Would Transplanting to 5 Gal Direct From Seedling...

[Harry Red]

..promote a more stacked plant with shorter internodal lengths on the main stem, assuming you kept your lights close enough?

Thanks!

Harry

[Racefan]

Keeping your light close is what will keep your internodes tight. That and your enviroment (temps). By going directly to a large container you will slow top growth and end up with a root bound plant faster than if you worked up to 5 gal. containers over a couple of transplants. Nothing worse than watching a plant yellow and wither at 5 weeks into 12/12 because they are overly root bound and while I've done it, it's a pain in the ass to transplant a 6 foot tall plant from a 5 gallon pail into a bigger container just to finish a grow.

[Harry Red]

Thanks RaceFan. I didn't realize that temps (heat I assume) made that big of difference. Good to know.

Suppose were were looking at only 3' to 4' foot plants. I'm seeing others who go direct to 5/6 gallon buckets with those size plants without becoming root bound.

In that case, would planting direct from seedling promote a more stacked plant, assuming the lighting and temps were optimal?

Thanks!

Harry

[Racefan]

Size of container doesn't really affect internodal stretch a lot that I know of. Strain, temps and light intensity play a huge role. To utilize temps to stop internodal stretch you would want to keep day and night temps as close together as possible. Ideal temps that we quote to new growers calls for a 10 to 15 degree difference. By not allowing that difference the plants don't stretch as much. There was a nice write up about it at one of the major mags. Either high times or cannabis culture that was called.. "What's the dif?" It was copied and pasted here by smoking moose but he titled it differently. You might try searching here at 420mag for internodal stretch or temp difference or as a last resort under his posts but that might take a while as there was a lot of them.lol There has been several discussions about this before so some info is available.
Try it both ways with the same strain and equal conditions, feed and care and judge for yourself about yield and vigor. You seem to want to believe what a few others have done or gotten away with over the tried and true basics and the only way to find the answers that pertain to your personal grow is to see for yourself. But I will bet my favorite hat that the plant that is transplanted in stages will outdo the plant that is just placed directly into a huge container.

[Harry Red]

Thanks for the great insight RaceFan.

So just so that I understand... all things being equal in terms of light and temp, transplanting from seedling into a large enough pot to avoid becoming root bound, would not limit internodal stretch any more than using staged transplants.

The advantage would be that no transplanting would be necessary but the disadvantage would be that it may take a little longer for plant growth, because more energy would be directed toward root growth. The fact that energy is directed more toward growing roots will not affect the internodal lengths of the plant as it grows.

Does that about sum it up?

Harry