This question is for people who have grown those big yielding outdoor plants. What amount of soil per plant should I be using for a 3 month veg? I was considering 100-130 gallons but am I missing out on a lot of potential growth by not going bigger? Obviously the biggest size you can go is the best but if I wanted to grow a 1 lb+ plant from seed, am I making it difficult on myself by not going bigger than a 130 gallon? Anyone want to share what they know from experience? Like what pot size, genetics, hours of direct sunlight and veg time resulted in what yield? I know you can't really predict your yield because of the number of factors involved but I want to try to get a realistic expectation from other peoples experience. I plan to feed with a modified cootz type soil (something like what you would see on kis or buildasoil) and a variety of teas and knf inputs. Anyone want to share?
amount of soil for 3 month veg
- Thread starter shwamp
- Start date
Chief_Broom
Well-Known Member
I’d say a decent amount of soil to grow an outdoor plant to maximum size would be 100 gallons. Bigger is better but 100 gallons of quality soil in a spot that receives full sun all day can easily produce a massive cannabis plant.
Of course the size that a plant can grow to depends on genetics. An indica dominant strain will only grow so big. True you can train, top, and support an indica to drive that yield even higher but for me that starts to become too much work. Sativa dominant strains are where you’ll see the biggest benefit from pot size to final yield because that can grow so big compared to indicas.
I grow indica strains outdoors because while I want to maximize yield I need the shorter growing period. Those 15’ tall sativas definitely win out when it comes to yield, but you’ll be looking at a 6 to 9 month total growing time to bring her to harvest. Indica runs for me usually take 5 months (approximately 10 week veg an 10 week flower). Yield is much smaller but I’ll run 3 or 4 plants in a 200 gallon spot, get a yield of around a pound per plant, and be done in that 5 month window. I’ve grown 1 or 2 sativas in that same 200 gallons before and while the results were fantastic my nerves can’t take the additional 2-3 months it takes to finish the grow.
Of course the size that a plant can grow to depends on genetics. An indica dominant strain will only grow so big. True you can train, top, and support an indica to drive that yield even higher but for me that starts to become too much work. Sativa dominant strains are where you’ll see the biggest benefit from pot size to final yield because that can grow so big compared to indicas.
I grow indica strains outdoors because while I want to maximize yield I need the shorter growing period. Those 15’ tall sativas definitely win out when it comes to yield, but you’ll be looking at a 6 to 9 month total growing time to bring her to harvest. Indica runs for me usually take 5 months (approximately 10 week veg an 10 week flower). Yield is much smaller but I’ll run 3 or 4 plants in a 200 gallon spot, get a yield of around a pound per plant, and be done in that 5 month window. I’ve grown 1 or 2 sativas in that same 200 gallons before and while the results were fantastic my nerves can’t take the additional 2-3 months it takes to finish the grow.
Wouldn't 4 one pound plants overcrowd each other in 200 gallons? How wide should I be expecting a 1lb plant to be?
Also, why so much extra time for sativas? Most sativas I seen are labeled as only 2-3 weeks longer flowering time.
You got a forest in the background blocking your sun. I already get annoyed of my neighbors 15 foot fruit trees lol.
That's good news though. I think I'll be fine with my pot size and hours of sunlight. I too only get around 8 hours of direct sunlight in my spot.
Chief_Broom
Well-Known Member
The spot I use is in the middle of a patio and was originally an in ground fountain. It’s probably 7’ in diameter an 1.5’ deep. I’ve had 5 indicas in it before With minimal crowding issues. I’ve run 2 big sativas there too but they filled up the space pretty good. Still those numbers seemed to work well in the space.
The indicas get about 5’-6’ tall and I let them do their thing. I don’t do any training or topping, so that helps keep the plants fairly compact. I do use that green plastic temporary fencing (5’ high) to surround the plot, keeps my dogs out and provides support and protection, and I can use it to secure additional support as needed.
Finishing time is simply what I’ve experienced. I germinate the seeds April 1 and keep them indoors till May 15 matching the time of light to what they’ll get when they go outside. Usually they are a foot or so tall when I put them in the ground. I live at 33 north an May 15 is after the last frost an first frost is mid November. For some reason when I grow indicas they have always shown their sex around the Summer Solstice (June 20) and then go into full flower. Where I live the longest day of the year is only a little over 14 hours long, so maybe that’s why they flower so early. Indicas always finish up for me at the beginning of September. Sativas on the other hand will start showing sex at the same time as indicas, but then take a month or more to really start flowering. Then they take till October to early November to finish.
Why this happens I don’t know (I’m no expert) but just what consistently happens for me. Another forum member, who I believe grows in North Florida, has similar experiences as me.
The indicas get about 5’-6’ tall and I let them do their thing. I don’t do any training or topping, so that helps keep the plants fairly compact. I do use that green plastic temporary fencing (5’ high) to surround the plot, keeps my dogs out and provides support and protection, and I can use it to secure additional support as needed.
Finishing time is simply what I’ve experienced. I germinate the seeds April 1 and keep them indoors till May 15 matching the time of light to what they’ll get when they go outside. Usually they are a foot or so tall when I put them in the ground. I live at 33 north an May 15 is after the last frost an first frost is mid November. For some reason when I grow indicas they have always shown their sex around the Summer Solstice (June 20) and then go into full flower. Where I live the longest day of the year is only a little over 14 hours long, so maybe that’s why they flower so early. Indicas always finish up for me at the beginning of September. Sativas on the other hand will start showing sex at the same time as indicas, but then take a month or more to really start flowering. Then they take till October to early November to finish.
Why this happens I don’t know (I’m no expert) but just what consistently happens for me. Another forum member, who I believe grows in North Florida, has similar experiences as me.
Oh
Oh you meant that they flower later. I don't know why I didn't realize that. I was imagining them flowering at the same time for some reason. This happens because of photoperiod sensitivity differences in strains. I'm not an expert either but I know a little bit. Sativas originate from places near the equator and indicas from north or south of it. The differences in the hours of light their strain ancestors received is why some strains are more likely to start flowering with less hours of darkness than others.