Hey guys about to embark on a first try at growing marijuana planning on doing a basic soil grow with a couple plants in my closet. Heres what I don't understand though, how come everyone starts plants in tiny cup/containers, then transplants to bigger ones, and ive even seen people transplant there plants multiple times past that. Is there a reason for this? Do they require different soil when they are a seedling then once they are mature? Why don't people just start the seed in one big container that they plan on using the whole time? Is it common to transplant into a different soil for flowering? thanks guys sorry if this sounds noobish but ive been reading all I can and it isn't making any sense to me.
Generally seeds are started in smaller containers for ease, and so the environment, soil temp, etc. can be more easily controlled. Once they get established, they can be moved on to a bigger pot. If you can provide a warm, moist environment, then skip the hassle and just start out in the final size container. Saves on transplant shock too.
ya, if you put a tiny plant in a huge pot and over water if, the water will stay in the soil but the plant wont use it all and the soil goes to shit....this is worst case scenario... i always start in beer cups, then to 2gal or 3gal pots.....
I start in 5 litre containers. Then after sexing the boys go on the compost heap, the girls are repotted into 50 litre containers - or bigger. I just transplant the one time.
The root mass is also able to fill out the final pot more if you start in a smaller container. As I understand it, the roots grow out until they hit the sides of whatever pot your in and then grow down so if you start in a big pot a lot of your soil is wasted. You let the smaller pot develop a nice full root ball and then transplant and the root ball then grows to fill out all of your bigger pot space. Bigger root system = bigger yield all else being equal.
Basically you want to not have water logged soil and like alot of people already stated, it makes it easier on your indoor enviorment with moving and light setup etc, etc.
I have never found that at all. Whatever the size of my container, and whatever its aspect ratio (tall & short or squat & wide) I have always found that the roots of MJ will always totally fill it - no corner is EVER wasted. But I am just relating my personal experience of many years growing here.
Well this is good to hear cause I really hate to transplant. Based on your experience there is really no need to transplant at all then? I had always heard that the roots would not fill the pot up unless you started in a smaller pot but I have never actually verified that just kind of took it at face value. If you are right....no more transplanting for me I will try just germing in my final pot next time and see how it goes.
Remember, a lot of people come on here and just repeat what they have read as ´advice´ - people who have never actually done a grow. That is how a lot of erroneous myths about MJ get propagated. I don´t advise what I haven´t personally done. And I always say the worst job for me in MJ growing is breaking up the rootball. Whatever size or shape pot I use it is always TOTALLY full of root.
I agree that the plant's roots will fill the available space no matter what. It's possible that starting it in a small pot vs. large pot might impact how quickly it fills out that pot, but it won't stop the roots. Starting in a small pot is not necessary. It is probably easier for a newbie, however, to manage watering a sprout properly if it is in a smaller pot. When you water a large pot the soil gets soaked but the water gradually settles to the lower part of the pot. For a larger plant with roots that reach all the way down there that's no problem, but it is possibly easier for a newbie to not realize that the water is out of reach of the sprout's smaller roots and end up over-drying the plant. Or, conversely, potentially easier for a newbie to try to avoid that problem by over-watering the soil -- which can happen in any sized pot but I think it is more likely for the unexperienced in a larger pot. I still start in a small pot, mostly out of habit, then transplant once to the final big pot.