Autos & Up-Potting

[stinker]

I’m thinking of running some autos, this would be my second auto grow.

The first grow I planted the germed beans direct to the final 5 gal container. I would like to start the next in a smaller size, maybe .5 gallon and up-pot to final container. Are autos so finicky that they really can’t be successfully up-potted? Thanks

 

[Bill284]

I’m thinking of running some autos, this would be my second auto grow.

The first grow I planted the germed beans direct to the final 5 gal container. I would like to start the next in a smaller size, maybe .5 gallon and up-pot to final container. Are autos so finicky that they really can’t be successfully up-potted? Thanks

Hey @stinker how are you today.
IMO it's better to fill a smaller pot then uppot when you have a good sized root ball.
I've done it with autos without any ill effects.
I'm sure others may have a different opinion so let's see.
But personally I prefer to grow them the same way I grow a photo root ball.
Just my way.

Stay safe
Bill

 

[stinker]

I'm good Bill, thanks. It helps to know others are up-potting with success. I would rather not hassle with the awkward watering.

Be safe.

 

[Bill284]

I'm good Bill, thanks. It helps to know others are up-potting with success. I would rather not hassle with the awkward watering.

Be safe.

A little seedling in a huge pot struggles to get going.
All that soil stays wet, she can't drink enough to dry it fast enough.
In a little pot it can get to the outside and get air and build a ball.
I've done seeds in final container aswell.
Just found they grow better in a proper size pot.

Stay safe
Bill

 

[Backyardigan]

Any pacific (pun intended) day(s) when to expect up-potting a vegging plant?

EDIT : I found my answer. I just wasn't searching right earlier :shaka:

 

[Melville Hobbes]

I’m thinking of running some autos, this would be my second auto grow.

The first grow I planted the germed beans direct to the final 5 gal container. I would like to start the next in a smaller size, maybe .5 gallon and up-pot to final container. Are autos so finicky that they really can’t be successfully up-potted? Thanks

If you're good at up-potting without stress you've got nothing to worry about. My experience with autos has been that they take to it just fine. The problem is if you stress them it slows them down, and you can't just veg them longer to make up for it.

 

[UrbanGardner]

I’m thinking of running some autos, this would be my second auto grow.

The first grow I planted the germed beans direct to the final 5 gal container. I would like to start the next in a smaller size, maybe .5 gallon and up-pot to final container. Are autos so finicky that they really can’t be successfully up-potted? Thanks

I always wondered the same thing. I personally think up potting is BS (bro-science). Building the root ball before transferring to a larger pot. To me you are restraining the growth by limiting the space and nutrients. My theory is to give the plant everything it needs from the start like mother earth. My stash is running low, so I decided to run an auto to complete before the holidays. I germinated a Wedding Cheesecake Auto and planted it in a 10gal pot. I mixed a dose of GeoFlora Veg in and fully saturated the pot with water. It did not get another watering for 2 weeks. This plant took off like nobody's business. 10 weeks from seed to harvest. I understand why people start off in small containers because of space limitations. For me, the way I grow it makes absolutely no sense. I think if I had a 20gal pot she would have taken the whole thing. Here are some pics of the root ball:

 

[stinker]

I always wondered the same thing. I personally think up potting is BS (bro-science). Building the root ball before transferring to a larger pot. To me you are restraining the growth by limiting the space and nutrients. My theory is to give the plant everything it needs from the start like mother earth. My stash is running low, so I decided to run an auto to complete before the holidays. I germinated a Wedding Cheesecake Auto and planted it in a 10gal pot. I mixed a dose of GeoFlora Veg in and fully saturated the pot with water. It did not get another watering for 2 weeks. This plant took off like nobody's business. 10 weeks from seed to harvest. I understand why people start off in small containers because of space limitations. For me, the way I grow it makes absolutely no sense. I think if I had a 20gal pot she would have taken the whole thing. Here are some pics of the root ball:

Thank you. That is a huge rootball, cant argue with that. She must have been huge.
I just started my 2nd auto run and planted direct to 2 and 3 gal fabric pots. I will also uppot something to compare.

 

[UrbanGardner]

Thank you. That is a huge rootball, cant argue with that. She must have been huge.
I just started my 2nd auto run and planted direct to 2 and 3 gal fabric pots. I will also uppot something to compare.

She was just barely a foot tall but yielded just shy of a quarter pound (110 g) dry and cured.

 

[Hooprules]

I have been up-potting my autos so far with good results. I will try direct to 5gal fabric pot with the Bruce Banner seeds I just got from weedseedexpress!

 

[Phytoplankton]

I’ve also done it both ways, and if you’re careful re-potting you’ll see very little difference in growth

 

[stinker]

I have been up-potting my autos so far with good results. I will try direct to 5gal fabric pot with the Bruce Banner seeds I just got from weedseedexpress!

I have an auto grow going now. They are 21 days old today. I started in mixed sized bags. It looks to me like those that were planted direct to the 3 gallon are doing best, but they were topped. The others are in 2 gal.

I’ve also done it both ways, and if you’re careful re-potting you’ll see very little difference in growth

I uppotted 4 this grow, they stall for a few days but appear to catch up, 1 is lagging but still catching up.. Pistols should show soon, I'm curious to see if there is a difference when flowering.

 

[Stunger]

Hey stinker! As far as up-potting and final potting goes, I have generally up-potted. But most of the time I feel I have stuffed up the up-potting. On my current grow when I up-potted the 2nd tranche of plants, the soil was too dry and everything fell off so I was just left with some raggedy bare roots, there was certainly no 3D root balls to be seen, and yet once in the final pots they took off. So I am leaning towards questioning the need to up-pot. Maybe it is different when plants are growing in an inert soil like coco and they are being fed with bottled nutes. But my soil is pretty nutritious and is a 'living soil', so in my circumstances I am a bit sceptical of the requirement to up-pot. Next grow I may just start in final pots and be done with it.

I think with Autos that up-potting would be fine if done without a lot of trauma. My sole auto grow was kicked off the same day as my brother's, who was growing the same auto strain (Gorilla Glue) from the same packet. His grew 'freely' as a 'Christmas tree', and mine I LST'ed to keep a low profile. We found that the flowering of mine was delayed 2 weeks compared to his presumably from the LST. Which seemed an advantage to me because I got nearly 4oz and he got less than 3oz, so for me the LST gave it longer in vegging to build a bigger base to support more flowers.