I wanted to write a thread about efficiency.

We often see new growers planting a seed into a huge pot 'to avoid transplanting', assuming that the act of transplanting is traumatic to the plant.

So first off, I'd like to say... IT'S NOT! As long as you do it correctly, the plant will benefit from a correct transplant schedule.

So, why do we transplant? There are several reasons, and you should understand the theory behind all of them.
First up is the plant's ability to use all the soil moisture in its pot. A plant that is MUCH too small for its pot can't get to the corners of the pot with its small root system, and as a result, moisture may sit and stagnate, causing root rot, anaerobic/reducing conditions in the soil, and unwanted interactions between fertilizer components. A plant too LARGE for its pot will use water so fast that you can't keep up with watering, and any slight changes in the soil chemistry can lead to wild pH fluctuations.

Second, the soil itself changes over time, as particles break down, buffering ability is used up, and nutrients are leached out by the activity of roots or flushing action. Old soil in a pot will get to a point where pH changes (usually drops, since most commerical media are peat-based and peat haas a natural pH around 5.0-5.5). As larger pieces of soil material break down, the interstitial spaces between them also get smaller, and the soil holds water very differently. Drainage starts to slow, and the roots again end up sitting wet and stagnant.

Third, and this is what I want to show pics of, plants potted in large pots simply don't make effective use of either light or space. The goal of an indoor or greenhouse grower is to maintain a continuous canopy so that no light is lost to the soil surface. This is illustrated in the pictures attached, and called 'supercropping' in the nursery world.

First we see a flat of vegetables sown directly into a tray. This is broadleaf sage BTW. These will be pricked off into their own pots shortly.
Next, is some young heirloom tomatoes "Mortgage Lifter" sown in nursery 6-pax.
Next is cannabis given the same 6-pax treatment.
Then we have a bunch of cannabis seedlings that have been potted-up to 3" pots.
Finally, some vegging cannabis in 6" pots.

Notice that the space BETWEEN the plants under the light is always minimized!
stinkyattic Reviewed by stinkyattic on . The importance of a continuous canopy: It's all about EFFICIENCY, baby! I wanted to write a thread about efficiency. We often see new growers planting a seed into a huge pot 'to avoid transplanting', assuming that the act of transplanting is traumatic to the plant. So first off, I'd like to say... IT'S NOT! As long as you do it correctly, the plant will benefit from a correct transplant schedule. So, why do we transplant? There are several reasons, and you should understand the theory behind all of them. First up is the plant's ability to use all the Rating: 5