My tents are back ordered for at least the next month, so I've had to get creative with where I'm going to veg till they arrive. Good thing I have an old 46" rear projection TV that I gutted(didn't work). It's a perfect chamber that fits a Rubbermaid container nicely. My final setup will be 5gal buckets RDWC with 6" net lids filled with hydroton. So I need to figure out how best to setup and prepare my veg system in the meantime. I have 10 regular seeds, and lets plan on all 10 cracking, just in case the gods like me. I have 2" and 5" net pots already, that I can use in a Rubbermaid as DWC. But when my tents arrive and I can finally setup my 5gal RDWC, how will I transplant my hopefully well into veg plants safely into the 6" netpot lid? Is there a better way to go about this? Thanks
That's ideal I know, and what I'd like to do if I could. But I wont have my tents for at least another month and I need to start now. The only 5gal net pot lids I can get either come with 6" or 10", and I only have 2" or 5" net pots at home to fit into the rubbermaid tote that fits in the TV to veg until the main tents arrive. Unless I can come up with a better way, I'll probably have to order the 10" lids, and use the 5" net pots I have now and just transplant them into the 10" when the tents arrive? Thanks
Once the roots start growing trough the netpots you're basically suck using them, barring maybe placing netpot inside of netpot. You will damage the roots if you try to remove the plant from the netpot
How easy is it to thread the roots through a bigger netpot? Like a 5" going into a 10"? I figure they'll be 4 weeks old when I would have to do that...well I'd like to germinate tomorrow but first I want to make sure I have a solid plan of how I'm going to make this all work for when the tents come...without damaging or stressing the plants as I need to sex fast, get moms and clone in time for summer!! feeeling way too rushed
I would trim the roots (i usually leave my taproot alone, but only because I'm not sure) so they fit inside of the 10" comfortably while layering your hydroton in at the same time. Then allow them to grow out through the pot naturally
Trimming roots will stunt the growth of the plant. If you can't start your plants in the 6" lids and end up getting them started in the Rubbermaid tub, then you will have to finish them in there. It just isn't possible to transplant from one net pot to another once the plant has rooted through the net pot. You'll see what I mean once you get a plant growing in a net pot. Since you haven't germ'd your seeds yet, I would suggest that you wait until all your gear arrives or just plan on growing DWC in the RubberMaid tub.
You have several options, Root trimming/pruning is a common practice and is beneficial to the plant. There are many resources online and it is a viable option in you situation. See Root Pruning ? Trimming Roots Of Rootbound Plants It will stunt the growth a few days, but the increased vigor after is usually worth it. Or If you are going from 2" to 6" just place the smaller cup into the bigger one.