Pot size

[ellio187]

So I am trying to decide between having more plants in smaller pots per space or having less plants with large pots n large root space.

I am thinking either a 10x10x1.5 square which is like 3.1 gallons er so Or a 5 gallon square equivalent

Do you think the end size will be greatly effected due to root space?
I am going to use soil (Just Right and added compost tea) and start a sea of green under a 1000w and am trying to decide upon the exact plan.

 

[inquest]

231 cubic inches is equal to one gallon. A very handy equation.

Yes, the end size will be massively affected by root space, and length of veg. Check my VietBlack grow, these girls get HUGE out side, 10+ feet. I was able to keep mine under 3 feet with no training to the plants.... Killed my yield potential tho...

 

[smokefrogg]

i have seen a rare person or 2 that were able to grow monsters in small containers, neither of these people are me, i have done several grows in small tiny planters such as 16oz. beer cups, 22oz. sapporo beer cans, 16oz. beer cups attached to 22oz. beer cans, my yields were bonzai at best

highly recommend giving them space for the roots if you are able to!

p.s. inquest's vietblacks look a heck of a lot happier than mine so maybe listen to him first hehe

 

[Phaeton]

Something I noticed on my grow concerning pot size and plants.
I decided to go SOG with 5" spacing in tiny pots. Got perfect little mini-buds, not what I was after. Got some 41 quart trays and filled it full of clones at the same spacing, buds tripled in size over potted plants.

I'm guessing the smaller pots let the root tips hit the sides early, telling the plant about not enough room, please grow slow.

Plants without the tiny pots thought they each had the whole five gallons to themselves as the roots never reached the edges.

Same number of plants, same clones, same dirt total, same spacing, but each plant grew as if it were alone in the tray.

I just came back from the science section, it seems my method has been researched (for different reasons) and will only work with clones from the same mother. Even same strain seed grown plants will fight each other for space instead of co-operating.
Almost human.

The science forum 'Plants love their kin...' has the rest of the story.

 

[inquest]

Phaeton.... very interesting! I will have to give this a try!! I would imagine that the clones would recognize each others proteins as "self" and would not have an immune system (or any other) response towards one another.

I also am thinking that as long as the pot never got too root bound and there was room to grow for the roots this would minimize any conflict and still allow the roots to "not find an edge". Hmmmmm....... Light bulb!

 

[TGT]

You will not experience much difference in yield when using a 3.5 gallon or a 5 gallon pot. The problem is not the pot size but the amount of oxygen that the roots willl have available to them. With smaller pots you tend to water more often and the roots sometimes suffocate because they are always moist. To get them to go dry once in a while is a lot of work and most people don't want to check in on their plants that often. The larger pots give you more time in between waterings and allow you to have a wet spell, then dry so that the roots get oxygenated. In my opinion for less work, easier to keep healthy and to prevent plants from tipping over, use the larger pots. Just some info I experienced in the past doing tree style in different sized pots. Good luck and hope this helps a tad.

TGT

 

[inquest]

TGT, did you veg your plants out longer in the 5gal vs. the 3.5? Also, how similar were the plants between the two, clones or seeds? Yeah I like a wider pot so they dont tip so easy.