WHY IS TRANSPLANTING FROM SMALL TO LARGE POT IMPORTANT?
- Thread starter Gem B
- Start date
cindysid
Well-Known Member
My plants seem to do better starting with solos in seedling soil and potting up until I reach the size I want to finish in. Mostly it's easier to regulate the moisture, which is one of the major problems you will encounter with growing. Also seedlings don't need (or want) nutrients in the first few weeks of life, which are usually included in the regular potting soil. You will find that overwatering and overfeeding are the main problems you will deal with growing cannabis.
whitebb2727
Well-Known Member
Easier to control moisture in small pots. You don't have to plant to small pots. When using a big pot it is easy to over water because they wont need water for a while. The roots spend time growing first so the seedlings look stalled for a while. This is a 15 inch pot that holds five gallons. See how dry it looks? Its not, its moist further down in the pot.
staygreener
Well-Known Member
As said, it's difficult to keep a seedling appropriately moist if you germinate in your final pot. With that said, I have a small grow, always use fem, and always germinate in my final pot. Your plant might not look picture perfect after a week, but it will recover quickly.
budulyk
Well-Known Member
i started 3 seeds in little pot one seed in big pot the one started in big pot is 4 n half ish foot tall the others stayed smaller so i found better results going straight for big pot also found it easier to time my nutes as soil was all leached at same time instead of fresh going in every few weeks
whitebb2727
Well-Known Member
The key is not to over water. That pot I showed might not need water for 2-3 weeks.
It is also organic soil that will feed to the end.
If done correctly I prefer to plant straight to final pot.
It is also organic soil that will feed to the end.
If done correctly I prefer to plant straight to final pot.
thanks for help guys, should you not feed for first 3 weeks? thanks
GardenGnome83
Well-Known Member
Putting seedlings in their final pot is cool, but if you do this with clones you can stunt them. Graduate up with clones, and seedlings, until you understand your plants better. Note the speed water drains out. When full of roots, it slows down. Time to up-pot.
OldMedUser
Well-Known Member
When grown from seed the sprout sends a tap root straight down, then as the plant grows the roots tend to be bunched around the bottom half of the pot while the top half can remain virtually root free. Not so much with clones.
With regular seeds it sux to grow a plant out in a big pot then find out it's a boy too.
With regular seeds it sux to grow a plant out in a big pot then find out it's a boy too.
GardenGnome83
Well-Known Member
The dreaded boy lol
Unless you're into chucking...
Unless you're into chucking...
OldMedUser
Well-Known Member
If growing in good soil that has lot's of nutes then you really shouldn't have to feed until later when you flower your plants. That depends on the size of pot and fertility of the soil of course.
If using a soilless mix then some plant food is needed right away. I like to start with some dilute seaweed ferts then low dose hydro nutes as the sprouts get a couple sets of true leaves.
A seed only has enough energy to get the tops out into the light and then the seedlings need to find some kind of food in the soil or they won't grow very well.
iHearAll
Well-Known Member
if you're into DIYing your soil you'll find it's more economical to start as small as possible. like start in blocks, then liters, then 3, 5, or 7+ gallon. you can be prepping the next containers to mature in its decompostiton and allow a foodweb to form while the younger ones are getting ready for a slightly hotter soil mix.
completely different story if you're into liquid feeding the whole way through tho
completely different story if you're into liquid feeding the whole way through tho
OldMedUser
Well-Known Member
I'm into chucking quite often but don't need a 4' plant in a 5gal pail to get enough pollen.
I like to top my plants that are grown from seed then have the tops sit under 12/12 light to sex the mothers. If there's a boy in the batch and I want that pollen then the little cutting will give me enough to make hundreds of seeds if I want lots.
The father plant will still be in a 4" pot so I don't lose much when I toss it in the compost heap.
GardenGnome83
Well-Known Member
This is why i also start in small containers.
whitebb2727
Well-Known Member
I understand the reasons for stepping pots up.
I don't get how large pots can stunt clones. Excess moisture would stunt root growth but with soil that is not freshly watered the roots would travel pretty fast in search of water.
At a greenhouse they use seedling trays for saving space and watering reasons. Its easier.
I plant flowers and vegetables straight to the ground all the time. The ground is a huge pot.
I really don't see how going straight to a big pot would hurt growth in anyway. Improper watering techniques could but that can happen no matter the pot size.
The only reason for using small cups or pots to start is for space and moisture control.
It also make the plant seem to grow faster. Using smaller pots to start cause more plant growth. Using a large one the plant grows roots first. When the one in the larger pot does hit that growth spurt it will catch and even out grow the stepped up plant.
With proper understanding and technique neither one is better or worse.
GardenGnome83
Well-Known Member
There is some science behind it, @OldMedUser said it a few posts back. Taproots
Doomhammer69
Well-Known Member
I use to start in a little red cup with light warrior, what I do now is put my germinated seeds into my final 7 gallon pot of amended FFOF soil. what I do is core out the center of the 7 gallon with a half gallon pot and fill it with light warrior/humus/ ffof mix.
As for watering, yes you can over water.. but just use your brain. I only water the first month or so about 3 inches from the plant, I pretend its in a smaller pot.. as it grows larger I move the water further away from the plant, seems to work for me.
As for watering, yes you can over water.. but just use your brain. I only water the first month or so about 3 inches from the plant, I pretend its in a smaller pot.. as it grows larger I move the water further away from the plant, seems to work for me.
whitebb2727
Well-Known Member
I get that. I spent a long time here arguing that cannabis has a tap root and not a fibrous. Well a clone would be fiberous.
Cannabis sends down a tap root then lateral secondary roots. It will root the whole pot. Those lateral roots go out sideways and good for collecting runoff.
My point was that neither side is better or worse.
I run larger pots because I'm organic. Sorta like no till.
SPLFreak808
Well-Known Member
ALOT has to do with environment and watering habbits that determine pot size.
I pheno hunt f1's in 1 and/or 3 gallon pots right away, i also pheno hunt kush f2's in 5 gallon pots right away all in the same room 4/5 week veg.
By the first week the 5 gallon plants are wider, more bushy & thicker usually spitting out the 3rd node by then, but by the second week they are double the size of the 3 gallon potted plants. The 3 gallon plants just cant catch up by the time i flip two weeks later, for some reason i get longer nodes in smaller pots also.
It seems the roots get a bit of a head start when you start in a bigger container thats never overwatered, atleast in my environment.
I pheno hunt f1's in 1 and/or 3 gallon pots right away, i also pheno hunt kush f2's in 5 gallon pots right away all in the same room 4/5 week veg.
By the first week the 5 gallon plants are wider, more bushy & thicker usually spitting out the 3rd node by then, but by the second week they are double the size of the 3 gallon potted plants. The 3 gallon plants just cant catch up by the time i flip two weeks later, for some reason i get longer nodes in smaller pots also.
It seems the roots get a bit of a head start when you start in a bigger container thats never overwatered, atleast in my environment.