The Air-Pot®
Please note: beware of cheap imitations. These are trademark-infringing knockoffs and of inferior quality to boot.
The Air-Pot container is the original and the best air-pruning container around. These containers have been made in Scotland, UK from recycled plastic since 1997, and will last many years in our harsh Australian climate — I can absolutely attest to the strength of their UV-stabilisation!
Air-Pot® is strong, tough and just plain works. They also look great and are great conversation-starters!
The Air-Pot® can be assembled, disassembled, reassembled and reused over and over again.
What is Air-Pruning?
Air-pruning is where growing root tips are allowed to become exposed to air, which causes them to dry out and die. This sounds rather debilitating to the tree, but actually has the very desirable effect of causing many, and thinner, lateral roots to develop further back along the primary root. The end result is an incredibly fibrous and dense root system able to take up far more nutrients per volume than a similar tree in the ground would.
Air-Pot containers are highly-regarded by gardeners and horticultural experts worldwide for these superior and dense root systems that develop — root systems which allow a larger, stronger and healthier tree to grow in a smaller space than you'd think possible.
Watch this short three minute video to see how the Air-Pot® — and the concept of air-pruning — works! A very informative demonstration indeed.
(A video on how to assemble and pack an Air-Pot® is here.)
On Suckering
A newly-delivered jujube tree in a dormant, bare-rooted state and ready for potting or planting, is likely to be mildly stressed when waking from dormancy. Not only has it lost its rhizosphere and root microbiome, but — unavoidably despite all care, many of its delicate root hairs.
But these trees are tough and settle well during their first year in their new home. And while some trees may send up a sucker or three during that first year in response to that stress, even in a container, it is my experience that well-watered and nourished trees, with their roots left alone, tend not to sucker as much after that first year, whether in any container or in the ground. When in the ground, keeping trees well-watered within the drip zone can also discourage suckering further out from the trunk.
The Air-Pot®, For Sale Through The Jujube Nursery
We offer the two sizes in the 'Air-Pot Garden' range that are best-suited for the young jujube trees we sell. The 20 litre large container with a blue base, and the 38 L extra large container with a black base. Each has a 'cone reservoir' around the rim which retains water.
Air-Pot Garden: Large (20 L)
Dimensions: 355 mm diameter × 320 mm high
This is an ideal first pot for the tree size we sell, and you'll get several years' use from it before needing to repot.
Should you be interested in Air-Pot® for other plants, the 20 L container is also the perfect tomato pot, and does a superb job growing cucumbers, chillies, capsicums, eggplants and many other fruits and vegetables. Flowers and shrubs also grow well and are well-complemented by the Air-Pot®’s aesthetic design and goes-with-anything black colour. You can view images of these on our nursery site (The Wollongong Nursery) here.
Air-Pot Garden: Extra Large (38 L)
Dimensions: 430 mm diameter × 375 mm high
This is the size to use when potting-up a tree grown in the 20 litre container above, and is actually a popular size for patio fruit trees in general — but do make sure plenty of sun reaches them for at least most of the day though.
Competitive growers of onions and leeks use this size, and other root vegetables such as carrots also do well — these giants have to be seen to be believed, which you can do so on our nursery site (The Wollongong Nursery) here!
Air-Pot Wall (100 L)
Dimensions: 540 mm diameter × 435 mm high
This is the smallest of the three wall sizes available, the others being 200 L and 400 L. Walls do not come with bases as they are intended to be placed directly onto weed mat or other root barrier, and/or constructed on a pallet for ease of transport. (Plastic pallets won't be prone to insect attack.)
The 100 L is a natural step-up from the 38 L above. Trees grown in an Air-Pot container routinely grow and reach maturity more rapidly than in other pots or even the field.
Air-Pot: All Other Sizes Available
The full range we offer is listed on The Wollongong Nursery here, and includes:
- Propagation Containers
- Growing Containers
- Bonsai Training
- Air-Pot Combo Packs
- Air-Pot Bonsai Combo Packs
- Air-Pot Walls and Bulk Orders
I personally use, and stand by, every one of these, which I use prolifically in my nursery business. I sell both the containers separately, and plants in these containers. Herbs do especially well in the small and medium sizes, and they just look great too!
Pricing and Shipping
Prices are always up-to-date on the Wollongong Nursery site, where they can be ordered online for pick-up or to be posted.
Please note that Australia Post charges are applied during checkout, and are based on cubic weight as Air-Pot containers are very light but quite bulky. These charges may be surprisingly high depending on your location, size of order, and size of Air-Pot container.
We may well be able to send such orders by courier and for less, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch for a quote — or to request a custom order of any number and size for that matter!
If you live in Sydney, Newcastle or the ACT, we may well be able to courier a box too large for Australia Post, yet for a good price for its size. This gives you incredible flexibility with custom orders.
(Air-Pot® walls and large orders are too bulky for this, and will require a freight quote where indicated.)