Root Pouch Boxer Brown 12 Liter

A 12 litre fabric pot from the Boxer line, 25.5 centimetres wide and 21.5 tall, with handles. The most commonly chosen size in the range, and the right place to explain why this pot works differently from the other fabric pots we stock.

Entrapment rather than air pruning

In an air-pruning pot the idea is that the root tip reaches the wall and meets air there. The tip dries back, dies off, and the plant branches behind it. Open-weave fabric pots and pots with holes in the wall both work that way.

Root Pouch pointedly does not, and says so itself. Here the root tip is not invited to grow into the weave, it becomes caught in it. It is held, it stops growing, and the plant responds exactly as it would to air pruning: new side roots behind the trapped point. You get the same kind of dense, branched root system, by a different route.

Two practical differences follow. First, the roots stay on board, so you can set this pot into the ground or into another container without it knitting itself to its surroundings. Second, less water evaporates through the wall than in a pot designed to bring air to the roots. You therefore water less often than you would an open fabric pot of the same volume.

Twelve litres in the space

At 25.5 centimetres across you fit twelve on a square metre touching, six to nine with room to work. The 21.5 centimetre height is low for this volume: it is wider than it is tall, which keeps it steady under a plant that gets heavy.

The fabric

Boxer is 100% recycled PET, sewn with an industrial lockstitch and finished seams. The handles are stitched into that same seam.

Technical Specifications:

• Volume: 12 litres
• Dimensions: 25.5 x 21.5 cm
• Handles: yes
• Material: 100% recycled PET
• Root control: by entrapment, not by air pruning
• Degradable: no, by design
• Reusable: yes, washable

Frequently asked questions

Is entrapment worse than air pruning? Not worse, different. You get the same branched root system and the roots stay inside the pot, which is an advantage when transplanting and when planting into the ground.

Do I water more often than with an ordinary fabric pot? Usually less often, because less moisture leaves through the wall. Go by the weight of the pot rather than a schedule.

How much water per watering? At twelve litres, two to two and a half litres is a normal amount, with a small amount running through.

Will it fit a plant tray? You need one of at least 29 centimetres. The 25 centimetre square tray is too tight.