pot size question

Greetings,

I am in week 5 of vegitive growth, my very healthy plants are currently in 2 gallon buckets and growing very fast, they are only 8" to 12" tall but have been LST'ed into bushes and are free to grow vertically now.

My question is: Am I going to be OK in 2 gallon buckets if I put (can't remember the name ) those clay balls used in Hydroponics on top of the soil, so all the soil is used by the roots therefore utilizing the entire bucket space for roots.

Or should I transplant to 5 gallon buckets? this makes me very nervous to attempt this due to all the fragile branches and the main stem being in a horizontal possition plus all the LST stakes holding the stems and branches down. I am afraid of causing majior damage and possible big time shock to my babies. My original plan was 4 week veg then flower. Now it is 5 to 6 week veg and grow trees. I do have alot of vertical space.

One other thing: After compleating LST is it OK to remove the Training hooks when the stem hardens and you have let the plant go vertically or do they still need to be held down?

Any input is welcome
Thanks ahead of time

I'm no experst on LST since I've never touched it...

But as for the container size, I'd say put them in the five gallon buckets. If you have the head space, it'll probably double your yeild in the end. The bigger the container, the bigger the plant. Which means more nutrients and water are being absorbed, which gives you bigger everything and more photosynthesis.

the further the roots can move from the plant, and the easier they cando so, the more fod and energy the uper parts of the plant will be able to receive.

make sure that the soil level is near the top of bucket, b/c you dont want to restrict airflow

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Originally Posted by klondike_bar

the further the roots can move from the plant, and the easier they cando so, the more fod and energy the uper parts of the plant will be able to receive.

make sure that the soil level is near the top of bucket, b/c you dont want to restrict airflow

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:wtf: words were a little confusing.

every foot of plant=1 gallon of bucket :rastasmoke:

never heard that rule...

i meant more space for roots means more surface area than if they ball up
and keep airflow, dont have a 1foot pot haf filled.

yeah yeah. yo dude how old are you? :rastasmoke:

me? 27 why?

im sorry if my typing sucks and i miss letters or misstype by hitting the wrong key if thats what your getting at

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Originally Posted by klondike_bar

me? 27 why?

im sorry if my typing sucks and i miss letters or misstype by hitting the wrong key if thats what your getting at

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im J DubBin :rastasmoke:

I don't know what you 2 are arguing over, but back to the subject!
with these pics you can see my situation. I have pretty much know I have to transplant.
I know the one foot rule but does it apply to this situation in picture 2? also has anyone transplanted with plants lke this? If so how did you do it with out damage?

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Originally Posted by Jerry Garcia 2007

I don't know what you 2 are arguing over, but back to the subject!
with these pics you can see my situation. I have pretty much know I have to transplant.
I know the one foot rule but does it apply to this situation in picture 2? also has anyone transplanted with plants lke this? If so how did you do it with out damage?

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oh dude with the size of those babies they will be fine when u transplant them. they have a pretty thick root system st up under there. :rastasmoke: what lights u using

600w MH and 175 MH. kind of a nice situation I am in, ain't it! for a first serrious indoor grow.

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Originally Posted by Jerry Garcia 2007

600w MH and 175 MH. kind of a nice situation I am in, ain't it! for a first serrious indoor grow.

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i would invest in a high pressure sodium lamp. works great for blooming. a lot better yield with those bulbs. :thumbsup:

I have a digital ballast and hps bulbs they are still under 24/0 veg cycle

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Originally Posted by Jerry Garcia 2007

I have a digital ballast and hps bulbs they are still under 24/0 veg cycle

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:greenthumb:

Dude, healthy plants you have there. With 5 Gals those things are going to be monsters. Depending on strain, you'll probably get tight for space later in flower.

Should be fine transplanting... are you using a fan on the plants to help the stems stay strong?

If you transplant and switch the photoperiod to 12/12 (if you haven't already) they won't get too big for you. Many strains virtually stop growing upward once the photoperiod is changed.

And the rule for pot size is a gallon for every month the plant is old.

According to Jorge Cervantes.... that's the rule.

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Originally Posted by Jerry Garcia 2007

I have a digital ballast and hps bulbs they are still under 24/0 veg cycle

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Jerry,
You could cut that light back to 18 per day while vegging... It would have slowed the growth,or that need to transplant out of a five gallon bucket...:thumbsup:

Ga Grown!

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Originally Posted by jon.hatcher

If you transplant and switch the photoperiod to 12/12 (if you haven't already) they won't get too big for you. Many strains virtually stop growing upward once the photoperiod is changed.

And the rule for pot size is a gallon for every month the plant is old.

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Jon,I have to disaggree with the stop growing upward. I have Jack Herrer growing now and that sativa is a light HOG! The roots will cease to grow but not stop feeding the foliage.That in turn will keep the plant on an upward life.!:thumbsup:

Ga Grown!

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Originally Posted by jon.hatcher

And the rule for pot size is a gallon for every month the plant is old.
...,.
According to Jorge Cervantes.... that's the rule.

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Yeah, consider the source. :wtf:
That's a terrible rule, since plants grow at different rates depending on strain, lighting, stresses, ferts, etc.
One gallon per foot of main stem allows adequate root mass to support the foliage.
To transplant a large plant with minimal damage, allow the soil to dry out pretty badly, so it kinda shrinks up a bit. Then you should be able to slide the whole root ball out of the pot without the added weight of the moisture causing it to crumble under its own weight. Those plants can stay in those pots a little longer- wait until you are ready to go to 12/12 and go up to a larger pot, or start flowering now and watch for signs that they are getting root-bound. It is also easier to transplant a slightly root-bound plant, as the roots support each other and the soil during the switch.

I concur w/Stinky ... Cervantes spouts plenty of errors along with the facts, there are much better Grow Guides out there ... anything by Mel Frank is the best, IMHO ... his collaborations with Ed Rosenthal are legendary (but Mel was the real 'brains' in growing, Ed is more of the 'spokesman/publicist' partner) ... you can download FREE copies of their guides, etc. from here: GrowMoreWeed.com - Guides to growing cannabis weed marijuana
whenever you see a discrepancy between Mel's 'way of doing things', and Cervantes', go with Mel ... :jointsmile:

I'm saying a gallon a month is just a safe bet. You would never run out of room with that rule. And Cervantes may be a crackpot burnout, but he still knows a lot about growing...

And as for the not growing anymore once you change the photoperiod, a pure sativa will keep growing upwards. But if you have more than 30% indica in your blend, you're not going to see dramatic change growing up after a 12/12 switch.

Sorry for the confusion...

Thank you Stinky and Imagereaper, I just got enough 5 gallon buckets today,

just to add a little more info today is the end of week 6, when I look at the bottom of the buckets I do have roots just starting to come out the holes. So is that telling me it is full and time to transplant?

Also is it better to transplant before flowering, or after, or does it matter.

After reading your posts I need to wait till tomarrow if I do anything , soil is to moist.

And at six weeks should I flower now or do I have a little more time.

Jerry - before you transplant, drill some holes in the sides of your new buckets near the bottom, as well as the bottom. The rim on the bottom of those kind of buckets tends to trap the water under the bucket.

Nice looking plants!

PC :smokin:

another option ( and what I did) was use the quickquete concrete stuff and make the edge of the bottom of the bucket rounded. It works and keeps your roots from molding. It doesn't take much of a slope at all, it pretty much just looks like a big bead of smoothed concrete aroung the rim on the inside. Then drill holes in the bottom.

But concrete is shitty to work with...

I always drill large holes (1/2" or more) in the sides of pails.
You can transplant at any time as long as you minimize damage to the root ball.
I typically transplant for the last time after the flowering stretch is mostly over, so at hte end of week 2. This lets me gauge appropriate finishing pot size.

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Originally Posted by jon.hatcher

another option ( and what I did) was use the quickquete concrete stuff and make the edge of the bottom of the bucket rounded. It works and keeps your roots from molding. It doesn't take much of a slope at all, it pretty much just looks like a big bead of smoothed concrete aroung the rim on the inside. Then drill holes in the bottom.

But concrete is shitty to work with...

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Damn, Jon, you're a glutton for punishment, aren't you? :D

What want to know is where you buy a 1/2" finishing trowel???

PC :smokin:

I always thought Jack Herrer was a heavy Indica and not a sativa

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Originally Posted by Dillerdoo

I always thought Jack Herrer was a heavy Indica and not a sativa

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Jack Herrer has way more sativa than indica or afgahan.You will know it's sativa dominant when you smoke it!!!!!!!! It has a narcotic high! It will couch lock your ass! Some BAD ASS SMOKE! This is my 4th grow with Jack Herrer.

Ga Grown!:stoned:

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Jack Herrer has way more sativa than indica or afgahan.You will know it's sativa dominant when you smoke it!!!!!!!! It has a narcotic high! It will couch lock your ass!

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Not trying to be a jerk,but arent those indica dominant qualities??Take care,be well,and most of all be safe.

the original Jack Herer is a 50/50 Haze x Red Skunk hybrid ... it is known for a very UP high, very little body stone ... Sativas are predominantly cerebral highs, and Indicas are typically couchlock body stone type effects ... hybridizing can change this around, as well as plant/trichome maturity affecting the results ... that's the basics ... :smokin:

stinkys transplant ideas were good. i would bet they were good and rootbound when/if you did it. yes its ok to remove the ties when the plants have a shape to them they will stay that way. if it is a fast grower it might crack branches if you dont loosten them.

Hey, I don't think the quik crete idea will happen, but how do you all keep the buckets up so that the water drains and air can get in through the bottom? Most flower pots have those trays that catch the water and hold the pot up. How do you do this with a 5 gallon bucket?:stoned:

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Originally Posted by 8182KSKUSH

Hey, I don't think the quik crete idea will happen, but how do you all keep the buckets up so that the water drains and air can get in through the bottom? Most flower pots have those trays that catch the water and hold the pot up. How do you do this with a 5 gallon bucket?:stoned:

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Either plastic coke bottle flats from the grocery, or use a couple of bricks.

What i do is just find something that i can prop underneath, sometimes on each side or if im feeling lazy ill just slightly prop up one side thats closest to the fan :thumbsup: