earlier this year and is designed to further enhance plant growth through greater root health improvements.
Georgie Single, Marketing & Sales Representative at Air-Pot®, which is based in Edinburgh, says: “We’ve been making the world’s best air pruning container for more than three decades, but we’ve not been content to rest on our laurels and have been constantly looking at how we can improve, advance and evolve the design.
 
“Our Air-Pot® 7 range includes cones in a new shape that more effectively directs roots to a point of air, which results in increased air pruning and more consistent, positive root development.
 
“We’re delighted that the young, inspirational team who are at the helm at Roots Plants have chosen us and our new generation product to partner with. They are one of the latest adopters of our Air-Pot® kits in the UK and use 20 litre, 39 litre and 100 litre Air Pot containers.”
 
The Air-Pot container is specifically designed to prevent root circling. The shape of the Air-Pot container’s wall guides each root towards an air hole where direct contact with air dehydrates the tip, pruning it and stimulating root branching. The process repeats until there is a mass of healthy fibrous roots.
Georgie adds: “The Air-Pot® 7 range is all about healthy, fast growing, plants and sustainability. The containers can be used for many years without noticeable wear and tear, and the resulting plants, when planted out, are better able to cope with any challenging growing conditions they may encounter, especially given the extremes of weather we’re experiencing due to climate change, thanks to the superior root systems they have developed. Air-Pot® 7 helps to grow healthier plants by directing roots to a point of air and preventing root circling. This also means plants grow faster and reach peak saleability sooner, which is better for business too.
“Healthy roots mean faster growth and the better uptake of nutrients and water, which is better for the planet and for growers, as plants can be ready to sell on much more quickly.
“We manufacture with the minimum possible environmental impact. Central to this is our use of recycled plastic. Made from recycled HDPE, our Air-Pot containers are sturdy and reusable many times over, even in intense sunshine, and some of our customers have the same pots they have been reusing for 10 to 15 years.”
For further details, please visit www.air-pot.com/nursery/. To find out more about Roots Plants, please visit www.rootsplants.co.uk.