Quote Originally Posted by bob bobbinson
roots grow to the outside of the pots. alot of the space in the middle is wasted. So if u slowly increase the pot size by transplanting, you will end up having a large pot filled with roots from middle all the way to sides of pots.
EXCELLENT ANSWER! that is exactly why you should transplant. no transplanting=smaller yeilds. if you start in a 5gal pot you will be wasting at least 60%(probably alot more) of the space that could be filled with roots if you had transplanted 3-4 times. i always started in 16oz keg cups to 5 1/2inch square pots to 1gal to 3gal to finish in 5gal. i routinely got 4-5oz per plant or more this way!! transplanting is an absolutely necessary part of soil growing imo. starting and ending in a 5gal is not in your best interest, trust me. DONE PROPERLY, TRANSPLANTING WILL NOT STRESS THE PLANT! be careful not to disturb the roots and use a product with b1 like thrive alive green and you will notice an amazing growth spurt immediately after a needed transplant. i have never seen a plant stressed or growth slowed after i transplanted. transplanting is worth it even if you think it's "a pain in the ass" good luck