Re: Spin out promotes a fibrous and healthy root system

11 years ago

The company (SePRO) that makes the spin out root growth regulator states that the spin out (or copper hydroxide) "stops elongated root growth and stimulates the develoment of secondary and lateral roots promoting a fibrous and healthy root system." The company recommends treating the inside of plant containers with spin out to promote better root growth.

Texel Inc. makes Tex-R spin out fabric and spin out bags or agroliners but only sells to retailers and as far as I know the products are available with only one side being treated with spin out. I don't know whether spin out itself is available for use by the ordinary consumer.

From my research online I've learned that nurseries first used the agroliners with the spin out treated side on the inside to contain the roots of trees and shrubs for later sale. From hosta growers here on GardenWeb I first learned that they use these bags inside out to prevent tree roots from invading the hosta planting hole.

Now I'm wondering whether double bagging the hosta planting hole so that there is spin out on both the inside and the outside of the hosta planting hole would be advantageous to the hosta? The spin out on the inside would stimulate the growth of a smaller, denser and healthier hosta root and the spin out on the outside would stop the tree roots from invading the planting hole.

This is my question to those of you who have used spin out bags/ agroliners: Is there any disadvantage (other than cost) to double bagging so that you have spinout on the inside too?

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Comments (8)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
stops elongated root growth and stimulates the develoment of secondary and lateral roots promoting a fibrous and healthy root system."

==>> a properly grown hosta root is straight.. it does not develop secondary branching ... nor lateral roots ... mind you sometimes they do.. but that is the exception.. rather than the rule ...

so i would wonder.. not fact here.. wonder.. of what good it would be to hosta roots ??

i am going to bet.. that you are going to have to be the first to try it.. good luck ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link
irawon
Original Author
11 years ago
Ken, just the kind of feed back I'm looking for. Thanks.

The manufacturer of spin out also stated that it prevents plants from getting root bound in containers. So there would be an advantage to having spin out on the inside of the spin out bag inside the ground, especially if one is planting large hostas in them. Another question that the experiment could answer: Can conditions be created such that the exception (branching) becomes the rule?? If I get the fabric I will experiment.

Any other thoughts? I'd appreciate hearing them.
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Nick, Everyone wants something that will take care of a problem in a quick and simple method, unfortunately that method is not always the best solution for the problem. I work for a company that used Spin-Out on its product, but because of EPA regulations they had to find another option for root bound plants. The attached article may give you a little insight into Spinout. You can also google "spin out copper hyroxide". I'm always wary about using chemicals, but that's just me. I have to agree with MM, there are pots designed now that have openings around the side of the pots to encourage root pruning, one is called Accelerator. I have several sizes I am going to test on several trees & shrubs this year. I work for the company that makes them so I get them free, I am not sure where you could buy them. Here is a link that might be useful: evaluate the effects that two commercial copper container treatments have on root growth
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Steve Massachusetts
11 years ago
Ira,

That advertising language is meant to compare the use of bags to pots. The tree is in mother earth. There's nothing better for it than that.

Steve
bkay2000
11 years ago
Ira, that makes no sense at all - "it prevents plants from getting root bound in containers". The only way to keep a plant from getting rootbound is that it quits growing. So, they are saying it stunts the growth. I'm sure that would be advantageous to some. I read about someone in Ft. Worth who has had the same plant in a pot for thirty years or so. She root prunes it every year. It serves a certain purpose in her landscape and uses two of them every year. Spinout material might work for her.

Most of us want our hosta to mature.

JMO

Bkay
irawon
Original Author
11 years ago
Steve, thanks for the input. Yes, if the spin out bag is in the ground, doesn't it act like a pot in the ground? When the hosta outgrows the spin out bag, wouldn't it get root bound? The manufacturer claims that spin out on the inside of the spin out bag prevents a plant from getting root bound, if that makes sense.

Bkay, that's what they are saying that when the root tip/growing tip hits the spin out/copper hydroxide the root tipstops growing forcing branching and more fibrous root growth. Although the root is smaller in diameter, it is healthier because of branching and growth of extra fibers. That's what they claim. I don't know enough about hosta roots and don't know whether what they claim applies to hostas.

I'm having trouble finding a Canadian retailer who is able or willing to sell me small quantities of spin out bags. Textel did say they would send me one 5 gal and one 10 gal bag as samples for free. I called Wildrose Distributing in the States to see if they deliver to Canada but got their answering machine.

Anyhow, I'm just passing on what I learned from the spin out websites because I thought it might be helpful/useful to those of us growing hostas under trees.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
i have a friend who has a home biz greenhouse..

he buys an equivalent paint.. and paints the inside of all his tree pots.. to encourage roots to grow down and out..

swears by it ...

ken
irawon
Original Author
11 years ago
For your information:

This appeared in the September 2000 growers" newsletter Something To Grow On in Alabama:

EFFECTS OF CYCLIC MICRO-IRRIGATION AND COPPER CONTAINER TREATMENTS ON THE GROWTH OF WHITE CEDAR AND 'BLUE ICE' ARIZONA CYPRESS
Research presented at the SNA meeting in Atlanta in August by
Robert C. Trawick, Ken M. Tilt, Harry G. Ponder,
Gary J. Keever and James E. Altland
Auburn University, Department of Horticulture, 36849
(Ã¯Â¿Â½)

Copper container treatments:Ã¢ÂÂ¨Circling roots of plants grown in an incorrect sized container or from improper placement of a vigorously rooting plant in a container that is too small can cause permanent injury to a plant. Copper container treatments offer relief from these problems. Root-bound plants are slower to establish following transplanting into a larger container or the landscape. Copper applied to the inner surface of containers is effective in reducing surface root development by chemically pruning roots as they encounter the container wall. However, some growers have noted that roots of plants treated with Spin OutÃ¯Â¿Â½ continued to be suppressed once removed from a copper free environment. Currently there are two copper treated containers available in the nursery industry, Spin OutÃ¯Â¿Â½ (Spin OutÃ¯Â¿Â½, Lerio Corporation, Mobile, AL) containers coated with copper hydroxide and Root RightTM (Nursery Supplies Inc., Chambersburg, PA) containers impregnated with copper chloride.
(Ã¯Â¿Â½)
A 2.5 gallon container of SpinOut Root Growth Regulator is selling on Ebay.com (only in the States) for $250.00 US.

I haven't found any studies using hostas.
User
11 years ago
Hmmm, puzzling that this one was bumped up to Oct/Nov posts and it shows only August as the most recent post. Good info, just puzzled about it reappearing so high up in the recent topics.......

Re: Spin out promotes a fibrous and healthy root system

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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Re: Spin out promotes a fibrous and healthy root system

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