So this year I put some seeds in dirt and what do ya know, boom. These lovely survivors germinated May 22, followed by some friends 4 weeks later. I Have them in 5gal and 3 gal pots outdoors, and would like to give them the best till flowering season. How big of a planter do I need or should I just dig a hole in my back yard? I getting concerned about them getting root bound.
I did 5 gallons buckets outdoor last year and the roots were absurd and I don't think it was good for the health of the plant. At the end of the year there was barely even any soil to be found in the buckets, just a massive pile of roots. My ground soil is terrible so that's not an option for me and I like portability so I went with 15 gallons this year. I don't think I'd ever go with anything less for outdoor ever again. If in ground is a viable option do that, otherwise 15 gallon pots minimum. Also highly suggest fabric pots if you go that route.
Your best bet if you actually want to get a solid harvest is to either buy or make yourself some premium organic soil - a soil you only need to keep wet with a hose (clear water). DIG HOLES. Way, way better than a pot. A pot is restricting - a good sized dug hole is not. Hell, just go buy yourself a half dozen bags of quality soil and use at least two bags per plant. PLANT IN FULL SUN. After planting, mulch the top of the soil with a thick layer of leaves, old hay, etc. This will help keep it moist in the heat of the summer. With pots you’ll most likely pullla few ounces. If you transplant your plants into well-prepared holes with quality soil you could harvest a lot. You could have plants that are 5 feet tall and 5 feet across or bigger. i’ve done this a lot. Use my advice. j
Dig holes and fill with quality soil dude. Why limit your root size? Root size is directly correlated to plant size. Big plants need big roots and plenty of nutrition - if you don’t limit (and yes - even 15 gallons is extremely limiting) the root size, cannabis has the ability to grow massive. Good compost based well draining soil with lots of organic soil amendments mixed in and you’ll laugh in surprise at the growth rates you’ll get. good luck. j
My plants would absolutely be in the ground if I lived in a different area. I have to move my plants throughout the season to keep them in the sun. The spot they are in right now has close to 12 hours of sun, by august it will have 4 hours if that because the sun will mostly remain below the treeline all day. Conversely if I put them in their august location right now my house would block the sun all morning a large oak tree would block it in the evening. So I slowly move them as needed to keep them in the sweet spot. I also have better control of the moisture in my soil with the pots and feeding is easier/cheaper. And in the event of a frost or severe weather I can bring my plants in the garage. I also sometimes bring them in during September/October during cold/rainy spells that would almost guarantee mold. And I don't need to explain to the wife why I'm digging 12 massive holes in the yard, lol. I averaged 4.5 ounces dried per plant last year in 5 gallon pots with one topping and no training. I'm expecting to double that this year, I will have my hands (and half my house) full drying/curing/trimming as is. Sorry for the super long post just wanted OP and anyone reading to understand that growing weed can be very situational.
Thank you all for the response! Lots to consider. Yes, She knows I wanna dig holes out back. I've plenty of access to compost/fertilizer. I like the idea of mobility especially for inclement weather. But Im willing to abandon the planters for bigger plants. I think I've got the supplies to go either route. Ive got till Wednesday to decide.