Advice on growing organically in 3-5 gal pots

DankTankerous

DankTankerous

Well-Known Member
Hey Folks,

I grow in a 3x3x72" grow tent and don't have a lot of space, was thinking about doing 3-4 plants in 5 gal pots. I know plants really need root space in organic growing, so i'm wondering how i would go about feeding it organically? I have never tried Greengro or any of those mineral based amendments. Just curious to know if anyone has experience with this. I could do a raised bed, but i think it'd still run out of nutrients
 
Richard Drysift

Richard Drysift

Well-Known Member
The key to prolonging any live soil mix is to add compost and fertilizer(s) in the weeks before there are plants growing in it. Tops dressing also works but putting everything in the soil beforehand helps normalize ph by jump starting decomposition. So let’s say you veg in 3g and want to bloom in 5g. About a month before you want to have your bloom mix ready add some soil to a tote bin or similar container and add ewc and an npk input; maybe a mineral input as well. Something like composted chicken manure and/or fish bone meal. Let it set for 20-30 days and transplant. Mycorrhizae fungi in granular form is also helpful for long term soil health as is using a clean water source free of fluoride and chloramine. For bloom phase look into Jobes organic AP spikes or diy your own. They feed for 8 weeks…
 
cannabiscrusader

cannabiscrusader

Well-Known Member
Richard Drysift said:
The key to prolonging any live soil mix is to add compost and fertilizer(s) in the weeks before there are plants growing in it. Tops dressing also works but putting everything in the soil beforehand helps normalize ph by jump starting decomposition. So let’s say you veg in 3g and want to bloom in 5g. About a month before you want to have your bloom mix ready add some soil to a tote bin or similar container and add ewc and an npk input; maybe a mineral input as well. Something like composted chicken manure and/or fish bone meal. Let it set for 20-30 days and transplant. Mycorrhizae fungi in granular form is also helpful for long term soil health as is using a clean water source free of fluoride and chloramine. For bloom phase look into Jobes organic AP spikes or diy your own. They feed for 8 weeks…
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Completely agree. I have 12 red eye jedi seedlings going right now in solo cups. Right when I dropped the seeds into paper towels, I fill the final pots and give them a good soak to run off and let them sit in it. I'll keep them drenched like this until a week before transplant. They dry out just enough to not drown the plants. There is enough dry amendments to take it to week 6. I do 1 topdress at week 5. This gives the life in the soil time to break down the fresh amendments before the first mix is depleted.

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Richard Drysift

Richard Drysift

Well-Known Member
I’m a big fan of solo cups; they are infinitely reusable. I cut em down the sides for drainage. Also prefer fabric pots over hard plastic but live organic soil likes to stay moist; buckets retain moisture well. Soft pots leak on the floor when saturated but work good with blumats; prevents overwatering. It doesn’t matter what kind of fertilizer you use as long as you keep the mix active with microbes and fungi. Sometimes just a kick start is needed by giving teas or soluble fertilizers like liquid fish. I have flowered a fair number of plants in 5g pots giving “mostly” water only this way.
 
FatherNelson

FatherNelson

Well-Known Member
cannabiscrusader said:
Completely agree. I have 12 red eye jedi seedlings going right now in solo cups. Right when I dropped the seeds into paper towels, I fill the final pots and give them a good soak to run off and let them sit in it. I'll keep them drenched like this until a week before transplant. They dry out just enough to not drown the plants. There is enough dry amendments to take it to week 6. I do 1 topdress at week 5. This gives the life in the soil time to break down the fresh amendments before the first mix is depleted.

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Solid tip. Ive been debating on doing this myself. Soil is ready, just havent baptised by tea yet. Quality post.
 
2cent

2cent

Well-Known Member
5galler here organic and water only almost

max veg 3week or root bound and dry pots happen and I mean it otherwise whole plant goes every shade of deficency

I do 1l pots to 3lpots (rose ones there tall) chip the base off it’s easier to remove them and it sets a good root foot faster
repot into 5gal 1-2week then flip just to allow roots in

now I will Topdress ewc at flower and 4week later
I add malt barley and coconut every 2week
I add fish to water and aloe every now and then
I feed beetroot and potato for fungal food and boost in k
otherwise em1 mollasses

that’s it and they get 5o plants
 
swedsteven

swedsteven

Well-Known Member
Max veg 6 week ... for me i was pulling 8 to10 oz from 5 gallon pot i was top-dressing 2/3 cup every 3 week + a lot off fish fertelizer but it a pain in the ass i had to check my runnof ppm to be sure to always hit more then 3000ppm if not they where lossing there deep green !it all in the gaia green page back in the day peace.
 
2cent

2cent

Well-Known Member
swedsteven said:
Max veg 6 week ... for me i was pulling 8 to10 oz from 5 gallon pot i was top-dressing 2/3 cup every 3 week + a lot off fish fertelizer but it a pain in the ass i had to check my runnof ppm to be sure to always hit more then 3000ppm if not they where lossing there deep green !it all in the gaia green page back in the day peace.
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Yeah exactly lol 3weeks or ya get the major lag as above lol,
 
Fallguy111

Fallguy111

Well-Known Member
CaliEric said:
Four, 3-5 gallon pots would be good for 3x3. admend the soil with lots of good organic amendments and top dress before plants are actually hungry, week before flower is a good time for extra nitrogen.
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IME it can get hard to keep up feeding with a 4 week veg in anything under 5 gallons. I do sometimes run 3 gallons and am typically on my toes keeping them happy. 5 gallons seems to work much better and if you want to hit cruise control I go 10 gallon.
 
cannabiscrusader

cannabiscrusader

Well-Known Member
I think it has been aa few days since I recommended a brief peruse of the ol sip thread. If you want full cruise control, build yourself a sip out of a 17 gallon tote. Water only gets almost every strain to the finish with 3 weeks of veg in the actual sip. First 3 weeks clones are rooted, put into solos, then 1/2 gal pots. Right into the sip after that. I get tip burn if I even add a tea.

SIP thread -- (Sub-Irrigated Planter)

Sub-irrigated planter From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Sub-Irrigated Planter Sub-irrigated planter (SIP) is a generic name for a special type of planting box used in container gardening and commercial landscaping. A SIP is any method of watering plants where the water is introduced from...
www.rollitup.org

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