Up-potting: Is it really necessary?

[Scottsquatch]

As I geared up for my 1st grow last Dec and Jan, I did a LOT (an exhaustive amount really) of research. One thing that seemed very legit was the need for using smaller pots and upsizing as the plants grew. It was stated that it stimulates root growth using this method. The plant will only grow as big as healthy roots will allow it to grow right? Well my current plants are about to be flipped so in addition to cutting some clones, I dropped a few seeds. They are doing very well at a bit over a month old. The thing that blows me away though is how much faster they are growing in their final "big girl" pots. They went from solo cups right to 7 gallon fabric pots. Granted they are different strains, but the new plants are growing three times as fast as the first plants that underwent the up-potting routine. Who else notices faster growth without the shock of up potting? I would like to hear many examples for both ways of growing. Thanks.

 

[TorturedSoul]

Because they're different strains, it's not a valid comparison. Two different strains can - and often do - have COMPLETELY different growth patterns. Even two markedly dissimilar phenotypes from the same strain can.

Try repeating your experiment with sets of clones from the same mother plant, that'll tell you. Probably should go with at least four or five, to allow for any inadvertent stress that might occur from transplanting. Not that that's always a thing - but it can be.

Other than that, no, up-potting isn't required. You can grow a cannabis plant from start to finish in an 18-ounce Solo cup. Or a shot glass sized one. You'll just get a small harvest (per plant).

 

[Nunyabiz]

I always plant a germinated seed directly into my 25 gallon pots.
Absolutely zero need to keep transplanting, IMO it's only good for if you grow only with regular seeds and you need to weed out the males.

 

[Scottsquatch]

TS, yeah I mentioned that about the different strains and wondered if that was the deal. To be fair, the original 9 consist of 6 strains ( i think two are indica dominant) where the three new plants are two different strains (very indica dom). Funny that the two different indica looking plants in the original nine are the smallest plants and the 3 new indicas (two Alaskan purple from Seedsman and one bagseed from an awesome indica I got last March) are growing at an insane speed and are about to pass up the other two indicas that are 3 months old. One thing for sure though. Now that I know a bit more about what I'm doing, these plants are responding to my care much better than the first batch. I guess there are just too many variables at this point to really make a good argument for or against up potting. Perhaps I'll try the clone experiment after I get a few more grows in. Thanks TS.

 

[fanleaf]

Only up pot if you need help watering correctly. Some people have a very hard time watering tiny plants in a huge container correctly. If you can water right and keep em healthy then forget transplanting altogether.

My TLO grow active now is the first cycle I've done any transplanting in quite a while and I did it just to follow directions. It reminds me of how bad I hate it and how useless it is IMO.

 

[bobrown14]

Up-potting or not depends on size of your VEG container.

I can grow plants in soil and nothing but water in #4 (4gal) nursery pots thru to flower and chop. I usually use the #4 then up-pot to the 7.5gal pots I use for flower.

Lately I've been testing if I could get the #4 pots to finish without issues and grow seedling to harvest in the #4.

I've done clones of the same plant both ways. Up-potting and straight thru in the #4.

Only difference for me is yield. The smaller pot gives me about 60% yield vs the 7.5gal I up-pot to.

What we see above the soil also has to grow below the soil in mass. So a smaller pot will give you a smaller root system.

I have a limited supply of 7.5gal pots - plus they heavy to lug around. Shit. I think I might just buy some more 7.5gal pots. Change my timer. Thats easier that carrying pots.

This thread rocks.

 

[Scottsquatch]

I really don't have a problem with doing it (up-potting) or not. It's just that when I did my research before starting my grow, most people seemed pretty sure it is the best way to stimulate good root growth. I'm finding that it may not always be the case. At this point I'm neither for or against it. I'm just investigating the topic.

 

[Emilya Green]

I really don't have a problem with doing it (up-potting) or not. It's just that when I did my research before starting my grow, most people seemed pretty sure it is the best way to stimulate good root growth. I'm finding that it may not always be the case. At this point I'm neither for or against it. I'm just investigating the topic.

It takes practice. Not everyone is good at filling up a constricted space with roots and then moving up to the next size to do it again. It takes patience and understanding of the process, and I myself failed at this in several of my containers in my last grow.
One that masters this practice will have as a reward a dense root mass, a true root ball, at each stage, and not the typical in the wild style that results in a good set of top feeder roots, not a lot of mass in the middle, and then dense feeder roots at the bottom and around the sides. Having a true root "ball", one that is dense through and through, makes a huge difference in the final result.
So, to answer the original question... nope.. not necessary. Master gardening techniques are not for everyone and these weeds will adapt to any old growing method given a chance... its what they do. You can put as much or as little effort into this as you wish... there are no rules.

 

[Scottsquatch]

Well i can say that I could have up-potted them earlier both times as far as speed of plant growth is concerned. I think my plants actually became a little stunted because I waited too long to up-pot both times. It took them quite a while to recover both times as well.
So its the shape of the rootball that this up potting technique promotes? Thats good to know. My last seeds were put in a clear solo cup inside of an opaque solo cup. This way, I can slide seedlings out of the outside cup whenever I want to check root growth. So far I noticed they grow dense roots faster than I ever thought they would/could. If only they made clear nursery pots too. NOW THAT would be a great idea. I wish I could start doing that... I'd make a fortune!

 

[Jack420]

Nope

 

[Scottsquatch]

Nope what?

 

[Scottsquatch]

@Emilya . So the shape of the rootball is what's different with this method? Is this why my plants are so thick and bushy and my friend who grows right in his final pots has much more spindly growth? If thats the case, I'll gladly take the time to up-pot and get a great yeid. My plants seem to have many more branches and bud sites than his. Granted, they are different strains, but this seems to run across the board for both of us with all of our plants. So there must be something to it...

 

[fanleaf]

@Emilya . So the shape of the rootball is what's different with this method? Is this why my plants are so thick and bushy and my friend who grows right in his final pots has much more spindly growth? If thats the case, I'll gladly take the time to up-pot and get a great yeid. My plants seem to have many more branches and bud sites than his. Granted, they are different strains, but this seems to run across the board for both of us with all of our plants. So there must be something to it...

Sounds like it could be related to me however even when I start in 7 gallon pots I end up with a rootball I can literally stand on when it comes harvest time.

 

[Emilya Green]

shape and density throughout.... and then there are folks like Fanleaf who just naturally know how to tease out roots.

 

[fanleaf]

I think my pots help. Here is one that came up in a 10 gallon (7.5 actual) from seed. I had to pry the pot apart from the plant haha.

 

[Scottsquatch]

Yeah, i can say my rootballs are extremely large and dense. I'll have to compare the rootballs from the final-pot-size plants to the up-potted plants and see who the winner is there. I bet I already know... Interesting stuff this cannabis. I keep learning new stuff all the time. These plants are great on so many levels.

 

[bobrown14]

most people seemed pretty sure it is the best way to stimulate good root growth.

I'm not sure how up-potting annuals stimulates root growth??

All we really do is risk damaging the roots. You get good enough at it and you can transplant a fairly large VEG or even early flowering plant into a larger container and they wont even skip a beat.

Likely when we see rapid growth after up-pot, the plants are also doing the same thing below the soil line. Just more space to do it in;

Bigger roots bigger shoots

As they say. There's something to it for sure.

 

[bobrown14]

Oh yeah just wanted to add in this to this thread.

There's an oral tradition to "score" the root ball before putting that into the soil.


DONT DO THAT.

How they used to plant small trees when they had a burlap bag wrapped around them.
It was common practice to "score" the bag and set the tree down.

That's different than transplanting a root ball of an annual into a larger pot.

 

[bobrown14]

Yeah, i can say my rootballs are extremely large and dense.

Did you know that if you leave your plants rootball in the soil after chop for say 2 weeks.

The roots turn back into soil.

Try it.

 

[Scottsquatch]

I plan to. I go all organic in a TLO soil. Emilya is kind of my unofficial mentor. Her and the Cali Green guy on you tube were my inspirations. I have taken some from both of them and am adjusting it all into what works best for me.