Log in

View Full Version : Stay 3 gallon or go 5?



OregonsDank
11-08-2006, 01:01 AM
I am about to put my plants into budding since 1 of my 6 is almost 20 inches tall. Some are only 12 inches, all different strains so hard to time when to bud them :x.

All of the pots have to be near root bound or filled, very very thick stalks even on the 10 inch plant, maybe 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch stalks. Im growing in sunshine mix #4. My plan was to just stay in 3 gallon pots thru my first grow so I can pick a mother to clone off of sooner.

Would I be wasting my first grow on these 6 plants if I kept them all in 3 gallon pots?

I have a 6x6x6 room with 2000 watts, hps/mh


Who would keep them in 3 for a sooner harvest? Or who would go for the 5 gallon for a bigger yield? Ps, I only have a 6x6x6 or 7 foot room to do this in, white floors / walls and celling. So I dont want them to get tooo big :P

BlueBear
11-08-2006, 01:15 AM
1 FT of plant growth per gallon is a good rule of thumb, and it sounds like you will flip them pretty soon, so in that case I would keep them in the 3 gallons, but someone else may differ. The thing is, a bigger pot that your roots may not come close to filling up may be to big and stunt growth a little as well. Roots in dirt kind of like to huddle together and when they have allot of room in soil they can consentrate so much energey to making that bunched up root ball that it takes away from some of the energey that it can focus above the soil to the top.
I no a fellow that gets better yields in 2 gallons than 3 with 3 weeks veg and a dialed in strain he pulls 2 OZ's from every plant, but when he used the 3 gallon it just didn't click the same way, so bigger is not always better.
Adieu

Garden Knowm
11-08-2006, 07:55 AM
if you have 2000 watts and only 6 plants... you should definitley put them in 5 gallon containers.. you have the room..

BIGGGER roots..biggggger buds..

iloveyou

stinkyattic
11-08-2006, 03:16 PM
If they are already root-bound they need to be repotted to a bigger container.

MegaOctane12
11-08-2006, 03:31 PM
I am about to put my plants into budding since 1 of my 6 is almost 20 inches tall. Some are only 12 inches, all different strains so hard to time when to bud them :x.

All of the pots have to be near root bound or filled, very very thick stalks even on the 10 inch plant, maybe 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch stalks. Im growing in sunshine mix #4. My plan was to just stay in 3 gallon pots thru my first grow so I can pick a mother to clone off of sooner.

Would I be wasting my first grow on these 6 plants if I kept them all in 3 gallon pots?

I have a 6x6x6 room with 2000 watts, hps/mh


Who would keep them in 3 for a sooner harvest? Or who would go for the 5 gallon for a bigger yield? Ps, I only have a 6x6x6 or 7 foot room to do this in, white floors / walls and celling. So I dont want them to get tooo big :P


Cool, like someone posted, its generally One foot of plant grow for every gallon of medium. You have precisely 11.3562354 litres of soil there AKA 3 gallons. You have under 2 feet of plant maximum. Repot them. Out of interest are you using two 1000watters or a combination of 600/400

OregonsDank
11-08-2006, 04:55 PM
I just set up my bloom room last night, I have 1 hood with a 1000 watt MH and a 1000 watt HPS in it. Running 70 watts per square.


I know not as efficient and all but the ballasts and bulbs / hood were purchased when I was even more new to this :(.

The brightness is insane though, and the ballasts / hood stay real cool.
Room is 70 - 75 degrees and 45% humidity.


Havnt noticed any problems at all with both bulbs in the same hood, I was worried at first. But I run a 1500 CFM attic fan with 16 inch ducting, also passive air in thru 2 12 inch filtered fresh air ports.

MegaOctane12
11-08-2006, 06:26 PM
I just set up my bloom room last night, I have 1 hood with a 1000 watt MH and a 1000 watt HPS in it. Running 70 watts per square.


I know not as efficient and all but the ballasts and bulbs / hood were purchased when I was even more new to this :(.

The brightness is insane though, and the ballasts / hood stay real cool.
Room is 70 - 75 degrees and 45% humidity.


Havnt noticed any problems at all with both bulbs in the same hood, I was worried at first. But I run a 1500 CFM attic fan with 16 inch ducting, also passive air in thru 2 12 inch filtered fresh air ports.

OK cool, I was interested to know because 1000watters provide approx 140,000 lumens which divide by half every 12inches or so. So if you have both those bulbs eminating from the same source (h00d), it is much less efficient than using more bulbs in conjunction because they will generate more light and cover a greater area compared to just the one housing the two bulbs. What angle is the hood at, is it a closed angle type or open ended hood?

BlueBear
11-09-2006, 02:05 AM
I spaced out the fact that you said that the roots are almost filling up the pots, so like GK and Stinky said go with the 5 Gal. When you transfer, let us no if they were getting root bound and what color the roots were.
Adieu

OregonsDank
11-12-2006, 05:30 AM
Transplanted 1 of them into 5 gallon, many many roots, held the bottom 2 inches of hydrocot clay stones in place. Roots where very white from what I could see.

Garden Knowm
11-12-2006, 06:23 AM
white roots.. YEEEEEE HAAA!!! makes you feel all warm inside

lovelovelove

OregonsDank
11-12-2006, 08:31 PM
Ty for the replies, yah roots on the NL look great, this plant is going to end up being like 4 feet @@ Glad I have plenty of room if needed!

Garden Knowm
11-15-2006, 03:43 AM
4 feet.... hmmm.. 5 gallon conatiner... LOL

: )

PoolShark1321
11-15-2006, 04:32 AM
what if you want to keep your plant at like 2ft-3ft tall does it matter what size pot you grow in?

Garden Knowm
11-15-2006, 06:21 AM
I always recommend at least 3 gallon containers.. although I have used 1 gallon containers many many times.... If you have the space, there is NO reason to use any containers smaller than 3 gallons.. unless you are flowering clones at a very very young age.. barley rooted!!

: )

lovelovelove

Racerx
11-16-2006, 12:24 AM
I always recommend at least 3 gallon containers.. although I have used 1 gallon containers many many times.... If you have the space, there is NO reason to use any containers smaller than 3 gallons.. unless you are flowering clones at a very very young age.. barley rooted!!

: )

lovelovelove

3 gallon square pots. I swear I put over 4 gallons of crap in there and the soil level still drops to a couple inches below the lip. They are expensive ($2.15-$3 a piece), but they are INCREDIBLY strong, last forever, and allow you to pack that many more plants. I run 30 of these in a 5x5 closet with 2 600 digitals. From very established clones (meaning roots pouring out the rockwool), I veg for 3 weeks under T5 HO fluros and a 400 watt HPS (I find no difference in growth between the 2 different lights). 1 pound of each light is easy. They grow to around 3 feet (some higher). In the beginning they only need to be watered every 5-6 days. At the end, they require water every 2 days which can be a real pain in the ass. With 1 gallons it is expected and easier to deal with (plants are smaller).

If space is really not a concern, you really cannot go wrong with another 2 gallons of dirt, just remember to not transplant to early; you need roots to take the moisture out of the soil or it can sit wet for to long depending on your conditions, etc. However I do well over 3.5 foot plants (well over 4 feet from the ground) in 3 gallon squares with no rootbound tendencies. They do need to be staked the last few weeks.

Garden Knowm
11-16-2006, 06:07 AM
They do need to be staked the last few weeks.

long limbed fatties... : )