The general components of CIPS include an outer container enclosing the water reservoir in the base and the pouched plant root systems. Plant stems extend through sealed openings in the top surface of the enclosure. Environmental conditions within the container enclosing the plant roots and reservoir are independent of the plant shoot environment.

Outer container. The bottom, top and sidewalls enclosing the root environment must be impermeable to water and must be opaque, reflective and insulated to prevent light, heat and moisture transfer. Root pouches are dropped through and their edges suspended from 15 cm diameter holes in the lid (top surface of the enclosing container). The plant collar fits around the plant stem and extends to the lid surrounding the perimeter of the hole. The plant collar is a 2 cm thick, 15 cm diameter 'doughnut' with a hole in the center to accommodate future plant stem expansion. The 'doughnut is cut into halves, and each halve slipped around the plant stem. A water impermeable non-phytotoxic, triple-expanding polyurethane foam (TEP) from an aerosol can (Foam-it) is used to fill the 'doughnut' hole around the plant stem to complete the seal between the plant stem and the surrounding plant collar without restricting increase in stem diameter and growth.

Root Pouches. Water and air permeable root pouches constructed of spunbond polypropylene (such as agro fabric PRO70, 47.4 g/m², or Kimberly Clark 11564-00, 63.79 g SMS filter fabric or other polyester fabric with a close bonding pattern) were made by sewing the fabric with polyester thread into pouches. The pouches were treated with copper-latex solution (cupric hydroxide and white latex paint: 100g/l Kocide 101 WP (77% Cu(OH)2, 60 ppb soluble copper) in latex paint diluted 1:1 v/v with water) to regulate root growth to confine the roots within the pouch.

Capillary Wicks. Capillary fabric strips (spunbond polyester fabric strips cut 10.2 cm wide x 46 cm long) were placed across the basket-bottom. The capillary mat material is available from Troy Mills, Inc. Troy, New Hampshire 03465-1000. The root media-filled pouch is placed in a basket (consists of 15 cm polyethylene nursery containers). The bottom of the pouch is in direct contact with the capillary strip crossing the basket-bottom. The air and water permeable copper-coated fabric pouch sits directly on the capillary mat. The capillary material does not go into the pouch. The ends of the capillary wick extend downward 15 cm to the bottom of the water reservoir in the base of the outer container. Water will move by capillarity in the fabric to a height of 15 cm. Water moves by capillarity and adsorptive forces from the capillary wick through the pouch bottom into the peat-vermiculite media within the pouch to the roots. The pouches are suspended from the CIPS lid by placing the pouches in baskets or containers that are placed in the precut holes in the lid (the suspended basket is supported by basket-lip/lid overlap). The 15 cm diameter holes in the lid are on 30 cm centers.

Media. Media mixture used in the CIPS must be sufficiently fine to provide capillary movement of water. The media mixture was a peat moss (Canadian Sphagnum) and horticultural grade vermiculite (1:1 by volume). In the media 3.0 Kg/m³ dolomite (CaCO3 and MgCO3) and 1.8 Kg/m³ gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) are uniformly incorporated into the media mixture to provide calcium, magnesium and sulfur and to adjust pH. After planting, the medium was initially moistened to field capacity to establish capillarity. After drainage of gravitational water, the fertilizer is applied to the perimeter of the top surface away from the young plant roots, and the plant collar and stem sealant are applied. Within the CIPS, the fertilizer is now protected (shielded) from gravitational and evaporative water flow pathways. Solubilized fertilizer diffuses slowly along a gradient from initial placement to the plant roots (Blackburn, 1992; Kelly, 1998).

Irrigation water. Initially, water is added in the base reservoir to bring the water level up to bottom of media in the pouch to exclude possible air-blocks and ensure capillarity. Water level is lowered by capillary flow upward in media to establish media equilibrium and in response to plant uptake. The Troy capillary material has vertical water capillary rise of approximately 13-15 cm. The water level can fall 13-15 cm below the basket platform between water additions. The water liquid and vapor moves upward in response to forces much greater than that of gravity, i.e. surface adsorption, capillarity, diffusion, and hygroscopic forces.

Plant Density. Plant holes on 30 cm centers provide 900 cm² space per plant or a density of 9.25 plant/m² with 16 plants in each pallet. Each pallet base reservoir was filled to a volume of 262 liters.