From

Location

Message

Date Posted

ExtremeVegetables.com

Anyone out there in BP land have pictures of the size of the main rooting system off of the basil crown?

I'd like to get an idea of how large the main root structure is/can get and hoping there may be some of you who have dug up their vines at seasons end to get an idea of how large this rooting can get.

I am trying to figure out how large of a container I will need to support an AG. I don't want to make the container too large as it will be grown using and ebb and flow system which will require a large reservour and ample amounts of water.
I'd like to get by with the smallest container possible without restricting root growth.

Duane .

2/23/2007 6:29:40 AM

Little-TON - Colorado

You going hydro? I found main roots last year that went out over 10 feet in the the yard under the grass as I enlarged my patch, root was still traveling after I stopped, I was amazed.

2/23/2007 8:48:09 AM

Rhode Island

duane

roots at the base of the plant will vary depending on soil conditions etc.

usually you will get a few large turnip size roots that can be a couple ft or longer . these roots also have smaller roots growing off them

if it were me and i was attempting to grow in a container id use a plastic 55 gal drum, cut the top off,drill a lot of small holes around the drum for air flow,fill with the best balanced planting medium i could make
( possibly even use my own mixture of all natural seed starter, and organic additives like worm castings,etc )

without additional tap rooting of main and secondarys though i think your results although interesting will not provide a very big pumplin. --- but a real attraction to passers by.

2/23/2007 8:59:55 AM

southwest MO

This may be a situation where heavy supplimental foliar feeding may help off-set the limited root area...

2/23/2007 9:33:14 AM

[email protected]

Duane,

Soil grown roots are finer branched & more numerous (large in area) than hydroponic roots. A Hydro-pumpkin can utilize a much smaller root mass due to the efficiencies of hydroponics.

I am EXTREMELY interested in your project.

I have this grand vision of growing 4 plants in the full sized wading pool we have here in Town. LOL. Try selling THAT pipe dream to the Parks Dept.

Per plant I'd love to see the conventional triangle shaped "pot" at 24' wide at the crown end tapering to zero at 20+ feet out. This wouldn't need to be more than 30" deep at the crown & might only be 12" deep every where else. Fill this "pool" with a bulk delivery of Soilmaster or Turface. Remove the filter & install a nutrient holding vessle in it's place.....I know that you can "see" this image in your minds eye. This way all of the seconday aventitous roots would be able to contribute to the pumpkin. Nutirent would regulary be "ebb & flow" pumped into the "pool or pot" as in any conventional hydroponic system.

More practically I think that a used hot tub is more than adequate if you can find one that wasn't chopped into peieces for removal. Every one that has been "donated" to me was found in at least 2 peices when I went to see it. LOL

An even more practical solution might be a rubber pond liner kit such as is sold for the backyard DIY pond projects. These are not very expensive & the pumps are readily modified. A platic 30-55 gallon plastic drum can be plumbed into a "pond". Installed like a pond, the secondary vines can be permitted to root into soil & left to fend for themselves as long as Cucumber Borers are controlled.

2/23/2007 11:38:20 AM

ExtremeVegetables.com

And the creme always rises to the top!

Thank you once again Tremor. You've got my vote for VIP membership for being the most welcoming and helpful member of the BigPumpkins community.
this should be deja vu for you. ;)

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/MsgBoard/ViewThread.asp?b=3&p=74780

You know using hydroponics the idea is that you can support a much larger plant off of a smaller root system than when using soil. This is supposed to happen mainly due to the nutrients being delivered directly to the root zone rather than the roots having to search them out as happens with soil grown plants. I have done quite a bit of experimenting with Tomatoes and peppers hydroponically over the past several years and even though the above is "supposed" to happen, I have had some varieties completely consume the containers they were in with roots. That being said, hence my concern for root mass size. I don't want to get into august/sept with this thing only to find that my vessel isn't large enough to support the root mass.

I think all of your ideas are good and something I will be tossing around.

Foliar feeding is now a regular part of my gardening regimen.

2/23/2007 2:22:45 PM