growing pots/containers

I am using some 4 gal and 5 gal buckets for my growing pots. These are really convenient, especially the 4 gal pots, as they are square. They are a translucent white. Are these ok to use as pots? It didn't seem to make a diff with the first grow (Such as it was). As usual, I got to thinking about this (I really gotta stop doing that), I DO have a tenency to "over-engineer" the simplest things.
I am concerned that light will penetrate and affect the root system. Am I being overly cautious? Should I either paint them black, or cover them with opaque black vinyl?

It matters if your going for perfection. The light that penetrates will turn the roots green and kill them. When your done, take out the root ball and examine the roots. You can learn a lot from this. The root zone is just as important, if not more, than the whats above ground. Paint em or cover em. Don't matter. Try growing one, one way and another one without the cover and see what happens.

Blow4Life said:

It matters if your going for perfection. The light that penetrates will turn the roots green and kill them. When your done, take out the root ball and examine the roots. You can learn a lot from this. The root zone is just as important, if not more, than the whats above ground. Paint em or cover em. Don't matter. Try growing one, one way and another one without the cover and see what happens.

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I have a plant in one thats finishing flowering and is about 2 weeks from harvest. It doesn't SEEM to have harmed the plant, but then I have no idea what it would have done if the pot had been opaque.


AAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!
Sometimes I think WAY too much.

When your done, take the ball out and look at the roots closest to the outside. That will tell you how much damage was done.

Blow4Life said:

When your done, take the ball out and look at the roots closest to the outside. That will tell you how much damage was done.

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Will do. I'll post pics if anyones interested. What would I do, just rinse the ball well?