Trentcom have a new RocketPot called S1020 - designed specifically for propagating fast growing genera like Eucalypts. We want to grow plants from seed to landscape self-sufficiency in half the current time.

We expect that S1020 will replace twostep propagation of seedlings with onestep direct sowing. The radicle will grow straight down from the seed for 180 mm, to air root-prune at the base. Several more roots will then emerge from the radicle to be air root-pruned too.

Lateral roots will grow outwards and downwards until air root-pruned at the wall. The root array created will be natural, simple and elegant. There are near 200 air root-pruning cusps in the walls and 25 in the floor. As each air root-pruned root tip looses its apical dominance, many fresh new roots will emerge from behind. They too will be pruned. Soon, hundreds of active root tips will be poised for colonisation of a planting site. The seedling will take off like a Rocket when potted on or planted out

The shelf life of seedlings in forestry tubes and smooth walled pots is dangerously low.
In S1020, 20% open wall and base area will provide very high oxygen permeation. Root tips love the moisture and will grow rapidly. The root ball of S1020 seedlings will become full of outward pointing roots and become cohesive. S1020 will extend seedling shelf life.

We expect that you will be able to transplant Eucalypts direct from the 1.5 litre S1020 to a 45 litre Rocket®Pot. In Spring, this will be possible 14 to 20 weeks from direct seeding.

S1020 fits very well into an 8 up shuttle tray -TRSH140 - manufactured and sold by Garden City Plastics (GCP) This is a happy fit - Trentcom and GCP will both distribute the full RocketPot range in Australia now

Peter Lawton - 24 August 2008