First grow in northern Maine, indoor to outdoor

I have 16 plants currently and they are recovering from a early pH issue, I have 7 gallon fabric pots I was going to use but I've heard these are to small, what would happen if I used them? And would it be better to till in a bunch of promix and homade compost and a couple bags of perlite and plantem right in the ground in the area I have for them, it has wind protection and a fence I just am not sure how I would deal with pests any tips would be greatly appreciated.

7 gal is too small. I’ve done 12 and 20 gal outdoors in NB and going 30 this year. If you can go in the ground, you’re always better off and your yield will be more than double over the small pots. Pests can be an issue either way you go. If you decide to go in the ground, get your spots prepped now and cover it with a tarp or black garbage bags to help heat the ground up and keep the warmth in. Big issue in northern areas is the ground being too cold until late June. Last year was bad for that around these parts. Really slows things down. One benefit to pots is you can move them around and get them out of the weather if it turns. Good luck!

Baneomaine said:

I have 16 plants currently and they are recovering from a early pH issue, I have 7 gallon fabric pots I was going to use but I've heard these are to small, what would happen if I used them? And would it be better to till in a bunch of promix and homade compost and a couple bags of perlite and plantem right in the ground in the area I have for them, it has wind protection and a fence I just am not sure how I would deal with pests any tips would be greatly appreciated.

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put them in the ground if you can with lots of compost, the biggest problem we have in maine is the sept rain.

thumper60 said:

put them in the ground if you can with lots of compost, the biggest problem we have in maine is the sept rain.

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Please expand on this issue

If you've lived in Maine long you know September can be very wet. Wet can mean Bud Rot.

Sevenleaves said:

If you've lived in Maine long you know September can be very wet. Wet can mean Bud Rot.

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Ok so could I put a tarp over my fenced in area I could just make a canopy or something that's about 9 feet off the ground and just water them myself I have liquid nutes I could add to the water would that be a good or bad idea

Baneomaine said:

Ok so could I put a tarp over my fenced in area I could just make a canopy or something that's about 9 feet off the ground and just water them myself I have liquid nutes I could add to the water would that be a good or bad idea

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I use a 20x30 car port no poly all summer late aug i poly it in an run lots of fans. I sleep a lot better when its pouring rain mid late sept.

Yep, those late summer/early fall hurricanes and heavy rain can and will cause serious issues. As long as you have some way to keep your plants protected then you’ll be fine. Tarps, pots so you can move inside, etc. You really need to take this into consideration growing in the far northeast. It’s a problem. I lost 20% of my harvest two years ago because I tried to weather the storms. I lost a few grams last year because I was proactive.

Seawood said:

Yep, those late summer/early fall hurricanes and heavy rain can and will cause serious issues. As long as you have some way to keep your plants protected then you’ll be fine. Tarps, pots so you can move inside, etc. You really need to take this into consideration growing in the far northeast. It’s a problem. I lost 20% of my harvest two years ago because I tried to weather the storms. I lost a few grams last year because I was proactive.

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Ya last yr we had a nice dry warm fall two yrs in a row i dont think so.