Pot size debate

I'm curious if I could be pulling better results with larger pots. If a plant is not showing any signs of stunted growth, due to lack of growing medium, is it still growing at its optimal level?

Check out these plants, would you have transplanted to a larger pot? The first image shows the largest of the plants and the second shows the largest next to the shortest....i grow multi-strain so the rest of these plants fall within this range. Im thinking this size pot is fine for the smaller of the two and possibly a bit larger. I think i should have transplanted for the larger plant, increasing pot size by at least a gallon or two.

What size are those pots and how long do you usually flower for? It looks like they may indeed benefit from larger pots. To know for sure, you finish flowering, pull the root ball and see how the roots did.

How long did you veg them 3 months?

I use a 3' x 3' x 8" pot for twenty five clones under a 1000w/hps with no veg time. Clay gravel/lava rock.

Mother's Finest said:

What size are those pots and how long do you usually flower for? It looks like they may indeed benefit from larger pots. To know for sure, you finish flowering, pull the root ball and see how the roots did.

Click to expand...

Yea this is what i did last grow, the plants were a bit smaller and i used the same sized pots (6" top diameter, 7" tall, 5" bottom diameter") this time around. The plants i recently harvested were not root bound which led me to think i may be able to grow a bit larger plants, i didnt plan on them getting this big....i think the pots are 1 gallon.

Balzac89 said:

How long did you veg them 3 months?

Click to expand...

They sprouted around Sept 25 2010 lights were flipped Dec 12 2010. About 11 weeks.

bird mcbride said:

I use a 3' x 3' x 8" pot for twenty five clones under a 1000w/hps with no veg time. Clay gravel/lava rock.

Click to expand...

Plants share the pot? Interesting, do they compete for food?

I found 1 gal's get pot bound and 2 gal's are just right. all depends how long you veg.

Use 5 gal.
BUT I see that you have a lot of streaching going on.....Your light is to far for the plant tops.
Keep the light a close distance YET without burning the tops. good 18-24 inch should be good.

ALSO, LST or TOP or FIM will do a lil better with the space you have.

I have to agree on the LST and topping advice. It's a shame to see that single stalk/main stem plant taking up the space the same plant that weighs about double that would take.

Wow. That is a tiny friggin pot to completely flower in. How many days of flowering have you used that pot size for, maximum?

sulldog said:

I found 1 gal's get pot bound and 2 gal's are just right. all depends how long you veg.

Click to expand...

Yea i agree.

1stHempBankLBGrower said:

Use 5 gal.
BUT I see that you have a lot of streaching going on.....Your light is to far for the plant tops.
Keep the light a close distance YET without burning the tops. good 18-24 inch should be good.

ALSO, LST or TOP or FIM will do a lil better with the space you have.

Click to expand...

The stretching is genetics. I have three lights in that room, all you see is one light. The smaller plant was put next to the larger one under the light for the largest. This is what you are lookin at. I have experimented with topping fimming and lst. Take a look at my journal. I am checking out the genetics and how each individual plant grows... its good you state LST, TOP, FIM will do a lil better...i would say it could do a little better not necessarily will.

Serapis said:

I have to agree on the LST and topping advice. It's a shame to see that single stalk/main stem plant taking up the space the same plant that weighs about double that would take.

Click to expand...

Again, i have topped and lst with success. I am trying to let the plants grow, i am more interested in talking about pot size. Take a look through my journals if you want to see lst and topping. Also, you are judging on two pictures....i have a few lst plants in there. I am comparing genetics without topping, lst, etc.

Mother's Finest said:

Wow. That is a tiny friggin pot to completely flower in. How many days of flowering have you used that pot size for, maximum?

Click to expand...

8-12 weeks, no sign of root bound. But these plants are slightly larger than last grow.

I have an old high school buddy with a yardfull of these babies.I have seen trees grown out of them.Shitload of mix to make though.