What size pots should I be using?

Sawzall77

Sawzall77

Well-Known Member
Hey there. I will be starting 8 plants from seed soon for the summer outdoor grow. I hope they will be 2 feet ish by the time they are outside (mid June). It will be my first out door grow and I’m wondering how big a fabric pot to get? Considering the plant will be quite mature going outside should the pots be 100 plus gallons or? And if so I’m assuming it would be a bad idea to transplant a 5g to 100g? Would that be stupid? Lol any advice would be great!
 
I start my plants in1 gallon pots & move them to 2 gallon pots to sex them in.I move them to 4 ft by 4 ft by 3ft deep holes or 60 gallon smart pots,the ones in the holes average about 5 or 6 lbs & the smart pots about half that size.
 
Also, I plan on building a raised platform that is level as my best spot for sun is on a hillside. Will be quite the chore to bring soil up there! Lol my concern is drainage...I fear water will evaporate quickly if I use fabric liner as it will get plenty of air and the fact that it is raised off the ground. Now that I saw the thread on the 400 gallon grow. I am thinking of pretty much doing what Ganga girl did but line it with felt not screening. Any thoughts...
 
Hmmm. Interesting. Will that hold moisture better? I sure would think so. I should note that it’s a hill of mossy granite rock I will be growing on/in lol
 
Ok good to know and thanks for your input! I’m going to twiddle my thumbs about it for the little while we ALL have now lol. I can’t afford 6-8 200 plus G pots is the problem so I’m going to have to rig a box of sorts out of lumber and maybe line it with fabric. More time but less money right? Lmao never mind the load of soil/mixes! I hope I can afford to fill my beds with dirt haha
 
Sawzall77 said:
Ok good to know and thanks for your input! I’m going to twiddle my thumbs about it for the little while we ALL have now lol. I can’t afford 6-8 200 plus G pots is the problem so I’m going to have to rig a box of sorts out of lumber and maybe line it with fabric. More time but less money right? Lmao never mind the load of soil/mixes! I hope I can afford to fill my beds with dirt haha
Click to expand...
Best of luck...I will answer an questions that i can to help you.
P.S. good soil cost much more than the fabric pot. Start with the best soil you can find. we buy truck loads of premium soil and it pays off in the end.....
 
Sawzall77 said:
Also, I plan on building a raised platform that is level as my best spot for sun is on a hillside. Will be quite the chore to bring soil up there! Lol my concern is drainage...I fear water will evaporate quickly if I use fabric liner as it will get plenty of air and the fact that it is raised off the ground. Now that I saw the thread on the 400 gallon grow. I am thinking of pretty much doing what Ganga girl did but line it with felt not screening. Any thoughts...
Click to expand...



If you do make your own and you're in a financial pinch, you can construct decent size "containers" by recycling pallets, and building a corral out of them and lining them with noncolored cardboard.

Some people have sourced old cardboard gaylords and used those as the liner. Rope, wire or nails can hold it all together. Your plants don't care what the container looks like, they do care what their roots are in though..

They end up being about 4' x 4' x 4' . If that's too voluminous, simply cut them down to the size you want. They don't move very well, but neither do fabric pots over 100 gallons.

Pallets if you're industrious can be sourced free or cheaply. They also make good firewood or compost eventually when they're done as grow pots. Get two birds stoned at once, etc. Good luck.
 
Sawzall77 said:
Hey there. I will be starting 8 plants from seed soon for the summer outdoor grow. I hope they will be 2 feet ish by the time they are outside (mid June). It will be my first out door grow and I’m wondering how big a fabric pot to get? Considering the plant will be quite mature going outside should the pots be 100 plus gallons or? And if so I’m assuming it would be a bad idea to transplant a 5g to 100g? Would that be stupid? Lol any advice would be great!
Click to expand...

You may have already considered two other things... Your location and the genetics of the strains you intend to grow.

No point in putting a plant in a 200 gallon container if it doesn't have the genetics to "go big" . Or trying to grow stuff that might not finish on time in your location. A 10 foot plant that has another month to go In flower and you're already getting frost will only make you sad.
 
Rob Roy said:
You may have already considered two other things... Your location and the genetics of the strains you intend to grow.

No point in putting a plant in a 200 gallon container if it doesn't have the genetics to "go big" . Or trying to grow stuff that might not finish on time in your location. A 10 foot plant that has another month to go In flower and you're already getting frost will only make you sad.
Click to expand...
That’s a good point! I’m going to be growing jack herer, northern lights(unless it flowers too late), power+mk, af gooey. I’ll check the specs on flowering times for outdoor though. I’m in the North on the 49 parallel so your sure right I will have problems with October harvests
 
So I’m thinking of getting an order of mushroom compost for my beds. $69 CAD/yard. Premium of premiums in my area. Apparently people are loving it. Anyone with something to say about mushroom compost? Seems like my best option....
 
Mushroom compost works well but you also have the concern of where it comes from and how much salt buildup it may have in it. Mushroom compost is made up of straw, hay, chicken/horse manure and whatever else they put in it. You can use it but it's alkaline in nature and varies greatly.

You could just use manure and straw and let your soil compost itself over time. That's exactly what I do. I buy manure and alfalfa straw and put it in all my beds. I usually use the straw as ground cover and it slowly works into the soil over time. The straw also attracts many beneficial organisms like worms and bugs that benefit your soil.

As long as people know that mushroom compost has animal products in it and you're dealing with an unknown amount of salt in it. Most people find it works but it does come with an inherent risk, however small that might be.
 
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