tree nursery pots - deep with small diameter

[silouan]

what would be the advantages or disadvantages to growing in a pot say 4" x 4" x 15". i am curious as to the notion of using tree nursery pots in order to be able to pack the plants into a small space, yet with enough cubic inches of dirt for root expansion. would the roots get too little oxygen as the pot is so deep? i grow my plants just until they are rooted and then flower, which, in turn produces about a 12-16" cola. i currently use 1 gallon grow bags with success, but would like to pack in the plants if this idea would work. any ideas or suggestions??

here are the pots i am interested in - http://www.stuewe.com/products/treepots.php

 

[mcfly420]

I think Anti uses something similiar for his vertical grow....

edit: they are only 2.5" x2.5" x10¨
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=207356

 

[TicalionStalion]

they are cool, but I tend to like wide containers over super deep skinnys...but Iv never tried it, so its hard to say. are you going to finish them out in those pots? or use them for starts? I dont like a super deep rootmass when I transplant into final container, unless its also alot deeper. keep us posted if you use them, cool idea.

 

[PorkSword]

3 gallon bathroom trashcans work well for me. plenty of root space and the shape allows for no wasted space.

 

[MrStonerMan]

I was looking around for pots like these when I was planning a SOG grow.. Here are some I found that are two gallon http://www.charleysgreenhouse.com/8685-2-gal-Treepots--6--34-sq--x-16--34-h--12-per-pak---P1980-6-16-.htm

 

[trichrider]

you won't want the tapered ones, straight sides ok. they will stand up, bottom smaller than top, not so much.

 

[silouan]

you guys are much more helpful that rollitup.com - thanks! is there a problem with the root mass on the tapered pots or is the only issue standing them up. my reason for using these pots is that i am only running a 150 currently and would like to see what the potential is for this low wattage. i only grow for personal use. not wanting to make money, just wanting to increase yield in my 24" x 24" space. i could fit 25 plants into my box with this setup and would like to have it giving me 8 plants every month (perpetual harvest). do the plants respond well with the deep pots or am i still looking at issues with them being root bound? keep in mind that i only root the plants then switch to 12/12. i am currently pulling 3/4 oz per plant with them in 1 gallon grow bags, but this limits me to harvesting 3 a month. i realize that my yield will probably drop to 1/2 oz per plant if i use these pots, but at 8 per month that would give me plenty of smoke to get by on.

 

[silouan]

mcfly420 - just checked out the thread! wow man, thanks! this is what i was looking for - very similar idea and with photos too. thanks man!

 

[greenpinky]

Ya they'll work great bud is a deep tapp root plant. In out door I get 6ft taproot on a 5ft plant. Now I think indicas don't go as deep but my sativas love the deep containers

 

[señorsloth]

indoors tap roots aren't necessary, they are for supporting a big huge plant during storms and wind and stuff, they don't take in nutrients like the smaller side roots, i always trim the tap root back when planting my clones, it promotes uniformity. and to pack numbers in with the most roots a grow bed is what you want. i use one 2X3 foot bed, partitioned into 2 (so i can use dif fert concentrations). my soil is just ten inches deep and i plant as close as 9 clones per square foot. i have never had my beds fully root, they grow lush and healthy, they share the same space as the plant next to it. i grow them right up to the edges of my grow beds, with the rapid rooter plug literally touching the sides, they grow exactly the same as the ones in the middle.

i feel like the bed method is best because it provides soooo many benefits, tight spacing, irregular spacing, anything you want is possible, even just one or two larger plants in a big bed, the large amount of space means the bottom soil never dries, and the large surface area means the top dries quick enough that root rot is never a problem. i feel like the best benefit is that the very very large amount of unrestricted soil means the plants are very well buffered, compared to say growing in a solo cup. in a solo cup(just an example don't worry) you have to water everyday, ph can fluctuate several points over just a day or two, nute concentrations, lockout, it all happens quicker the less medium you are growing in. with a big bed, it can take an entire bud season of slight overferting before your plants will show it... beds are as close to nature as possible and i believe the plants like them better than any pot out there.

 

[silouan]

senorsloth - i like this idea as well, but fail to see how i can do a perpetual rotation with a single/double bed of soil. hmmmm. i guess i could make three individual "beds" running 8 plants each. i will think this over as i like the idea. this, however, would also mean that i must either run clones or fem seeds. great food for thought.

 

[señorsloth]

yes there is that, or keep them in dixi cups till they show sex and transplant, as i said it's obviously only my opinion that its best, i have no data to prove it but personally i get my best yields with them. it's hard to do mixed strains in one bed unless they have similar nute needs, and if you want to do perpetual you need a separate bed for each cycle, but that's really not that bad.

i was originally looking for the tallest skinniest pots i could get when i first found bed growing. when you start looking for a gillion 4 inch square pots by 12-16 inches deep, you start to wonder, why bother with all the stress of watering and maintaining a million little pots when you can just take the partitions away, and let them all share space in a nice roomy bed...all the sudden your work is cut by 75%, no more daily watering, ducking watering wands around under the canopy trying to get every pot without getting the leaves wet, and much more buffered against deficiencies and burn... beds do take longer to flush as well though, though it's always good practice to use just enough ferts to keep your plants happy.

 

[greenpinky]

Ya beds are nice for sleeping in, but i like pots cuz I have girls in different flowering times. In a bed ur going to desterbe the roots by putting plants in at different times. But besides that a bed with scorog method would be killer...