Pot/bucket sizes. What do you use?

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? I have some plants flowering right now in 5 gallon buckets, but I think I could yeild more if i used a bigger pot. So, what size do you use, and what is your average yield?

My flowering plants in the 5 gallon buckets right now are done in about a week. and look like they are going to yield 2.5-4 ounces.

I've grown plants outside in 5 gallon buckets that would have been too big for an indoor grow! Largest plant was about 8 foot tall.

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Originally Posted by bingotoad

but I think I could yeild more if i used a bigger pot.

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Common misconception....

Your plants won't simply yield more because of the soil volume available.... Veg time, light intensity, nutrients and amount of love given will determine yield....

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Originally Posted by bingotoad

Im curious as to what size pots people use for indoor growing.
So, what size do you use, and what is your average yield?

My flowering plants in the 5 gallon buckets right now are done in about a week. and look like they are going to yield 2.5-4 ounces.

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I used to finish in 5 gallon pots, I've since followed a friends lead and downsized. Nowadays I go from 16 oz cup to a 1/2 gallon, then to a 2 gallon to finish.
Yield is unchanged from the 5 gallon, growing the strain Critical+ from cuttings. I use the Fox Farm nutrient line. The thing that I think helps the most is using their Sledgehammer rinse every few weeks to keep the salts from building up in the soil. Also the Big Bloom helps to keep the buffers from fading too rapidly as it contains ground shells which complement the buffers in most commercial soil mixes. I flower for 10 weeks and the soil pH holds out for the duration of flowering. Thought for sure there would be pH issues running that long in a 2 gallon, but it's working well. The Critical + is yielding right around 4 oz each, with the added benefit of being able to fit MORE plants under the light. :thumbsup: The 2 gallon pots are a lot easier to handle for me too!

The smaller the pot the more attention you have to give to the plants though, larger pots are a lot more forgiving I think.

I find giving the plant about 1 gallon of soil for every foot is good. Like giving a 3ft plant a 3 gallon pot. More info on soil and pots. Like CanGroIt said a larger pot won't give you a higher yield, but if the pot is too small for the roots it will stunt the plant's growth.

Dang you can skip alot of those steps next time. so get a 5 gallon. thats the biggest you want to go. your yeild comes from your light not your pot size. the rule of thumb is 1 pound per 1000 watt bulb. you can have 50 plants and one 1000 watt or 4 plants and one 1000 watt it wont be much more then a pound either way you go. the light only gives so many lumins.

Not sure about that one. Got a homie who did an experament... One thousand watt light, four plants in five gallon buckets. The other one was a thousand watt with four plants in ten gallon pots. He got a (apprx.) ounce and a half almost more yeild with the bigger pots. It just depends on what your comfortable with, you might not have all that room or whatever. Personally id go with five or seven gallon buckets, just because I like to focus on the quality of my.meds, don't get me wrong though quantity is nice too... ;) either way good luck to ya!

I'm not surprised. If the root system is unrestricted then the plant will grow better. If the roots are locked in by a small pot then growth will slow down.

Obviously there is a limit to getting a noticeable difference though. A 3ft plant will probably grow just as well in a 10 gallon bucket as a 15 gallon bucket.

5 gallon pots for sure, definietly do not want to suffocate the root system, will lead too poor yields. if u can try to find a smart pot to throw in the 5 gallon bucket

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Originally Posted by ogganjagrower

if u can try to find a smart pot to throw in the 5 gallon bucket

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Just wondering your thought process on this one.... What would be the benefit of placing a smart pot in a 5gal bucket??? Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of the smart pot???

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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?

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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...

@ can gro it, my buddys have had great success putting a smart pot inside of a bigger than 5gal pot due to root circulation and air pruning. im switching over to this method next time. yea ur right i shouldnt have put " a smart pot inside of a 5gal", lol!