Pot size for small auto strains

Discussion in 'First Time Marijuana Growers' started by closetcashcrop, Jun 22, 2015.

  1. Hey grasscity members! 
     
    First post on here, looking for advice on what size pots i should use with my auto plants, I'm growing auto purple by original sensible, critical dream by zambeza, and kritical max auto by venus genetics. The purple and critical dream are short strains (I'm assuming 12-18 inches) not a problem, but critical max should grow about 24-30 inches. My grow space is only 25 inches tall so these plants can only grow to about 20 inches without burning from my lights (cfls). 
     
    Will using 1 gallon pots prevent the plants from getting too tall? I'm sure it wont effect yield on the two shorter plants too much, but what about the critical max which is said to be a 60 gram yield-er?
     
    In addition, i can fit 6 plants in my grow space using 1 gallon pots but only 3 in 2 gallons.
     
    Half the pot shouldn't result in half the yield right?
     
    I also germinated some old bag seeds for the fun of it while waiting for seeds and had too good of results to throw them out so i have decided to keep them. Say they happen to have very tall genes and there restricted in 1 gallon pots... will it affect anything besides yield? 
     
    I apologize for 1000 questions, they have been brewing for about a week now haha
     
    Appreciate any advice i can get [​IMG]

     
  2.  
    The size of the pot should suit the lights you are using. What lights will you have ?
    What size is the area you are lighting up ? 
    A 1 gallon pot is pretty small by any standard
     
  3. With photoperiod plants if they are kept in a small pot like 1 gallon for to long that might hermie but just keep a close eye on it and it should be fine but if it does atleast you will have alittle bit more experience good luck
     
  4. Why are you trying to grow so many at once? This is just my opinion, but one plant with a big yield is better than multiple plants with the same size yield. Save the seeds, be patient, and get the biggest yield possible per seed. However it's your money, so do what you feel.


    As for pot size, a 1 gallon pot is super small. If you check my current grow, I started in a 1 gallon for 2 weeks, and just switched it to a 14 gallon storage bin from Walmart. I've grown in 2 and 3 gallon pots before, and the yield wasn't what I hoped it would be.


    No matter what you decide to do, you'll get the experience and your next grow will be better, so enjoy.

     
  5. Probably a 50/50 mix between cfls and led bulbs adding to about 10,000 lumens. grow space is 13 deep, 28 wide, and 25 tall


     
  6. They are autoflowers so they wont grow to be very big or yield very well to begin with. I also want to grow a few different strains so i learn what i like. The plants can only grow to be about 20'' to fit in my grow space so i figured try and fit 6 of them in there instead of 3.
     
  7. with only about 2 square foot of area you certainly don't want any more than 2 plants in there. 1 would be best.


    As you only have 2 feet of height then you will need to LST a lot.


    Because of the very low height I wouldn't recommend a standard shaped pot. You are better off using a low profile tub, or tray. Maybe something cut down so it pretty much covers the floor, but is only say 6-8" tall. You need all the height you can get.


    10,000 lumens is about 150watts I guess.


    If you do have all those plants, then I would use the biggest pot you can get in there and have them all sharing it. That way their roots can still spread out over the whole area, and you will only have the one body of soil to water. Watering multiple soil pots is a pain in itself, but when they are undersized and you have to water them almost every day it's a nightmare
     
  8. 6 square feet actually, and the small pots are also in hopes to keep them short remember.


    What is LST?


    And the roots of the plants won't harm eachother?
     
  9. #11 amateurexpert, Jun 24, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 24, 2015
    LST stands for Low Stress Training. Here's a pic:


    [​IMG]


    The concept is to tie down the branches so that the plant grows wider instead of taller. It's called "low stress" because its not very stressful to the plant and they recover in a just a few hours usually.


    Topping, super cropping, femming, and several other methods are "high stress" because it takes the plant days to recover and sometimes weeks.


    Check out the link in my signature. I'm growing in a 14 gallon storage bin, and I'll be using LST to compensate for the height of the tent. A plant in a 14 gallon pot can get huge, so you can follow mine or Google or find another grow on here, but its pretty easy to do.


    Walmart sells garden staples 10 for $2.00. They are little more expensive than string, but they are faster, and reusable, so its a 1 time expense.

     
  10. #12 GoldGrower, Jun 24, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 24, 2015
    13" x 28" = 364 square inches
    Divide by 144 square inches (1 square foot) = 2.5 square feet.


    How on earth did you get 6 square feet? It's not even half that. 2'x3' is 6 square feet.


    Small pots cause them to be short because it stunts growth once the pot is filled. Flowering takes place in the second half, so that is most effected by root bounding.


    LST is Low Stress Training, and it involves tying the top branches down to match the height of the lower ones.


    No, the roots won't harm each other, that's a comment misconception. Sharing a bed allows roots to travel further, enables you to fit more soil while taking up no extra space, and only needing to look after one body of soils makes things a lot easier
     
  11. I will definitely use this! should be perfect since my autos wont give me much time before flowering. Thank you very much!
     
  12. Sorry, was thinking cubic feet haha.


    I probably wouldn't consider quite 6, bust say i had 6 plants in a 12 gallon container, would that be better/ equivalent/ or worse then 6 plants in 2 gallon containers?
     
  13. 6 plants in a 12 gallon container could work.


    6 plants in 2 gallons wouldn't work. Why are you so hell bent on cramming so many plants in such a tiny area? You are better off with 2 in there. Each one getting a 13"x14" area
     
  14. I mean (6) plants in (6) 2 gallon pots haha. how would that compare to 6 plants in a 12 gallon container. same amount of soil for each plant but together vs apart.
     
  15. Lol oh right, yeah of course..


    Both have their advantages. Individual pots give you the ability to move them around to help even up the canopy. Generally plant directly below the light source will grow faster because they receive more light.


    Shared beds allows roots to stretch out further and this allows better growth. Also having one body of soil really dials down the amount of waterings. 6 different pots will eventually require watering on different days. This means you have to check and water almost every day.


    These are small factors, and mostly personal preference
     
  16. hi ive done few autos indoor & outdoor and id suggest 11 litre pots for indoor best results for me by far,ive tried 25 litre but you might as well put a fem in because of the time it takes. hope this helps
     
  17. hi im just visiting n wish u good luck with ur autos, im about 3 weeks in 2 my 1st 5 autos n have just germed another 3, im new 2 this as well n dont no how 2 post a link but u can always go thru my profile if u want a look. try checking lokis "need help with autos" thread thats a must.. ill sub in n watch how u get along soz im not much more help but in answer 2 ur questions most peeps advice on at least 3-5 gallons n put them straight in as autos dont like being transported. as ur 4 height concerns then u can adapt different training methods such as lsd and such....
     
  18. I'm going to use 2 gallons or 3 gallons if 3 will fit, and make another grow space the same and fill with 6 plants in 1 gallons and compare yields. I know the 1 gallons are small but so long as the plant survives, and I may yield more out of the space. It's worth a try
     

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