Contrainer Size

[jjng5]

Hello,

I am trying to decided which is going to be more efficient for my soil grow. I currently have 8 plants in seedling/veg stage in solocups and have 2 packs of Nirvana seeds on their way to me that should make it by next week (Blue Mystic + Durban).

Anyways I have a 2' (depth) x 4' (width) x 7/8' (height) grow closet. I have purchased four x 3 Gallon grow containers (11" x 11" x 9.5" (deep) and a few smaller pots (8.3" x 8.3" x 7.3 (deep). I can obviously fill the closet with many more of the smaller pots. The biggest gain is the fact that I can have 3 pots across (the 2' depth) rather then two 11" (22" total).

The larger ones give me: 4 across x 2 deep = 8.

Smaller ones give me: 5 across x 3 deep = 15.

You can see by giving up just a few inches on all sides, allows me almost double the plants. However, I am not sure how big the plants could get in pots this size. I could even grow 15 single cola plants if you think this would give me the best result. The question almost becomes, would 8 plants given 1150 cubic inches produce double the yeild (or more) compared to 15 plants given 503 cubic inches?

What do you guys think?

[luckyleaf2]

Well i would start them all in the small containers at least until you determine the sex.(unless fem strain) then your question will be better answered after weeding out the males.

[Enuff4All2Share]

I had read in mr postman's journal that by graduating the container size a little bit at a time, he was able to fit more roots in a smaller space. So, for example, start with a cup and wait for the roots to fill and almost become bound. Then step up a yogurt container, next to ice cream bucket, lastly (hopefully) to your smaller pots. The idea is that transplanting into your final container first allows the roots to grow to the edge and bottom right away, leaving the inner space empty. By forcing roots to pile up in concentric rings, you utilize more of your containers real estate. I haven't done it myself, though.

Good Luck,
E4A2S

[RichardDean]

transpalnting from smaller to larger containers is definitely a good way to go, I start in 16 oz solo cups and then go to 2 liters then the 3 gallon pots. When I would transplant to the final pot I would let them grow for a couple weeks to fill out the container a bit before switching to flowering.

[jjng5]

So are the three of you saying I would be better off using 15 smaller pots or 8 larger pots for the last container?

Thanks for the good info on transplanting. Those are all great idea's. I have never heard of that until now. I wonder if their is a general rule of thumb for how tall you should let your plants get per unit of container space.

Thanks again!

[Enuff4All2Share]

We're saying go small until you need bigger. We can't predict which you'll need. No one can.

E

[Enuff4All2Share]

Originally Posted by jjng5

I wonder if their is a general rule of thumb for how tall you should let your plants get per unit of container space.

I've heard Cervantes say a gallon of container size for every month of veg (or was it every month of age?).

[RichardDean]

I usually just wait till plenty of roots are popping out the bottom of the containers drainage holes. Usually when the first couple would pop out of the container I would let it go a few days then transplant it to make sure it was pretty close to being root bound or almost rootbound.

[luckyleaf2]

What I'm saying is try to get as many of the plants under the light that you can get in there until you know the sex of them all.THEN you will know what size containers will work for you.It all depends on if all 15 happen to turn out to be females.Which i hope that happens but you would have to be one lucky farmer.

[jjng5]

I plan on cloning all the females and fitting as many as I can in the closet.

LuckyLeaf - So you are saying it would be better to fit as many as possible?

I got my Blue Mystic seeds today along with 6 freebie seeds (Original Haze x Skunk1). I have 8 plants under lights now and 3 Blue Mystic seeds in germination. There are four different strains in veg now and Blue Mystic will make my 5th. I will probably germinate 2 of the Haze x Skunk1's as soon as I get the Blue Mystics in pots. This will give me 13 total plants in veg. After developing some growth, I will take a couple of clones from each of them. I will discover which are males and which are females. I will eliminate all of the males. I will fill my flower room with as many plants as I am able.

This is why I ask ahead of time which is better. 15 smaller plants or 8 larger ones (with the relative container size listed)

Also - does anyone know how much odor this many plants will produce? This is a closet in an apartment and I don't want to get too carried away. I plan on building a carbon filter but will not be able to use any kind of duct work to vent anything outside.

Thank you!

[luckyleaf2]

So are you saying you are gonna flower the clones in with the females you take them from? Or just the clones by themselves in that space you are asking about?

[luckyleaf2]

Whats the indica/sativa ratio on those Haze x Skunk beans?I would stick with all or mostly indica strains in that space.

[jjng5]

I am using a small corner of my house divided by a sofa and a table for a small veg area. I plan on always keeping clones and/or seeds in veg at all times and using the closet for flowering.

So I will probably take 1 clone from each plant once each plant gets large enough for me to do this. I will continue to veg my plants along side my clones until the clones root. I will then move all of the clones into flower under my 400W HPS while their mothers/fathers are just beginning to reach the perfect height. Once the clones show me their private parts, I will then discard them (because they are too small) and eliminate the ones that have fathers and not mothers! Once I am positive that I have all female plants fully vegged, I will take the necessary number of clones needed to fill out my grow room for the next cycle. I will move all of the female mothers that I have into the flowering room to see which ones perform best for mental note on the third cycle.

Do you think this is the best way to do it?

Thank you!

[luckyleaf2]

OK here is what i would do.Sex the plants you have now.take clones,fit as many clones as you can in that small space,straight to 12/12 and bud out some single cola plants.If you wanna give the clones some vegg time than the more space you will lose.You can keep the moms in your vegg room and do a few runs with them or you can flower them out after the first clones are done.You will get a good system down after a few grows.....Hope you have much luck i gotta run now.See ya in the forums...