Will A 3 Instead Of A 5 Gallon Pot Make Much Difference In Final Bud Production?

WordUp

Active Member
Will using a 3 gallon instead of a 5 gallon planting pot make much difference in the final bud production? Make the a05׶©!Äon that you have enough room for a 5 gallon pot.

If using a 5 gallon pot, is it best to first plant in a smaller pot first then transfering into the larger 5 gallon later or can you just plant directly into the 5 gallon after the initial sprouting?

Where is the best place to buy these large planting pots? Can you reuse the soil or do you always have to use new organic soil? I know that soil mixure is fairly cheap, but was just wondering. That is a lot of soil to get rid of if you live in an apartment, condo, townhouse, etc.
 

northerntights

Well-Known Member
That depends on the method your using to grow, SOG, SGROG, christmas tree etc. But in general, the bigger pot is better, the root system will be less cramped and grow more quickly. In a 3 gallon pot your somewhat limited to a single cola grow. I used them for mine and very quickly, even with a single cola grow, they because severely root bound. I'm using 5 gallon myself now.
 

the widowman

Well-Known Member
you only need 3 gallon pots. get a sandy multi compost. and use perlite follow the instructions on the perlite bag
 

WordUp

Active Member
That depends on the method your using to grow, SOG, SGROG, christmas tree etc. But in general, the bigger pot is better, the root system will be less cramped and grow more quickly. In a 3 gallon pot your somewhat limited to a single cola grow. I used them for mine and very quickly, even with a single cola grow, they because severely root bound. I'm using 5 gallon myself now.
I do not know why in my initial post it has weird characters, but the word is suppose to be "assumption"...Make the assumption that you have enough room for a 5 gallon pot.

Okay, so if growers have enough space get a 5 gallon pot. Where are some good places to buy these pots and do you have a preference on the type of material the pot is made of (plastic, ceramic, etc.)? Do you replant into bigger pots as it gets larger?
 

WordUp

Active Member
you only need 3 gallon pots. get a sandy multi compost. and use perlite follow the instructions on the perlite bag
So a 3 or 5 gallon pot is fine and will not make much difference in the final bud production just as long as growers use the right soil mixture?

What about getting rid of the soil or can we reuse and mix it with new soil?
 

the widowman

Well-Known Member
thats why you use multi purpose compost its cheap so you can use fresh compost every grow. using a second time increases the chance of disease
 

castewalpha

Well-Known Member
Okay, so if growers have enough space get a 5 gallon pot. Where are some good places to buy these pots and do you have a preference on the type of material the pot is made of (plastic, ceramic, etc.)? Do you replant into bigger pots as it gets larger?
You can get five and three gallon buckets at hardware stores, Home Depot, Lowe's, etc. Just drill holes it the bottom of the buckets for drainage. You can also get regular plant pots at garden centers. I don't think that it matters much what the pot or bucket is made of as long as its not clear (not good to have light on your roots). Also avoid making a pot out of wood because wood absorbs water and tends to get moldy.
Yes it is good to transplant from small pots into bigger pots. What this does is allow the roots to fill the smaller pot before putting it in a bigger pot. If you put a seedling straight into a 5 gallon pot they don't have the root mass to absorb the water after a watering. The soil stays wet and the roots have a tendency to rot. Hope this helped. :peace:
 

castewalpha

Well-Known Member
What about getting rid of the soil or can we reuse and mix it with new soil?
Many people reuse soil without problems. It is a good idea to sterilize your soil to kill any mold, bacteria or "bugs" that may have gotten into it. You can do this by cooking it in the oven. There is a post around here somewhere about this....something like 400 degrees for an hour.

As for the size of pots to use, a general rule of thumb is 1 gallon of pot space for each foot in height. I would say that a three gallon pot would be good for a 3 to 4 foot plant.
 

WordUp

Active Member
You can get five and three gallon buckets at hardware stores, Home Depot, Lowe's, etc. Just drill holes it the bottom of the buckets for drainage. You can also get regular plant pots at garden centers. I don't think that it matters much what the pot or bucket is made of as long as its not clear (not good to have light on your roots). Also avoid making a pot out of wood because wood absorbs water and tends to get moldy.
Yes it is good to transplant from small pots into bigger pots. What this does is allow the roots to fill the smaller pot before putting it in a bigger pot. If you put a seedling straight into a 5 gallon pot they don't have the root mass to absorb the water after a watering. The soil stays wet and the roots have a tendency to rot. Hope this helped. :peace:
That helps a lot. Buckets with holes drilled at the bottom sounds like a good idea. What do you use or put under these buckets to catch any drainage if there is any?

How do you transfer from a big pot to a much bigger pot? I assume you do not just carefully pull the plant out each time.
 

videoman40

Well-Known Member
Cooking your soil is a bad idea, cooking it is going to kill all the "good stuff", so unless you are certain that you've had in infestation.....and if you did have one, than toss that soil and buy new.

If you didnt have an infestation, by all means, add some new soil and re-use it, and 3 gallon pots is more than suffucient for an indoor grow.
Peace
 

castewalpha

Well-Known Member
That helps a lot. Buckets with holes drilled at the bottom sounds like a good idea. What do you use or put under these buckets to catch any drainage if there is any?

How do you transfer from a big pot to a much bigger pot? I assume you do not just carefully pull the plant out each time.
How can I transplant my plant into a bigger pot?


How can I transplant my plant into a bigger pot?



Contributed by: jem1ranger
Submitted: 03-14-2003


We are now 21 days old and time to move out of the house and get a job. Well get a new house anyway. I am a first time (serious) grower of my own, and today I am going to show the step by step method to transplant from a 6" pot to a final home (I only know the home is a lot bigger).


This is Stretch, so called because she stands heads above the others all the same age. Say HIGH to stretch.











Here you see that I have already prepared the soil in advance. The pot is about 2/3 full with a bowl made in the bottom about 4-5" down slightly off center. I used water and a bit of Epsom salt to wet the soil as I saw a slight (maybe mg) yellowing on some other plants. (Preventative measures?)

Note: If you are using a soil mix with organic ferts it MUST be prepared at least 7-10 days before using it (the time needed for the micro fauna and flora to develop). Of course, if you just mix plain potting soil (pre-fertilized) with neutral additives like perlite, this is less important.


I use the handle of a spoon or knife to go around the edge of the pot to loosen the soil. I could feel the resistance when I came upon a lot of roots and went around them. If you use an up/down motion it will loosen the soil as well.









After you have gone around the plant entirely, turn the plant over using your hand to support the stem and soil coming out. I put the stem between my fingers and cover as much surface of the soil as I could.









In the bottom of your pot I use the drain holes to push out the soil. Go around once and gently shake and lift the pot away from the soil. (I cheated a bit in that I placed a coffee filter in the bottom of the planter prior to adding soil, and yes the roots went through no problem).








Now take what you have in your hand and gently try to loosen the soil a bit. (It?s not a big deal if only very little comes apart.)











Place this into the hole you created in the new pot, you should be about 3 inches below the top of the pot.











Now you should give it about a cup or so of water. I would advise to water around the plant, not directly at the base. Soaking the medium is really useless, plus it won't promote fast root growth.











Then I top it off will some more soil until it?s almost to the top and just give it a good spray to wet it down a bit.











There you go stretch; this will be you home until your day comes. It only took me 12 minutes from start to finish. You should start to see growth again in a few days.

Added on: Tuesday, April 24, 2007 Viewed: 101 times
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castewalpha

Well-Known Member
^^^The above post came from the GrowFAQ at the top of the page. Look under transplanting. There is alot of usefull stuff there.
 

castewalpha

Well-Known Member
Sorry, I was wrong earlier on how to treat old soil if you decide to do so. I said to cook it too hot for too long. Sorry for the bad info. This should clear it up. This also came from the GrowFAQ.
Treating old soil

How do I treat old soil?

Contributed by: GyroProtagonist
Submitted: March 2nd, 2005

How to properly clean your dirty old soil!

Disclaimer: I'd like to say that none of the information provided has been discovered by myself. I just did a lot of research on the subject because of a number of complaints from fellow soil growers about fungus gnat infested soil, moldy soil, problems recycling soil, etc.

INTRODUCTION:

Occasionally everyone gets a bad batch of soil...you all know what I'm talking about. You're finally ready for your transplant so you open up your bag of rich, organic soil only to find it's filled with fungus gnats or some other unwelcome pest. Soil-borne fungi and nematodes can be very destructive to your crops, causing seed rot, seedling diseases, and vascular wilts.

TREATMENTS:

There are various ways to treat soil that is infested. The safest and most popular method is Heat Treatment. Various soil fumigants exist which create a toxic environment in the soil and will remain toxic for a few weeks or more depending on what kind of fumigant is used.

“Sterilizing” is actually a misnomer, since complete sterilization would completely eliminate every living thing in the soil, creating a “biological vacuum”. This “vacuum” would then give an accidentally reintroduced disease-causing organisms the opportunity to multiply and spread rapidly, causing a severe disease situation.

Instead, treatments can be used that will eliminate the undesirable organisms, but leave many of the harmless or beneficial soil organisms (called pasteurization). This remaining microbial population will compete with any introduced troublemaker and help prevent it from becoming established and spreading rapidly in the treated soil.

Heat Treatment

Temperature control is CRITICAL when heat treating soils. Overheating or under heating can lead undesirable results. Most disease-causing fungi are killed by a 30-minute treatment at 140°F.

Plant parasitic bacteria, most plant viruses, and soil insects are killed at 160°F for 30 minutes, and most weed seeds between 160° and 180°F for 30 minutes.

Remember: the higher the treatment temperature, the greater the number of beneficial organisms that will also be killed.

DO NOT OVERHEAT! Chemicals toxic to plant growth can be produced in soils when temperatures reach around 212°F (boiling point of water and temperature of steam). This more commonly occurs with soils having high organic matter content. A maximum treatment of 160°F for 30 minutes is suggested.

Oven Method:

Place the soil in containers so that the soil is level, not more than 4 inches deep. A glass or metal baking pan will work fine. Cover each container tightly with aluminum foil. Place a meat or candy thermometer through the foil and into the center of the soil. Set the oven to 160-180°F and heat for 30 minutes after the soil temperature reaches 160°F. After the treatment, allow the soil to cool.

Note: For large amounts of soil it may not be possible to use an oven. Instead you can use the heat of the sun. First break up the soil and make sure it’s moist. If not, water it and cover with a piece of plastic. Add more soil around the edges of the plastic to keep it from coming loose and letting the moisture and heat out. Leave the soil undisturbed under the sun for a few weeks before planting.

[Editor's note: greenhouses commonly use electric soil sterilizers, able to process larger amounts of topsoil.]

Soil Fumigants
There are various products available for use in outdoor plots that can be used when heat treatment is not an option. These products are VERY hazardous and should not be used under any circumstances where you're plants are already in the plots!

They are for treating unplanted soil and once applied, the area must be covered with a tarp and left. Aeration times vary. Read the label.

Contributed by: AeRoGaNiC

Salts
I just put a post in the grow faq about Cation Exchange Capacity. Read the short little part about Sodium buildup. 15% total saturation is considered borderline toxicity. From what I’ve read Clearex is awesome.

Compost
I have seen research suggesting a high beneficial bacteria and micro-organism content helps prevent outbreaks from undesired critters.

The technique your talking about to sterilize compost piles is called solarizing. You can get more information but I've heard of just putting clear plastic sheeting over the pile.

DO NOT OVERHEAT! Chemicals toxic to plant growth can be produced in soils when temperatures reach around 212°F (boiling point of water and temperature of steam). This more commonly occurs with soils having high organic matter content. A maximum treatment of 160°F for 30 minutes is suggested.

Organic matter such as humus or clay have high Cation Exchange Capacity. If you’ve ever taken chem 100 you know heat accelerates the release of bonds between ionized metal salts and the medium.
 

babygro

Well-Known Member
Will using a 3 gallon instead of a 5 gallon planting pot make much difference in the final bud production? Make the a05׶©!Äon that you have enough room for a 5 gallon pot.
Yes. Bigger root mass = bigger yield, but only if the rootball is allowed to develop properly.

If using a 5 gallon pot, is it best to first plant in a smaller pot first then transfering into the larger 5 gallon later or can you just plant directly into the 5 gallon after the initial sprouting?
It's best to 'pot the plant' up in stages, so the rootzone has a chance to develop correctly. So start out in a 4 inch pot, 1L pot, pot up in 3-4 weeks to an 8 inch 2/3L pot, then 3-4 weeks to a 10/12 inch 10L pot, then a week or so and into your 5 Gal flowering pot, where you let it root out for the first week or so then switch to 12/12. I just go from 1L 4" pots to 8 inch 2/3L pots to 10 inch 6/7L pots which I flower in.

Where is the best place to buy these large planting pots? Can you reuse the soil or do you always have to use new organic soil? I know that soil mixure is fairly cheap, but was just wondering. That is a lot of soil to get rid of if you live in an apartment, condo, townhouse, etc.
No idea where you'd find pots in the US. Don't reuse old soil, it's not worth all the hassle involved to be honest, you're far better chucking it out and starting with fresh.
 

WordUp

Active Member
It's best to 'pot the plant' up in stages, so the rootzone has a chance to develop correctly. So start out in a 4 inch pot, 1L pot, pot up in 3-4 weeks to an 8 inch 2/3L pot, then 3-4 weeks to a 10/12 inch 10L pot, then a week or so and into your 5 Gal flowering pot, where you let it root out for the first week or so then switch to 12/12. I just go from 1L 4" pots to 8 inch 2/3L pots to 10 inch 6/7L pots which I flower in.
Thanks babygro (and everyone else) for their help and expertise.

I was just looking at some buckets online at homedepot.com and lowes.com. Is it better for the 5 (or 3) gallon bucket (or pot) to be tall and slender, or should it be more equally proportionate?
 

fat sam

Well-Known Member
a general rule is 1 gallon for every foot of growth, you can use soil again but its really not a good idea, the old stuff is loaded with salts and different shit thats bad for the plant, you can use sensizyme from AN to eat up the dead roots, if you do reuse then make sure to flush the hell out of it and you will be fine, or better yet use new and old soil at a 50/50 mix, i live in an apt and how i get rid of the soil is just put it in trash bags and toss it in the dumpster the night before garbage day
 

cbdthcwhoopper

Active Member
There's plenty of water catchers out there.. little plastic cheap things. BGhydro.com (bettergrowhydro) has a great selection of buckets and pots cheaaaap. I've started buying everything I can't find at the local Hydro store there. Lots of stuff for soil growers as well.. I've had luck with the Ocean Forest soil mix by Fox Farm. I'm working on seeing the difference between 5 gal and 3 gal right now. However,m i just bought an 18 gallon tub for my first hydro grow, so I'll be able to compare them all against eachother. Transplanting is a gentle operation. Make sure the soil is a bit damp, not totally wet, try to keep the soil together in one huge clump and place some new soil in the bottom of the bucket yoiu're transplanting into ...jus enough to where when you add the clump and plant you're transplanting will be at just the right height as compared to the top of the pot. Hope that helps?

Matthew Riot
 
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