Rampaging Panda

What is really the difference in starting a seedling out in say a small cube, then transplanting it into a cup/1gallon, then transplanting to a 3 gallon, then say a 5 gallon, versus just putting it into a 5 gallon container from the beginning. Is there any advantages / disadvantages of doing either? I ask because I don't have the time and money to keep moving them. With my particular setup they stay in the same cab from birth to end. So is there anything wrong with starting in a 5gal and letting it go?

RP

Indman

There's nothing "wrong" with it, it's just inefficient to have your baby in a 5 gallon bucket because its roots won't be everywhere, so you're wasting nutes and water when you water it. It's much more efficient to water a small plant in a small container than in a big one. You can totally keep it in a 5 gallon during the grow..

Good luck!

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I think the problem that "the experts" are avoiding by their advice to pot up gradually, is an over watering problem.

If you put a small plant in a big pot and water the pot, the plant can't uptake that water and so the wet soil just sits there stagnating and eventually causing root rot or yellowing leaves.

Technically, if you could water very carefully and attentively and judge the growth rate of your roots you could go ahead and put your small plant in a big pot.

I experimented this year with transplanting a 4" plant to a 3gallon pot at the same time I put a 1gal plant into a 3 gal pot.
The 4" plants foliage and above ground growth was superior to the 1 gal plant.

Going from 4" to a 5 gallon is another story. Big caution about watering.

Peace- OD

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kawgomoo

yeah what he said... big pots make you over water leading to a soupy mess. if you are that worried about it use peat cubes or something to get it going and once the plant is large enough just stuff it in a bucket of dirt....

or do like i do. start out with a big bucket 1/3 full then as the plant grows keep filling it up with dirt. you will get a nice long veg time {if coming from seed this is nice} and you wont get the soupy pot syndrome.

i think a 5 gallon container is completely overkill unless you are growing some big ass plants. my 3ish gallons work great and the plant didnt even pack that with roots.... they were about 4 feet tall when done.

but then again i grew in a short space flowering when they were only 10" tall


oh yeah, when you transplant the plant seems to know it and you get a nice little growth spurt for that week.

Lou Cypher

RP, I take OD's advice.
She knows what she's talking about.

The gradual steps of transplanting are very important for the healthy growth of a very good root system.
A small seedling that most likely absorbs about an oz of water a week will never be able to uptake 2 gls of water from a 5gl pot.
It will rot in that mud.

As about, starting on a big pot half full and keep feeling the pot with more soil as the plant starts to grow, I can't agree with that.
Roots look for depth and you definitely don't want them to look for water going upward.

Transplanting is an easy process if you're gentle with the plant.
Start with a 6" pot and when you see roots coming out of the bottom then put it in to a 5 gl pot and water it with care.
My on that.

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kawgomoo

didnt you just post on my thread saying roots will occupy any space given, then on here your saying they wont grow up. whats it gonna be


i typically step up in pot size, but i always bury the transplant deeper, up to the first set of leaves. constant battle of height. if there is any bare stem showing it gets put under ground when the next transplant comes along.

transplant is super easy. put the stem between your fingers, flip the pot over and smack it on the ass a time or two and the root ball and soil will plop right out. sometimes a few squeezes up the pot before the slap on the ass is necessary to get everything loosened up. but not too loose, you do want it all staying together.

when i go pot to bucket i put an empty pot in teh bucket, fill up dirt around the pot then slide it out leaving a square hole for my transplant. no idea why, it just seems to make the whole process easier than trying to keep the plant upright and fill dirt in around it.

swordfish

I think people that choose five gal buckets as opposed to three gal nursery containers should have an ajenda for very large plants and the space, equiptment, longer time in veg, with expectations of a bigger yield as well. If your cabinet is large enough for buckets and you are willing to devote extra veg time go for it. Otherwise 3 gal cont can produce plants with about 2 ounces or so. A bucket will give you an extra ounce or so on the plant if you veg long enough.

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Lou Cypher

kawgomoo if you had read my post in your thread carefully you would have seen, that I was talking about [how in hydro roots will find space] but not in soil, friend.
Your issue was 4" of depth of pot, and I suggested hydro NO soil.

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Live Free and Die well

100% STEALTH GROW Breeding in the Jungle

100% STEALTH GROW a Perpetual Tour

CLONING MADE EASY a Pictorial guide

PERPETUAL GROWING from A to Z

Disclaimer: I cultivate and consume cannabis because IS my right as a human to do so. I DO NOT SELL or encourage anyone to use mj. I'm not endangering your family or your way of life. Don't endanger mine.

kawgomoo

reading comprehension was never my strong point!

i totally agree with swordfish... i think 5 gallons of dirt is total overkill unless you are on the pound per plant mission

KRAIN

IMHO you need one gallon for every foot of plant

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