Root Tabs- Are they worth using and which ones are the best?

Tom Barr

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If all they do is repackage it and resell it, many businesses do this.
Osmocoat does not market to the aquarium plant market.

So there's an open market to be exploited.

Businesses do not tell folks stuff and DIY for free.
Why would anyone expect them to do that?

You want every and anything for free, but pay 20-30% interest to the credit card companies?:confused::confused:

Some of you do not.......but still........you can cut a lot more fat out in many other areas, we are very selective on where we complain and look to be cheap. A penny saves is a penny earned in my book, but I'm guilt of stuff as well, but I try to look at the larger picture.

Still, DIY ferts.........soils etc.......these are easy and I have no intention of selling them. So it's not a business to me. Now if folks want me to send free plants and free wood, that's another story. That's more effort for me, not that there's not a lot of effort and time behind learning and figuring out ferts, sediments and the background behind it though.

SeaChem does this as much as anyone, but I still gladly support them.
Same with ADA, some products are nice and I use, but not all.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

hbosman

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Even if it were repackaged Osmacote. Maybe it would still be worth it to pay something to somebody, to stuff all of those tiny pellets in a gel cap. I certainly wouldn't be interested in doing it, to tedious for me. I read years ago that all we ever pay for is labor. We pay for somebody's labor to refine oil into gasoline, we pay for somebody to dig diamonds out of the ground and somebody else's to cut it so it looks shiny. So, I guess some people might pay for the labor involved in shoving pellets in a gel cap. I love capitalism.
 

Left C

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hbosman;51586 said:
Even if it were repackaged Osmacote. Maybe it would still be worth it to pay something to somebody, to stuff all of those tiny pellets in a gel cap. I certainly wouldn't be interested in doing it, to tedious for me. I read years ago that all we ever pay for is labor. We pay for somebody's labor to refine oil into gasoline, we pay for somebody to dig diamonds out of the ground and somebody else's to cut it so it looks shiny. So, I guess some people might pay for the labor involved in shoving pellets in a gel cap. I love capitalism.
Do you want to do a group buy and send it overseas to be done with cheap labor? ;)
 

Tom Barr

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Left C;51609 said:
Do you want to do a group buy and send it overseas to be done with cheap labor? ;)

This guy is no corporation, he's a hobbyists (not a lobbyists, which should be shot on sight) who has taken an idea and worked to promote it and sell it, there's some convenience for the service.
Nothing wrong at all with that. He's not getting rich, few ever do in this wretched money pit hobby. Leave it out of this hobby. We are not this far removed from humanity.

Folks have alternatives and options DIY and otherwise.
You can also buy ferts in the 50lb sacks for a few $ cheaper, but we still pay a few $ extra for a 3 year's supply conveniently dropped to your door step.
Save the being cheap outrage for the banks, oil companies, the industrial agricultural complex from hell, credit card companies, lobbyists and maybe a few lawyers(there are a few good ones).

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

Left C

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Whoa ... It is only a joke, my comment is. Nothing to do with nothing. Just trying to make a funny. I certainly hope that we all see it as such. Hince, the "wink" at the end.
 

Left C

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Left C;51615 said:
Whoa ... It is only a joke, my comment is. Nothing to do with nothing. Just trying to make a funny. I certainly hope that we all see it as such. Hince, the "wink" at the end.

Me thinks that I misread one of the posts and an apology is needed.
 

Tom Barr

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No sweat, and none taken in any offense here, hehe.

But we all sort of get our feathers all ruffled when we figure out we can DIY or feel we should not have to pay etc.
Still, we can do this and put things more into perspective, there are real hobbyists behind some of these products, and overall many can help the hobby overall.

Some ideas are not that great, but some are and the pre made things can help some folks, but we can still tell them how to DIY.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

ibenu

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I was excited to see a very expensive product had an almost identical analysis to Osmocote. I kinda admire the business aspect of charging for knowledge of use, and convenience of packaging provided by the vendor. And As Tom has already mentioned, it's a hobbiest and the likely hood is it's a very small revenue stream. I've frozen some in thin sheets so there will be no concentrated pockets of the pellets under the substrate.

Im looking forward to using the other 49+ pounds around my garden, as the only source I could find with the nice homogenized + was only available in bulk from a garden distributer. I've found non aquarium places I source stuff from to be very accommodating and amused when they find out it's going to be used in a "fish tank"
 

over_stocked

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ibenu;51572 said:
Roottabcomp.png
On the right we have osmocote plus, a canadian formulation. On the left we have the rootmedic analysis.. Given the identical (near) analysis and description of product I believe the vendor is quite possibly repackaging the aforementioned osmocote product...

This is NOT Osmocote. I say this because I make this product. It is similar in both make up and construction(you will find many similar time release fertilizer products from several manufacturers) because they work. There are small differences, the RootMedic membrane is designed to release slower.This allows them to last longer in water, so they are economical for the hobbyist to use. Obviously some nutrients have very minimal differences as well. Obviously the convenience of someone else stuffing them(and I stuffed plenty of these during the prototype phase) has a price too. If you ever try filling a large quantity of gel caps get back to me...

Most of the money made with this product goes right back into this hobby through sponsorships, purchases from hobbyists, and other contributions. I am far from getting rich.


Tug;51576 said:
When it comes right down to it, business ethics are more about making a fast, easy buck every place you look.
Asking questions and reporting concerns is essential.
Buyer beware. :gw

I'd prefer you didn't make assumptions about me or my business. Thank you. I notice everyone here was afraid to head on over to rootmedic.net to simply ask me about my product. It would have been that simple.

If you think I'm getting rich quick... my last sale COST me 22 dollars after shipping all product, overhead, and my contribution the the DAVCST in honor of Memorial Day.

Thanks,
Justin
www.rootmedic.net
[email protected]
 

Oreo

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over_stocked;51760 said:
If you ever try filling a large quantity of gel caps get back to me...
I have. PITA royal deluxe any way you go about it. Pay the man & shut yer pie-hole about it. ;)
 

Tom Barr

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Oreo;51763 said:
I have. PITA royal deluxe any way you go about it. Pay the man & shut yer pie-hole about it. ;)

Agreed

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

Tom Barr

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over_stocked;51760 said:
Most of the money made with this product goes right back into this hobby through sponsorships, purchases from hobbyists, and other contributions. I am far from getting rich.
I'd prefer you didn't make assumptions about me or my business. Thank you. I notice everyone here was afraid to head on over to rootmedic.net to simply ask me about my product. It would have been that simple.
If you think I'm getting rich quick... my last sale COST me 22 dollars after shipping all product, overhead, and my contribution the the DAVCST in honor of Memorial Day.
Thanks,
Justin
www.rootmedic.net
[email protected]

I know Justin and we have spoken about this product and his line.
I am supportive, I have also come out in support of other products like ADA, SeaChem etc...........but some things that they sell, I'm pretty harsh on..........not everything is a good match for the buyer.
Same is true here, you can DIY, or not........

Same can be said for ADA AS, we can DIY soils to the same degree, but there's some trade offs.
You can find Justin's banners all over, ADA? Not many, but Amano does love to promotr the hobby, and does not want to take a loss, nor should he, nor should Justin.

As long as their logic and heart are in this hobby, it's hard not to like them for it.
But it is still find to disagree if they says crazy talk, but that's been done here.

I can attack a product if it's got weak reasoning and rational, but it's based on the product etc, not the person/owner etc.
Some things I think would turn out well often do not.

That's the way it goes.

So I criticize myself:)

Regards,
Tom Barr
 
C

CL_

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Justin is a great guy who takes time out of his busy schedule to further advance the hobby by making it easy for people to add fertilizers to their substrate.

Tom Barr;51798 said:
I can attack a product if it's got weak reasoning and rational, but it's based on the product etc, not the person/owner etc.
Some things I think would turn out well often do not.

That's the way it goes.
So very true. I found this out recently in a very similar instance dealing with this hobby.

The fact that when cheaper alternatives are found, the original supplier must supply a better product/ a cheaper product in order to stay ahead of the game can be a hard fact to swallow. Thus competition can be rough, and capitalism isn't always an easy system to be a part of.
 

Tug

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Asking Questions and Reporting Concerns is an Essential PITA.

I stand by that statement. Maybe I was not very clear about why I see it this way. I had hoped to infer that an assumption of ethical behavior is often misguided. It is our right and responsibility to know what goes into a product and informed dissuasions are better then assumptions in this regard. I have no bone to pick with hobby grade products. Justin's product would be just as effective as any top grade root tab on the market - "Rootmedic, it takes the Y out of DIY drudgery."

I do not see this substrate fertilizer in anyway comparable to what companies like BP do to maximize profits. My intention was to suggest that when it comes to unethical behavior, companies that relish misinforming the public to maintain their profits are a bigger problem then Rootmedic. Distribution of repackaged fertilizer is hardly what I would call unethical behavior. If you purchase a local food chain's ice cream, they just repackaged someone else's brand as their own. Is that unethical? Besides, it's the quality of the product that means anything. Does it mean less then brand loyalty? Maybe not.

In my view RootMedic Complete is worth the cost, at least worth an email, and well worth the discussion. What the contribution to DAVCST has to do with anything I can't say, but it does seam to suggest at least your patriotism is no longer in question. Now, if the rest of us patriotic citizens would only question the ethics of off shore drilling. That was the point I was trying to make. For unethical behavior, look to the lobbyists and the politicians that make it all possible.

BP Sought To Ease Canada's Policy On Relief Wells
Josh Fox: Living In The Middle Of A 'Gasland'[video=youtube;rlPPFcy-3Vo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlPPFcy-3Vo[/video]
 
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Tom Barr

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CL_;51812 said:
Justin is a great guy who takes time out of his busy schedule to further advance the hobby by making it easy for people to add fertilizers to their substrate.


So very true. I found this out recently in a very similar instance dealing with this hobby.

The fact that when cheaper alternatives are found, the original supplier must supply a better product/ a cheaper product in order to stay ahead of the game can be a hard fact to swallow. Thus competition can be rough, and capitalism isn't always an easy system to be a part of.

Well, you treat the widget like you do a hythoesis that's been discarded/falsified.
Let it go, and see what other new market potential is out there.
When one thing is no longer worth selling, say you made Ford Pinto's........then you move on and sell an electric or a hybrid.

Same deal with anything.
You need to think ahead and have several back up plans, not rely like the Panda on one method, one product, one client, one investment etc.
Change and Evolution apply not just to Biology, but economics.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

Tom Barr

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Tug;51816 said:
Justin's product would be just as effective as any top grade root tab on the market - "Rootmedic, it takes the Y out of DIY drudgery."

And cheaper than all those other brands.
Seems to be a market for those other brands.

I do not see your product in anyway comparable to what companies like BP are doing to maximize profits.

I think BP's issues are far removed from Justin in most every way.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

Tug

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Change and Evolution?

Very little changes, IMHO. And public opinion is the hardest to change. What we perceive is often more important to us then the truth. Success is more about marketing. Finding a perceived weakness only to market it as your strength. Smart marketing, that's what people see. That has nothing to do with the quality of his or any other product. You must recognize that without it, credibility could be an issue. Why shoot the messenger. I'm not suggesting that it even matters a great deal. Not to me. Just an observation.
Tom Barr; said:
And cheaper than all those other brands.
Seems to be a market for those other brands.
Tom Barr; said:
I think BP's issues are far removed from Justin in most every way.
BP's issues are bad, but that was kind of my point. Justin is not BP.
 
C

csmith

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I'll Be The One To Ask

Things like political debates and national tragedies in the making (e.g. oil spills the size of a small state) are going to be severely touchy subjects for some folks and could quite possibly lead a discussion down the wrong path with explosive disagreements, so I'd like to ask as a person with absolutely no clout around these parts that we leave those subjects alone. Please?

Tug;51824 said:
Success is more about marketing. Finding a perceived weakness only to market it as your strength. Smart marketing, that's what people see. That has nothing to do with the quality of his or any other product. You must recognize that without it, credibility could be an issue. Why shoot the messenger. I'm not suggesting that it even matters a great deal. Not to me. Just an observation.

That's not always true, man. Take aquariumfertilizer.com. I've never seen a commercial or an ad for them. I'd never even heard of them until a little while back. Why do I get my ferts from them now? Word of mouth. How does that come about? A good quality product. Well, as Gerryd would probably say, save for the labeling. ;)
 

Tom Barr

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Well, Greg use to pepper the places with his banners and promoted his small business, but it got more and more popular.
A few more banners, etc, then he sold the business.

Why advertise if you are okay with where you are at?

You can buy the stuff cheaper also, but 50lb sacks are not everyone's cup of tea.
Same type of thing here.

Regards,
Tom Barr