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Choosing Container Size


medmanmike

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In week five of flowering.  4 ladies in 7 gal pots in a 3' X 3' room.  Though I LST'ed, topped and pruned, I have four huge bushes resulting a wall of green and fluffy flowers developing!  I'm thinking of moving to 5 gal containers for my next grow. This will allow me to have 9 containers/plants in the same space as four.  However, I know I'll need to prune like hell down to just a couple of main colas per plant.

 

I'm all for huge root development and totally understand the "why" of large containers, but would like some feedback on moving to 5 gal pots.  Technically, I know I could grow and flower in a 2 liter pop bottle, but....

 

If I decide to move to 5 gal pots, what would be the best method of pruning to reach my objective.  Thanks in advance!

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Rather than waste the plant's energy and fiber growing what you can't use and are going to waste your time trimming, fimming, shaping, LSTing, and topping; I'd start with a natural single cola strain that puts up one huge heavy spike (donkey dickie).

Edited by pic book
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BEST:  because you put your scissors away.  put blue dream or grape god in 2 gallon pots and 12/12 them from seed--massive single donkey spikes result.

JUST OK, CAUSE IT'S MORE WORK: 12/12 blue dream or grape god clones.  Clones make many more side-branch-volunteers-to-be-colas-in-a-supporting role--chop every minor spike wanna-be.

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what is your objective ?

 

left alone the strains you grow will have a main cola to tend to without any trimming. You could lollipop them to keep all the growth at the top of the plant with stalks bare.  keep in mind big colas demand more resources, like humidity control, air flow, c02, etc

 

 

... but....

 

If I decide to move to 5 gal pots, what would be the best method of pruning to reach my objective.  Thanks in advance!

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Rather than waste the plant's energy and fiber growing what you can't use and are going to waste your time trimming, fimming, shaping, LSTing, and topping; I'd start with a natural single cola strain that puts up one huge heavy spike (donkey dickie).

Do you have a recommendation?

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BEST:  because you put your scissors away.  put blue dream or grape god in 2 gallon pots and 12/12 them from seed--massive single donkey spikes result.

JUST OK, CAUSE IT'S MORE WORK: 12/12 blue dream or grape god clones.  Clones make many more side-branch-volunteers-to-be-colas-in-a-supporting role--chop every minor spike wanna-be.

Thanks. Got it...

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MedmanMike,

 

If I may ask, do you have that many plants because they are all different strains? That would be the only reason to grow that many plants in a small space  (IMO). In all honesty, it depends what you are after. Lollipopping is a must most of the time, but you have to remember.. anything you cut off the plant, you spent money in electricity to get that.. so you are better off training the plant so the bottom branches become top colas. Lollipopping should consist of removing tiny shooters that won't get light - and that's it.

 

If there is one thing that I learned as a grower (took years, and lots of money), that I was extremely stubborn with.. is LESS is MORE. It doesn't make much sense on paper, but in reality it's the absolute truth. My best crops were when I was growing 1 plant per 1000w light.. yep.. ONE plant! The plant is much happier because they have the room to themselves.. When you start crowding plants under a light, that's when they start stretching and competing with one another, and you are left with a bunch of sticks with a few buds on top. My best plant was in a 4x4 Scrog, 1 light, and I was running an 18 gallon DWC bucket with 6 air stones. Not to mention, you save yourself time having to water and prune multiple plants - which gives you more time to pamper the one you have and to make sure it's an absolute BEAST!

 

Being in soil, I recommend starting in 1 gallon pots, then transplanting only ONCE into the container you plan on using - and hit it heavy with some beneficials (Great White). If you plan on doing the 1 plant per light, I would go with a geo pot/raised bed with a trellis net (http://www.geopot.com/products/trellis-kit)

You really want a wide container, not a deep one. The wider the roots are, the wider the plant will (can) be. You will still have to train the plant how you want it with a little LST and lollipopping; but the scrog net will help you more than you can imagine. If you want to run 6 plants under a light, then 5 gallons would work perfect.. just make sure they are no bigger than 2 feet when you flip into flower, or else you would have wasted time and money.

 

In all reality, there isn't really a right or wrong way to do it.. It's about preference.. but if you want the most bang for your buck, with the least amount of problems, growing 1 plant per light is truly the way to go. Not trying to hit you with a bunch of links.. but here is my plant at week 4 of flower on youtube..



Hope this helps!
Keep it Green!
-Dr. B
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Dr. Bob,

 

Thanks for the thoughtful reply. Your comments, along with the others, are welcomed as this is my first grow and I sure do have a lot to learn! I'm just lerning about lollipoping and have already begun experimenting with my second grow (young clones).

 

It never occurred to me to grow just one plant! What yields do you get from your one plant method? What strain(s) are you growing? (Yes, I have three strains in my 3 by 3 space.) if the yield is there, I can see doing a single plant and just alternating between different strains.

 

I have 9 clones going so I will probably go with my 5 gal idea this time and lollipop them well.

 

The trellis pot looks interesting. I may have to try it.

 

Thanks again, mmm

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