Pot,no pot? Tomato to-mato?

Hey all! Looking to run 3 possibly 4 plants outdoors this year and had been strictly an indoor grower before now I’m curious as to what the benefits are to planting straight into the ground or in fabric pots above ground or partially in ground. Here’s the details. Regardless of pot or no pot I’ve mixed my own supersoil and is currently cooking based off KIS Organics/Clackamas coots recommendations 1/3peat 1/3compost/earthworm castings 1/3 aeration neem,kelp,crustacean yada yada yada (im sure we’re all familiar). I’m working with a 12’ x 8’ privacy fenced in area with an open top. being outdoors I know I can expect to see growth like I’ve never seen indoors and givin the sq ft if all were potted in ground I’m sure things could get tight. I have a pre98 x white rhino a mk ultra x kosher kush. And 2 hashplant s1’s that I’m looking at for my outdoor run. Looking to experienced outdoor growers for any advice on spacing. Is 4 to many? should I run two in ground and 2 above in say 20 gallon pots? Is 4 in the ground pushing it? Or would it be beneficial to run them all above ground in pots? Initially I wanted to lean towards all in ground in turn saving the extra height space for growing vegetation rather than pot height but worried they will grow to much to close for the area leaving little breathing room. Obviously I’m looking to harvest as much as possible(that’s the goal next to quality right? Lol). Any pointers would be a blessing thanks in advance everyone

I like having them in pots, because it gives me more flexibility during the last 1/3 of flowering, AKA grow-rip season.

Then I can move them into the garage, if need be.

St. Phatty said:

I like having them in pots, because it gives me more flexibility during the last 1/3 of flowering, AKA grow-rip season.

Then I can move them into the garage, if need be.

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That’s a pretty good point! Too big of a plant won’t fit through the door of my shed though haha.. but I do like the idea of being able to move around if need be, what’s a good size pot that isn’t overkill but is decent enough to hold moisture etc with straw covering? I have some fabric 10 gallons but I’m thinking that’s rather small for the potential of the plants outdoors leaning around 25-35 gallon

The bigger the pot the less you will be inclined to move it. if it is mobile then when you decide to flip it into flower you can do that. Outside, you may have to resort to tarps.

grayeyes said:

The bigger the pot the less you will be inclined to move it. if it is mobile then when you decide to flip it into flower you can do that. Outside, you may have to resort to tarps.

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Oh I’m not going to manipulate the cycle just going to let nature take its course we’ve been pretty good here the past few years with 65 70 degree weather into Late October hit and miss so being 7 and 8 week strains I should be golden. But for moving I like the idea if I need to slide over here or there depending on size and width of each as they grow, will also have back up tarps in hand for extreme weather etc

I've done both, but prefer the above ground bags for the options they provide

Yeah I’ve decided I’m going to run the bags for sure for reasons like tonight lol thunderstorms moving in lol

I did an outdoor grow about that size in '99. After I yanked the boys I think I had 7-8 ladies left. The final yield was a tad over 13 pounds.

I wouldn't use the net pots. I prefer going straight into the ground. My main reason is that non local soil can really attract pests. Plants grown in local soil have the protection from local indigenous micro organisms. A plant grown in non local soil probably sticks out like a sore thumb if you're a bug. I always imagine a group of hungry insects flying above. One turns to the other and says, "look at that plant right down there! It's a totally different color than everything else, lets fly down and see if it tastes good!"

The biggest issues with outdoor is weather, pests and thieves. It rains a lot in the summer here, so drainage is an issue, and so is mold. And the giant fucking grasshoppers that eat everything. And the thieves that can't even wait for the plant to mature.

I can manage a few in the backyard in containers, but I can't deal with trying to find a safe patch, pests, thieves, transport etc. But I live in a draconian state, so it is what it is.

WelderDan said:

The biggest issues with outdoor is weather, pests and thieves. It rains a lot in the summer here, so drainage is an issue, and so is mold. And the giant fucking grasshoppers that eat everything. And the thieves that can't even wait for the plant to mature.

I can manage a few in the backyard in containers, but I can't deal with trying to find a safe patch, pests, thieves, transport etc. But I live in a draconian state, so it is what it is.

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Yikes! I don’t think I’ll have to big of an issue with pests knock on wood I’ve planted a lot of companion plants around the yard for predators and also mints rosemaries basils etc that prevent them, also use neem meals in my soil and spray my biggest concern will be weather I’m hoping “knock on wood. Hopefully you can pull some off without the usual pains