Pot Size Question

[ML4T]

Hellou. Im on my first grow now and did my research about what where when of growing. I noticed that my plant is growing rly slow (looks healthy). I read that ppl start with small pots and then transplant the seedling after it grows out the pot. I coulnt find a post where it explains why is it like this. So im thinking that maybe my plant is growing slowly because he is from day one in a 35 liter bucket ?! If yes i wonder if after the roots are big enough it will start exploding in growth.

Thx in advance for answers.

 

[ML4T]

It looked like this at day 25

 

[stryers2003]

A little off topic. How can I start a journal

Sent from my SM-G900F using 420

 

[ML4T]

I haven't started my Journal jet so Idk.

 

[Fuzzy Duck]

Ye a little slow for day 25 !

At first i would question light source/type & distance from plants, it is an area which needs checking.


Pot size ah, well 35 liter is pretty big but may depend on how large you wish to grow this plant providing you have suitable head room... more likely a suitable size for an out door grow or just a single plant grown indoors & grown big, but it is a little over kill.


I believe the average pot size used is 10 liter perhaps 15 liter a lot of people would say 5 gallon/25 liter but you can get away with smaller with slightly equal results.


Now in horticultural practise & the method behind potting up from smaller to larger pots is to bring on plant growth to speed things up under ideal conditions


I start with these for germination & not every ones cup of tea but what ever works for you.

I normally wait in till i see roots stick out off the side of the peat/coco coir pucks a week or 2 later & then pot up in to...

Two weeks later i should have suitable root mass for potting up again, this would normally be in to a 6.5 liter air pot if a larger pot was intended i would choice a 1 liter pot before final size pot, once again give it a couple of weeks before potting up.

A few more weeks later i'm ready for flowering... takes me about 8 weeks on average from germination for a bog standard bush type grow with out any really training.

More likely veg plants in till a height of 12 to 18 inches & expected stretch which may occur in the first few weeks of flowering depending on dominate genetics if grown by seed.

 

[TanR]

Hi ML4T,

Welcome to the 420 Magazine communinity of members!

I've heard/read all that "pot size" mumbo, but sincerly doubt all of it. I've always upsized my plants, simply because I'm comfortable doing so and it make watering/fertilizing easier and cheaper. (less nutes used) However, when I think about plants growing in the wild, they have a "pot size" of the whole flippen earth so I tend to think the pot size does not contribute to slower early growth, but is more likely due to challenges/fears we all have of overwatering and/or over fertilizing.

 

[Major PITA]

Hellou. Im on my first grow now and did my research about what where when of growing. I noticed that my plant is growing rly slow (looks healthy). I read that ppl start with small pots and then transplant the seedling after it grows out the pot. I coulnt find a post where it explains why is it like this. So im thinking that maybe my plant is growing slowly because he is from day one in a 35 liter bucket ?! If yes i wonder if after the roots are big enough it will start exploding in growth.

Thx in advance for answers.

There are several reasons to up-pot. Most of us will cull plants that are 1) male, 2) underperforming. Small pots/cups saves time, space and soil.
Roots grow down first to find water. The feeding roots grow outward after that. With a small cup, the roots hit bottom quick and the plant starts growing a root ball. That's what you want. Then it is time to move it to a bigger pot. Big healthy roots make for a big healthy plant and more produce.

A little off topic. How can I start a journal

Go to (top of page) The Grow Room > Grow Journals > Journals in Progress and start a new thread.
Here is a LINK to get you started.

 

[stryers2003]

Nice 1. I think I make have started my first journal. Not sure lol. I posted in journals in progress I believe was the title so we shall see

Sent from my SM-G900F using 420

 

[OlderGrower]

There are several reasons to up-pot. Most of us will cull plants that are 1) male, 2) underperforming. Small pots/cups saves time, space and soil.
Roots grow down first to find water. The feeding roots grow outward after that. With a small cup, the roots hit bottom quick and the plant starts growing a root ball. That's what you want. Then it is time to move it to a bigger pot. Big healthy roots make for a big healthy plant and more produce.


Go to (top of page) The Grow Room > Grow Journals > Journals in Progress and start a new thread.
Here is a LINK to get you started.

Winner winner chicken dinner, the Major nailed it again. When a plant is young and starting out it spends most of its energy developing a root ball. Since your plant is in a much larger container, it is spending its energy filling up the soil with roots, once it has accomplished its goal and has either filled the area with roots such as in a solo cup or spread out and filled a large enough area to sustain itself as in the wild grown outdoors in the ground, then it will start spending more energy on the above ground part of the plant. By up potting you are tricking the plant into thinking it has max'ed out its root capacity and it will start concentrating on the upper part of the plant, once you up pot then the roots can continue to spread out but the upper part of the plant has already been set into motion.
Once your roots stop seeking out more area, expect a burst of growth. Unfortunately every time you water the gal the natural nutrients which are in the soil are being washed away because there are no feeder roots in those area yet. Normally you can get 3 to 4 weeks of nutrients from your soil so you are not having to feed them any, then when you up pot you are adding new soil so now you added more time before you have to start feeding them nutrients. This is where the savings come into play. I have gone all the way through veg with adding no nutrients simply by up potting and adding new soil each time I up pot.

Here is a picture of one of my plants from seed at about 30 days from popping

 

[ML4T]

Big thanks to Fuzzy Duck, Major PITA and OlderGrower. Started my 2nd seed in a small pot and gonna see how that turns out.

See ya in Journals if i will have the time for it.

 

[Grow17]

Since this is the newest replied to thread, I'll ask here.
I'm now entering my 4th grow.
Always start with Solo cups, then transplant to 1 gal smart pots after apx 6 weeks.
Then just before I put them into flower, I transplant to 2 gallon smart pots.
My plants average apx 30" in height @ harvest.
But, none of the roots are even close to coming out the bottom of the pot.
The ones I just cut down {AK48 Clones} had a good 4 inches of room.
Although the entire circumference of the pot was full of roots.
Something I'm doing wrong ?
Reason I'm asking is I would like to keep them in the 1 gallon pots, as it would allow them a couple of inches of vertical growth.
I've tried SCROGing, and it just does not work for me.