Pot/bucket sizes. What do you use?

Quote:

Originally Posted by bingotoad

Im curious as to what size pots people use for indoor growing. The plants I have vegging right now were clones that first got put in a red dixie cup, then moved to a 1 gallon pot for about 2 weeks. Then about a week ago i transplanted them to 3 gallon pots. So im thining in about 2 weeks ill transplant them again. I want this to be my last transplant, so should I do 5 gallon buckets or go bigger?

There is so much misinformation in this thread it's hard to know where to start. First off, you are transplanting too often although it's difficult to tell the intervals between transplants, so perhaps not if you are growing monsters. If you started in a party cup for 2 weeks, then went to a 1 gallon for a 3 - 4 weeks, then to 3 gallon for another 3 - 4 weeks and then into a 5 gallon for 6 - 8 weeks of flower... well OK. But I don't think that is what you are doing. Someone mentioned 1 gallon / foot of plant. Ding ding ding. That is a good rule to run with although with the right care, the right soil and strain dependent you can easily support 5 feet in a 3 gallon pot.

Here is how your schedule will maximize canopy. Start in a 1/2 filled party cup for ~2 weeks, then on to 1 gallon for 3 - 6 weeks and then into the final pot. If you flip straight to flower at this point then 3 gallons will probably do fine. If you are vegging a monster then go for the five gallon, veg a bit longer and then flip to flower... Most indoor grows will be fine with a 3 gallon pot.

Here are some issues to consider. There are a number of reasons up-pot. For starters, properly timing transplants maximizes canopy development. The roots will grow until the reach a boundary. At this point the plant will focus root growth inward filling the voids as it seeks out nutrients and more water. At the same time the plant turns its attention to building the canopy above ground. That is why your plants appear to stall when you put them in a bigger pot. The roots grow out first and then the canopy follows - roots support canopy growth not the other way around. Another important reason to up-pot is to provide fresh pH buffer (and nutes if you are using per-fertilized soil like FFOF). As the roots fill the pot the pH buffer is depleted leading to pH problems.

Up-potting too often or into pots that are too big and the roots will just stretch and stretch at the expense of the canopy (not our goal to grow big roots...). Your plants will still grow but you will not be maximizing canopy development. In fact, at each stage of development you want to restrict root growth at just the right time so that the plant focuses energy above ground. Yield is not just about lumens / light intensity. That is why a scrog will out perform and regular grow every time, everything else being equal. It's about maximizing the canopy.

There is a sticky on this subject under basic grow information...