it's not mine
Well-Known Member
I bought a set of 15 gallon fabric pots for dirt cheap but I'm wondering if they're too big to grow our plants in. Is there a guide on the forum anywhere that addresses different pot sizes?
Maximum pot size?
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MickFoster
Well-Known Member
What medium are you using?
Soil growers use 5-7 gal.
Coco growers use 2-3 gal.
Soil growers use 5-7 gal.
Coco growers use 2-3 gal.
Stunned
Well-Known Member
3's my sweet spot! 
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it's not mine
Well-Known Member
I'm using FFOF. I'll be feeding with Nector for the Gods using their schedule. If you're using fabric pots can you go a little bigger? My 15 gallon pots are probably wayyyyy too big. I may get some 7 gallon pots.
Stunned
Well-Known Member
Have you confirmed how long you want to veg them for?
With a 15G reservoir, you could grow some nice size plants
With a 15G reservoir, you could grow some nice size plants
Indoor “water only” organic soil grower here. Not an expert- I’m a newbie too but I’ve absorbed a couple thousand pages here
On a photoperiod plant with long veg time, I find I’m running out of steam in flower in a 7 gallon air pot. On my next grow I will be using the big 16 gallon air pots.
If it’s an auto-flower plant - start them in the final pot so you don’t stunt her with a transplant.
However if you are growing photoperiod plants, they really benefit from being repotted or upcanned into larger pots. Start with 20 ounce cup. Get seedling going, when the plant is fully rootbound and leaves extend beyond edge of cup and she’s super healthy - upcan to a 1 gallon. Run the same steps again, get her rootbound & super healthy in the 1 gallon container for 3 to 4 weeks, you want her so so that she needs water every day. On the last upcan go to the biggest final container you’ve got 5 gallons is the minimum but 10 or 15 gallons would be better. At last upcan score the rootball lightly with a knife 3 or 4 times on the sides, this signals the plant to take over the new environment. Scoring the rootball is an old plant nursery trick and it works well
Always transplant from a position of strength, never transplant a weak plant. Never water a wet plant.
Here’s why - our plants build roots in veg cycle but once flipped to flower the root growth slows or stops, then the plant begins to use up those roots you’ve built to support the flower cycle. Bigger roots = bigger fruits.
Also exploit the wet dry cycle in veg. Once you’ve got a healthy seedling with 5 nodes or pairs of leaves..... let her go dry. Wait until leaves droop or wilt down slightly. Then water her good and don’t water again until her leaves droop down again. You should not just water every 2 days cuz you think she needs it. Now I’m talking indoors because outdoors the sun can kill her. By exploiting the wet dry cycle - the fine root hairs go searching for water which makes roots grow. Again bigger roots = bigger fruits. In veg do wet dry cycle, in flower keep them moist.
If you focus on building a giant rootball, that rootball will grow some fine bud for you!
On a photoperiod plant with long veg time, I find I’m running out of steam in flower in a 7 gallon air pot. On my next grow I will be using the big 16 gallon air pots.
If it’s an auto-flower plant - start them in the final pot so you don’t stunt her with a transplant.
However if you are growing photoperiod plants, they really benefit from being repotted or upcanned into larger pots. Start with 20 ounce cup. Get seedling going, when the plant is fully rootbound and leaves extend beyond edge of cup and she’s super healthy - upcan to a 1 gallon. Run the same steps again, get her rootbound & super healthy in the 1 gallon container for 3 to 4 weeks, you want her so so that she needs water every day. On the last upcan go to the biggest final container you’ve got 5 gallons is the minimum but 10 or 15 gallons would be better. At last upcan score the rootball lightly with a knife 3 or 4 times on the sides, this signals the plant to take over the new environment. Scoring the rootball is an old plant nursery trick and it works well
Always transplant from a position of strength, never transplant a weak plant. Never water a wet plant.
Here’s why - our plants build roots in veg cycle but once flipped to flower the root growth slows or stops, then the plant begins to use up those roots you’ve built to support the flower cycle. Bigger roots = bigger fruits.
Also exploit the wet dry cycle in veg. Once you’ve got a healthy seedling with 5 nodes or pairs of leaves..... let her go dry. Wait until leaves droop or wilt down slightly. Then water her good and don’t water again until her leaves droop down again. You should not just water every 2 days cuz you think she needs it. Now I’m talking indoors because outdoors the sun can kill her. By exploiting the wet dry cycle - the fine root hairs go searching for water which makes roots grow. Again bigger roots = bigger fruits. In veg do wet dry cycle, in flower keep them moist.
If you focus on building a giant rootball, that rootball will grow some fine bud for you!
Well, let's see... The volume of Terra is approximately 260,000,000,000 cubic miles - and people grow cannabis in that. So I'm guessing that you're fine.
I am using 4 15 gallon fabric pots in a 4x4 tent. Seems to be working out ok so far for me.
NorthernCosmos
Well-Known Member
You'll ned a 286,290,458,000,000,000,000,000 gallon fabric pot for that though.
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it's not mine
Well-Known Member
Thanks, all. I should add that I'm growing autos. 1 GG4, 1 White Widow, and 1 Cream. I will be growing them outdoors in fabric pots.
Last year I did my autos in 7 gallon outdoors and they seemed not too bad but the bugs LOVED them....
My indoor autos are in 1 gallon due to space restrictions and are doing great, I put in 1/2 supersoil at bottom of container and packed it in, I topped them around day 23 and did some LST ....so basically broke all the rules for autos lol
If I were to do another group outside I’d likely try 3 gallon. I start in 3” peat pot and transplant after 1 week.
My indoor autos are in 1 gallon due to space restrictions and are doing great, I put in 1/2 supersoil at bottom of container and packed it in, I topped them around day 23 and did some LST ....so basically broke all the rules for autos lol
If I were to do another group outside I’d likely try 3 gallon. I start in 3” peat pot and transplant after 1 week.
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- #12
it's not mine
Well-Known Member
So, if you had a choice would you go with 15 gallon fabric pots or 7?
I’m indoors in plastic airpots with holes but a soil grower and have fungus gnats. I’m trying a deal by lining the bottom of container with landscape cloth and filling with dirt but the landscape cloth was cut long so I overlap it and cover the soil and tuck it around the plant stem. Trying to keep the critters out of the soil.
Also for bugs on your next batch of plants shave down a mosquito dunk and add that to top 2 inches of soil and use BT bacillus thuringiensis.
I grow photoperiod so the bigger the bucket - the better. I’ve done a couple of autos but not a lot.
I would think the 7 gallon would be fine for autos.
Also for bugs on your next batch of plants shave down a mosquito dunk and add that to top 2 inches of soil and use BT bacillus thuringiensis.
I grow photoperiod so the bigger the bucket - the better. I’ve done a couple of autos but not a lot.
I would think the 7 gallon would be fine for autos.
Bush Doctor 77
Well-Known Member
15 gallon pots for 4 plants in a 4X4' SCROG with photos would kick butt, but don't need big pots for autos I've read. I use Mama Earth mostly outdoors, and 7 gallon bags for each 2X2' of SCROG and photos indoors. Got 2 freebee auto Strawberry Shortcake outdoors in 2 gallon plastic pots right now taking in the height of daylight hours. Just bent them over this morning. My first autos ever.
Head1982
Well-Known Member
Jorge Cervantes in a video one time was saying his rule of thumb was 1 gallon for every month the plant will live in the pot. Not sure if that helps. I do 3 or 4 gallon pots inside, depending on how many plants I will have.
mumps
Well-Known Member
I went with 7 gallons because in moving the pots for watering and i wouldnt be able to move watered 15gals pots since im not the rock.
I grow photos mostly so 5 gallons is nothing to a photoperiod plant. So 5 is probably right for an auto but he had 7’s & 15’s but yeah 15 would be overkill on auto
MickFoster
Well-Known Member
Nunyabiz
Well-Known Member
No such thing as too large a pot.
That's like saying you make too much money.
That's like saying you make too much money.
Thanks for that MickFoster - will do!
Thanks Nunya, i stand corrected. I’ve read your work around and I’m into your soil full of critters, neat video on a well tuned garden
Thanks Nunya, i stand corrected. I’ve read your work around and I’m into your soil full of critters, neat video on a well tuned garden
