30 reasons (root bound) is a myth

I also check one pot out of the bunch to check root development. I just pick any ONE PLANT, and check it's roots once to twice a week. As greenthumb said, it helps me to see if how my babies are doing.

And like greenthumb also said, it stunts growth. Not a ton, but noticeable.

 

6 months in this same planter


My mommy. She hasn't started lightening up at all. She gets a dose of grow once a week, and it's like half dose.

She has been reliably giving me cuts for a while now. I'll open the pot when I cut her rootball down and re pot her back into the 1l for another 6 months.

 

i guess there are diff. opinions on the term, "root-bound." imo, as long as you meet all of your plants nutritional demands, and your environment is in step, root-bound doesn't exist. so you decide to grow a plant in a gallon container (sog growers.) you take care of feeding properly, the plant will only grow so big. it's healthy, and displays no issues, is it root-bound? i suppose you could say it is, because if you put it in a larger container, it would have grown bigger. but, the plant looks fine, and you harvest with no problems, and have some awesome bud. is it root-bound? i suppose you could say it isn't, lol. who cares, as long as you end up with what you grew it for in the first place?

 

That's a 20 gallon pot.

 

 
why such a big pot?
 
you could grow that in a solo cup since rootbound is a myth and all that..

 

@ greenthumbs. I do agree with your methods using smaller containers for several reasons. Also agree that many fertilize and transplant too soon, however disagree about rootbound being a myth. the reason that this plant is not showing the effect of becoming rootbound is because of the design of these pots. they prune and prevent the root system from encircling the pot strangling the root system. Still allowing nutrients to be taken in efficiently rather than dropping into your runoff catch. taking frequent cuts also limits the nutrient required to sustain the plant once the soil is spent. if you tried growing a mother for 6 months in a regular gallon pot, even with nutes you would run into lockout issues associate with being root bound. my plants made it to week 7, stretching it as far as i could before deficiency began to show(water only). once the roots hit the edges i carefully begin squeezing the pots before each watering to keep the roots at bay. needless to say i was left with a solid 6" root mass(no give when pressed) when i transplanted to 3 gallon pots. Now I could have begun feeding at this point, at least for a few weeks. With all this being said, with no room left inside the pots but the perimeter, what do you think would be best for these girls, nutes or a bigger pot?

 

how bout just planting 6 seeds (or more) (or less) in a 20 gallon smart pot?

 

dont use nutes anymore. have made the transition to water only super soil in 3 gal for flower this time around. looking at clones off these girls for potential mothers. seeking 3 to meet a 9 week flower window for a 2gal 4x8 sog on a 3 week rotation. what's your veg time x footprint=yeild on your sog?

 

my plan is 3 weeks for cloning and base soil/cups. then veg 3 weeks in 2g ss to flower for 9.

 

 
One last time it ain't the pot size, it's the underlined reasons.  WTF is going on in here?
 
 
What you need to understand (although I think you did when you titled the post) is the main argument is not your growing method per se, but the fact you used the word "myth" describing the term rootbound.  Quite honestly after you listed your accolades I'm having a hard time believing you actually believe that it's a myth.  You're clearly a smart fellow and used some clever wording to get the responses.  The way you worded the first post is the proof you thought this through, well done, this place is certainly for discussion and sharing of knowledge through experience.  You knew what would get people posting.
 
Concerning how you grow I can't argue at all.  I grow in a similar fashion, only I run a true perpetual rather than the sea of green you use.  I put clones in the flowering room every 2 weeks or so.  I try to have 8 going give or take, so in theory there is always a plant almost ready as one is going in.  The timer always stays on 12/12 and there is no wasted time on vegging a plant.  
 
As far as you periodically checking your roots before harvest...Why?  I'll tell you for sure that they are in fact 'rootbound' by the first week of flower if not sooner.  I just don't understand why you would check if it doesn't matter.  Practice what you preach...lol.
 
I'm done in here, it's been an experience for sure.

 

 
I know you stated the words you used are wrong, but you are still posting to the contrary.  That is all.  That's why I quoted you because that was yesterday.  One last time, pot size is not the reason rookies fry plants.  Not the only one with OCD. lol.
 
I don't quite understand why a perpetual like I run would need a different nutrient schedule than your set up.  I don't use bottled nutrients anymore, but when I did I wouldn't have changed the schedule using your method vs mine.  Flower room gets flower nutrients???
 
I never stated I didn't veg, just not in the flower room.  That real estate is too precious to me to waste on vegging.  You're simply not laying out what I'm playing out.  For some reason you feel the need to go to basics when I was trying to discuss a bit more in depth.  
 
As far as a simple 96 hour veg time increasing yield, I agree 100%.  I know of another factor that will surely increase overall plant growth no matter the medium.  Larger rootball.  Where do we go from here?  Back to first base.
 
Have you shared this philosophy with your colleagues in the professional world?  

 

Root bounding is not a myth, plants can get root bound if the pot is too small for it. I have seen many growers experience this, as I have also.
 
What you have there is merely sea of green, small plants in small pots. They are probably not root bound. This doesn't mean root bounding is a myth at all. If root bounding didn't happen we would all be growing in cups. 
 
What I think you may be getting at is some people use pots that are unnecessarily big, that's certainly true but there are just as many people growing plants in pots that are too small.
 
People who use raw organic fertilisers instead of bottled ready to go nutrients will need larger pots simply to have enough fertiliser to last the plant the whole lifetime. Nothing is wasted in this case because the soil will be re-used.
 
In your sea of green set up there you would have to water a few pots every single day if you wanted to water them at their perfect 'dryness' level. It's a crazy amount of work so I would never set up a system like that myself. Honestly. Try a bed next time, use 1 or a few very wide but shallow containers and still have your plants spaced out the same. You find watering 1 or 2 pots so much easier and the plants will have twice the root room enabling better growth and less frequent watering. 
 
Going by your replies on this thread I suspect you won't try it. But its certainly better imo