if you transplant needlessly, you can/will stress the plant to some degree; a risk that may not be worth it.
Hmm, to be real here. To actually "stress" a plant during a transplant. It would have to be a "too early" transplant.
Once the roots of the plant are beginning to "coil" around the bottom of the pot. You'll get no "transplant stress".
In fact I use an old greenhouse trick of transplanting.
You simply let the plant set in the pot till roots are coiling the bottom of the pot.
You then take a growers tool knife and cut the bottom of the un-potted root ball in an X, and up-pot.
I have
never had a plant show any "stress" from up potting this way. In fact, you get a faster, stronger new root set.
the point of the questions is transplanting right before flower. Does transplanting before flower have any effects or should i just go for final pot during veg, thanks.
First off, you use fabric pots. I tested those for a maker when he was about to release them.
I don't like them! Not for cannabis growing... Does great for indoor pepper plants (These can live and produce well for over 50 years - depending on the strain)
You see they make the roots form a super tight root ball in the center of the "pot". This leaves that "air pruned" space around the plant that when you water, the root ball creates an "umbrella" effect. It simply makes a good part of your feed, flow right past the root ball and it runs out the bottom and sides.
This wastes nutrient and makes you use more to actually get that root ball damp... In fact, in testing them. I took a plant ready for harvest (10 gallon fabric pot) and gave it my normal watering. I cut down the plant, removed the root ball and cut it in half The center of that root ball was dry!
I find conventional pots to be more effective when using a stepped transplant method (The maker didn't like my report and used none of it down the road...Wonder why? lol).
I go from rooted plugs to Solo cups, to 1 gallons, to 2 gallons, and finally to 5 gallon pots sometimes 7's and this is for long running landrace Sativa's... This last up potting is done before blooming. I up pot, using my chosen bloom soil for the strain being run.
I now allow that to sit in veg for 8-10 days and then she goes into the bloom room.
I'm using water only soils and this allows the roots to begin to establish and through out the bloom they grow into the soil and use the nutrients available at a perfect rate to finish.
Yes this is for organic runs.
Now I do the same thing for synthetic runs but, leave the plant in the 5 gallon for 14 - 16 days for better root establishment...As the roots go into the soil deeper, they do so at a time when I want them to use the now changing nutrient needs of the plant more effectively.
This works very well and keeps my feed use lower while still pushing my plants at a safe rate, producing closer to potentials of the strain.
While you can use the late up pot method with fabric pots. I would say your using less of the available space in the soil and not as effectively as the normal nursery pot supplies..
You want more air (O2) to the roots? Bubble your water in a storage tank before use and learn to feed a metered amount every day . This brings more O2 to the roots and you simply water an amount that carries you to the next day at lights on (my watering time).
Now there are "air pots" that are plastic and have kinda cone shaped holes in them all over the pot. If you don't want to water everyday, and want increased O2 to the roots..
These work better then fabric pots in my book! Many agree with me on that...
Go forth and up pot at the right time!
