starting in final pot?

TheDabWiz

Well-Known Member
OK so I've been reading and this year instead of starting in small pots and working my way to 5 gallon pots I'd just start the seeds directly in the 5 gal pots but now I've seen a few people saying plants won't get as big as they would starting in small ones and working my way up.....any truth too this? Hopefully someone can help me make up my mind.
 

ISK

Well-Known Member
OK so I've been reading and this year instead of starting in small pots and working my way to 5 gallon pots I'd just start the seeds directly in the 5 gal pots but now I've seen a few people saying plants won't get as big as they would starting in small ones and working my way up.....any truth too this? Hopefully someone can help me make up my mind.
5 gallon pots are large and takes a long time for the plant to establish its roots in that much soil, but saying that, if you are not worried about the extra days it will add onto the total grow, then go for it.

if growing auto's, then i would start in the final pot, if not transplant at least once

pic below is a hempy with a soil cap in a 3 gallon bucket
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TheDabWiz

Well-Known Member
So if I'm growing outdoors it would make my plants longer too veg? And there for have a shorter veg time?
 

707humboldt

Well-Known Member
I use 10g pots indoors and i go straight from cube into 10's and veg most strains to 3-4' bushes in 3-4 weeks. Outdoors I have put cubes straight into 100's and finished with 14' tall blue dreams. I like to put them straight into their final homes. Imo its less stress on the plants by not transplanting them multiple times and letting their roots grow straight out with out restriction instead of being restricted in a smaller pot and then able to grow out more again in a larger pot. Also it cuts down on the amount of work load which really adds up depending on the size of your garden.
This is just my experience and what works for me.
 

TheDabWiz

Well-Known Member
I use 10g pots indoors and i go straight from cube into 10's and veg most strains to 3-4' bushes in 3-4 weeks. Outdoors I have put cubes straight into 100's and finished with 14' tall blue dreams. I like to put them straight into their final homes. Imo its less stress on the plants by not transplanting them multiple times and letting their roots grow straight out with out restriction instead of being restricted in a smaller pot and then able to grow out more again in a larger pot. Also it cuts down on the amount of work load which really adds up depending on the size of your garden.
This is just my experience and what works for me.
I'm only growing 10 plants max and can't pregrow indoors so I have too start from seed outside only. So I figured with this delay I'd start them in their final homes too make up for what I lose not starting inside for a while cause transplanting stresses them out and it would be recovering for basicly the ammount of time I'd have one started indoor anyways. Will I see no growth up top till the roots touch sides of containers? Or will they be just fine? I'm sorry for the dumb questions I just don't wana waste the money and season on one small screw up like starting in too large of a container
 

johnny961

Well-Known Member
Just start in a quart sized peat cup inside & plant outside dig a hole apply ferts & place whole peat pot in ground & there you have it a non stressful way to transplant outdoors!!! They don't work well to transplant indoors though.
 

707humboldt

Well-Known Member
No question is dumb, better to get the most opinions and figure out from that what works best for you on something your not sure about. Imo it will be fine. My plants definitely grow from the start. I have never noticed any stunted growth and they grow nice and strong at a steady rate. Imo you should plant those seeds asap to get the full potential out of them.
 

TheDabWiz

Well-Known Member
Just start in a quart sized peat cup inside & plant outside dig a hole apply ferts & place whole peat pot in ground & there you have it a non stressful way to transplant outdoors!!! They don't work well to transplant indoors though.
I already said I can't grow inside what so ever man....can't dig holes in the side of a mountain so that's not an option either.....
 

TheDabWiz

Well-Known Member
Heres some examples of my girls that went from cubes to 100's and trenches. This picture was taken at the end of august and that is 12' bamboo for a size referenceView attachment 3407072
Did u have clones in the cubes already or start the seed in the cube? I've had a bunch of people trying too tell me I'm going too destroy my yeild if I don't transplant at least once....
 

707humboldt

Well-Known Member
These are clones but what i have done with feminized seeds is germinate them in a paper towel and then put them straight in 100's. With regular seeds i go through a little more of a process to weed out the males before i waste 100g of soil on a male.
 

johnny961

Well-Known Member
I already said I can't grow inside what so ever man....can't dig holes in the side of a mountain so that's not an option either.....
Never realized that you couldn't start them inside I'm kinda baked right now! Lol you could still use the peat pots to start them in outside than transplant to a bigger container withou disturbing the root ball! Hope this helps!
 

TheDabWiz

Well-Known Member
These are clones but what i have done with feminized seeds is germinate them in a paper towel and then put them straight in 100's. With regular seeds i go through a little more of a process to weed out the males before i waste 100g of soil on a male.
I hear that lol wasting 100 gals of soil on a male would sucks. I got all feminized seeds, I'm still gunna put a hole in the middle of my pots once filled and then fill the space with seedling soil so I can then just try and water that part til the plant takes off, as long as its not gunna kill my plants or make then dwarfed I'm gunna stick too my original plan and start in the 5 gal pots
 

TheDabWiz

Well-Known Member
Thats a good plan, you will be perfectly fine. 5 gallons isn't that much pot to fill any way
I'm using smart pots as well so the extra ventilation too the root area should help from over watering as well plus I got a moisture meter and these girls will be getting 10 hours of direct sun everyday.....combined these things and the seedling started mix in the middle and not water the whole pot just like 2 inches from stem out all the way around the plant and no further, all of that should make it work I'd say
 

707humboldt

Well-Known Member
Yes smart pots are great. If I'm going to use a pot, I use smart pots. I use them indoors now too. They are almost impossible to over water. You just have to make sure you don't water too frequently. Just make sure they dry out real good before you water again. I get a feel for the pots weight right after I water to see how heavy it is, then i check the weight by lifting a side up a couple inches to see how dry it is. After a little while you will get a good feel for it and can tell if its time to water or not. Sometimes ill check a few inches under the soil as well to see how dry it is.
 
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