H
Huckster79
So I just started last two rounds using 20 gallons containers, indoor. I drill the hell out of em with a 3/4 inch bit and line them with weed block fabric so its a homade air/smart pot type combo... Upon removing the root mass from the last harvest, I was disappointed at the size of it.. I vegged a long time, lost track exactly but it was a solid 8 weeks if not 12 from clone, they ended up like 3x6 rectangular canopy viewed from above so not a tiny plant. I use promix HP with microhaze (spelling off I know). besides the main root ball that would have easily fit in a 5 gallon bucket, there where only a few small roots going all the way down or all the way to the sides. Therefore Im wasting tons of nutes watering these big containers that aren't root filled....
I searched for articles on web, all that appeared to be articles where just basically articles written as advertisements for a certain brand or another of root booster. My guess is its not that simple..... I used Heavy 16 roots on the last run. Besides vegging even longer, what are the tricks to fill up that whole container with strong happy roots? searched the forums too and only found threads on root diseases and problems.
Lighter soil mix? add more perlite to the pro-mix? step them up container size more slowly? I did quart size then a 2 or 3 gallon bucket, then to the 20 gallon, would some more time in a 5 or 7 gallon pot till its full of roots then move up help?
My fear is with the big container, and it being air/smart pot style, that that outer ring and bottom are getting too dry in between waterings thus any tiny root growth into them is killed by desert dry soil on outside while the center of container is still nice and moist. I pushed envelope on overwatering on the run before the last trying to prevent this but ended up with some light overwater symptoms....
I really like the idea of a few Big plants in my little grow area 6x6. But if I can't fill these containers with roots will go back to 5-7 gallon containers and same size canopy...
I searched for articles on web, all that appeared to be articles where just basically articles written as advertisements for a certain brand or another of root booster. My guess is its not that simple..... I used Heavy 16 roots on the last run. Besides vegging even longer, what are the tricks to fill up that whole container with strong happy roots? searched the forums too and only found threads on root diseases and problems.
Lighter soil mix? add more perlite to the pro-mix? step them up container size more slowly? I did quart size then a 2 or 3 gallon bucket, then to the 20 gallon, would some more time in a 5 or 7 gallon pot till its full of roots then move up help?
My fear is with the big container, and it being air/smart pot style, that that outer ring and bottom are getting too dry in between waterings thus any tiny root growth into them is killed by desert dry soil on outside while the center of container is still nice and moist. I pushed envelope on overwatering on the run before the last trying to prevent this but ended up with some light overwater symptoms....
I really like the idea of a few Big plants in my little grow area 6x6. But if I can't fill these containers with roots will go back to 5-7 gallon containers and same size canopy...