Does container size limit growth

Discussion in 'Growing Marijuana Indoors' started by pushu, Sep 28, 2012.

  1. just built a new addition to the grow room to accomodate tall plants. this box is 2'x4' x 8' tall. I only plan for two plants in this one but just wondering about container size.
    What if I was to build one large rectangular planter roughly the size of the box? Would all that room allow for more root growth (therfore more top) and mean less watering?
    Can anyone tell me the advantage or disadvantage of doing this as opposed to individual pots?
     
  2. root tanglement for one. selecting pots is a kind of an artform if its too small the roots will fill it too fast and then choke themselves to death, if its too large the plant will focus much of its energy to grow more roots and therefore less bud. but if you hit that sweetspot right in the middle it means they will focus more of the power into growing the nugs. regarding watering larger pots means less watering givent that you need 2 feet of that cabinet for lighting and then space between the plant and light then -1 for the pot itself you have 5 feet to work with meaning 5 gallon pots would be optimal by the rule of thumb 1 gal per feet of growth. good luck
     
  3. OP, a big pot is always better. Always, they don't "focus on growing roots instead of bud" in a big pot. More roots=healthier plant=more bud. One big planter the length and width of the box sounds awesome. I think you will be really happy with it. A large planter would absolutely allow for more root growth and mean less watering, and you would grow some gorgeous girls.
     
  4. thank you both for your replys - this does make the most sense. plants growing outside in the ground don't seem to focus just on root growth. I grow a lot of flowers both in the ground and in pots and the ones in the ground always seem to be larger.

    I just need to figure out what to build the planter out of and how to build some sort of tray underneath to catch runoff.

    Any thoughts on that?
     
  5. You could use landscape fabric to make your own XL smart-pot type planter. Stitch it together with fishing line or use a staple gun. The tray is trickier since it's an odd shape (my flowering closet has the same dimensions and I have tried to find a tray to cover the whole bottom but no luck). Right now I have it lined with a thick piece of plastic, but it doesn't have edges. I still have to pull the pots out to water. I guess you could get some thick plastic and sort of mold it to the shape, but it's still not going to be as good as a real tray. I will try to think of something. I think you are really going to like the big planter, I would totally do that but I do a perpetual grow so it's a little trickier. hth
     

  6. geoplanter http://shop.geoplanter.com/GeoPlanter-PVC-Framed-Planter_c3.htm makes a planter (pvc frame with landscape fabric) that is very close to the size I need. It's not very expensive either. I have contacted them about a tray but yet to hear back from them.
    My plan is for a perpetual grow as well... why do you feel that makes it a bit trickier? I am growing organically so really wouldn't have to remove the soil after a grow - just ammend it
     
  7. Absopositivly it affects growth. It's just like fish. They'll only grow to a certain size in certain containers. Although there's not much if a difference between three gals and five gals. I've done a side by side and the three was as large as the five.
    Remember. MORE ROOTS MORE FRUITS
     
  8. It's trickier for me because I like to rotate my plants around so that everyone gets equal light. My closet is 4.5 ft long and not quite 2 feet wide (odd shape) and I have an aircooled hood, and so the plants on the edges aren't directly under the light. If I can move the pots around it doesn't matter, but if they're stationary it does. Also I train my plants (mix of LST and a couple other things) to keep them small, and that would be harder to do in one big bed. I could totally do it, it would just complicate a few things. I have certainly thought about it. It has nothing to do with the soil.

    Also, you don't even have to amend the soil between grows. Your organic amendments aren't even fully broken down on your first grow. Just throw some EWC and a bit of kelp meal on top and toss another plant in. I have soil that is several years old and grows fab plants without being re-amended. Glad to hear you are going to grow organically! What type of soil mix do you plan on using? The sooner you make it, the better.

    Good find on the geo planter. You could still make your own though (all that is is landscape fabric on a PVC frame). If you make your own you can make it deeper than 14 inches. If you've got 8 feet of height to play with, might as well do at least 24 inches deep (or as deep as you can go).
     

  9. As in rip the old stem out and plant a new seed? Wouldn't there still be a mass of roots in there? When I harvest and pull the plant by its stem the entire thing is one large mass. No promix left in the bucket.
     
  10. Numb, I'm not sure what you're asking? I take my old root balls and throw them in a pile, then chop them up a little with a shovel and cycle it back into the soil. In a large no-till bed though, you could definitely just rip the old stem out and put in a new plant. I have outdoor no-till beds for other plants that I do like this. The planter is big enough that those old roots don't matter, and the soil microbes break them down before too long anyway. In a 5 gallon bucket or something it might cause issues, but not in one big 4x2x2 planter.
     
  11. I like these chrome shelf racks, they come in 3-shelf-tall units and i break them down and use a shelf per plant with plastic trays underneath to catch runoff. Then I can just slide the trays out and dump. I put tennis balls on the bottoms of the uprights to slide them around easily. right now i only have the crappy pic below...

    Also I did a side by side this round with 2 cuttings from the same plant, all conditions identical except 7gal smartpot vs 4gal plastic pot. There is a striking difference between the plants. The smartpot plant is taller, fatter, with more and larger buds. Both plants (and a third) shown below but again bad pic an this was very early in flower, will try to get updated pics if ur interested.
     

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  12. I am going to try to build one large planter that will fill the grow box - now, just what to build it out of?
    I used smart pots for my last grow with great success and would like to find a roll of the material used to make those.
    I have read to use landscape fabric but any of the landscape fabric I have seen is much thinner and not as cloth like as those pots. any ideas on what the smart pots fabric is and where to get it?
     
  13. if its too large the plant will focus much of its energy to grow more roots and therefore less bud.

    Are you serious? *lmao*

    J
     
  14. Pushu, try a plumber's supply store for your tray. They make them for a variety of applications (eg a washing machine on a second story) and you should be able to find one that will roughly fill your space.
     
  15. #15 InTheGarden, Sep 30, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 30, 2012
    pushu, the smart pot fabric is a nonwoven fabric made from recycled plastic, I believe. People use landscape fabric or felt-type pond liner fabric to make DIY smart pots (they might be the same thing). I looked into making my own smart pots a while ago until I found a cheap source for knock-off smart pots (unfortunately they don't have the size you need though). I looked into using industrial felt or landscape fabric to make them (I gave up on the industrial felt because it was too expensive). You could always just do a double layer of landscape fabric/pond liner if you're worried about it being too thin. You want the landscape fabric/pond liner that has one side that's fuzzier than the other.

    I remember an old thread on DIY smart pots from a regular gardening website, I will try to find it for you. I have also seen people use chicken fencing (wire fencing that comes on a roll) used in making large or irregularly shaped smart pots. You set up the wire fencing in the shape you want, ziptie it together, than wrap the pond liner fabric or landscape fabric around the outside of the wire fencing. (the wire fencing provides support for the shape, but you only use the fencing on the sides, not the bottom). Then you sew the sides, and sew a piece on the bottom. hth

    edit: found some helpful links on DIY smart pot design/materials that I had bookmarked. Can't post them on the open forum though. Send me a pm and I will get them to you.
     

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