How much space, what size pots, and what size MH do I need to veg to 12"-15"?

[StinkyStubb]

How much space, what size pots, and what size MH do I need to veg to 12"-15"?

Would 1 gallon pots be the right size to use if I plan on vegging to a height of 12"-15" before transplanting into 3 gallon pots and flowering under a 1000 watt HPS?

Whats the minimum amount of space (In square feet) I would need to veg 16 plants to a height of 12"-15" if they are in 1 gallon pots?

What size MH would be best to veg 16 plants to a height of 12"-15" before flowering under a 1000 watt HPS?

Will that size of MH create enough heat that it needs to be in an air cooled shade to prevent raising room temps to high or can I leave it in an open shade?

Lots of questions. Thanks everyone.

StinkyStubb

 

[abirdintheair]

id start smaller...i read somewhere once that a well known grower named Bog would transplant 4 times, from cup to quart to gal right before flower and 4 gal pots the 2nd or 3rd week i think of flower, but i could be wrong. By going smaller and moving up before they become rootbound will promote more growth i think instead of just putting seedlings in gal pots right away. my current grow im doing was started in reg cups under a cfl until they were all atleast 7-8" than transplanted into 16oz cups when thrown into flower. ive already had alot of explosive growth and i still have one more transplant to go. I might be off a little bit, but if i am not by much....hope some of this helps ya out

 

[Dr Dog]

It is tough to get plants that are put into huge pots right away to grow properly, due to the hugeness of the pot, the roots don't really fill out nice enough and tend to just grow straight down. The other issue is that it is damn near impossible to water correctly, you never know if they need water because there is so much left over in the pot, that the roots won't use up
I start with a 4 inch pot, depending on how they take that, either 6 inch or 10 inch, then into the large 4 gallon pots for flowering/mothering
I use a 400 w mh, works fine for me, but remember that your plants can double in size when flowering

 

[Ziggaro]

1 foot of growth for 1 gallon of soil as a rough estimate. So you'll probably be rootbound at least slightly

 

[StinkyStubb]

So I should start out vegging in a party/beer cup, then transplant into a 1gal pot, then transplant one last time into a 3gal pot before flowering?

Also does anyone know how much room sixteen 1gal pots will take up?

And does a 400MH put off enough heat that you should put it in an air cooled shade to prevent it from raising your veg room temps?

StinkyStubb

 

[Wiimote]

Personally, I do beer cup, to 6in pot, to 2-3l soda bottle, to 3-5 gallon bucket (depending on strain and how well I LSTed) for flower. I shoot for 12-15in tall (LSTed however) to go into flower. I can fit 16 (snugly) 2l soda bottles in a space slightly over 2x2 feet. I've found that doing it this way will prevent the "heavy" spot of water from areas you don't have enough root density in that happens when you go too big too quick.

I veg under CFLs though so sorry I can't help with the MH questions.

 

[StinkyStubb]

Wiimote- Im sure it depends on strain type and what not, but how long does it usually take you to become root bound in each size of container you use? BTW thanks for the reply.

Thanks also to everyone else for the helpful information.

StinkyStubb

 

[Wiimote]

I don't let anything get rootbound. My girls are in each container for 10 days to 2 weeks. From seed they end up around 16-18in (LSTed) when I enter flower. When I go from clones though, I skip the 3l bottle step, it seems to me the clones make that last leap better if it is larger one, where the ones form seed really like that extra 10 days to 2 weeks veg time.

 

[Dr Dog]

That is where I would differ, I tend to let them get slightly rootbound, mainly for two reasons, hold the soil better when I get it out the pot, and I find they really take to their new homes very quickly
Just my experience, I am sure Wii has had good results with his

Why would you want another light, if you have a 1000 w hps why not use that thru veg?
Lots of peeps on here do.

 

[StinkyStubb]

Im going to give the perpetual harvest method a try, so I'll need the 1000watt for my flower room.

Im actually planning on having 2 1000watt HPS in the flower room with 32 plants total under them. If my little veg room stays in sync with my flower room I'll be able to harvest 16 plants every 4 weeks.


StinkyStubb

 

[myhash maganja]

I used to repot 3 or 4 times a grow but found it stresses the plant more than just starting in a single large pot and leaving it there.

 

[TGT]

I have been growing for years in Promix and have never changed pots more than once. Usually I put my clones in Tim Horton cups (large) and then after they get to about a foot tall I transplant them into 3 gallon pots. I have always got great yeilds and excellent product everytime regardless of my method.

This time around I have been doiing it differently and am going to use a three pots method. The first pot was my regular Tim Hortons cup, then next was 10 inch pots and the last will be the three gallon pot. I am now just in the second transplant, but hopefully when I am finished I will see a difference.

With previous grows after harvest I would inspect the soil and noticed that the roots were always dense at the bottom of the pots, but in the top and middle of the soil they were sparse. The roots were not using anywhere near the full potential of the soil. Hopefully this new transplanting method will show some improvement and ultimately larger bud mass.

I'll keep you all informed on how it goes. This is a good solid test as this grow is the same as all the others before it from the last year and nothing has changed. Three grows previously I got 5.5 pounds each conistantly, so will see what I get with this final grow. I hope things go good as I hate the extra work of transplanting.

TGT

 

[Dr Dog]

I have been growing for years in Promix and have never changed pots more than once. Usually I put my clones in Tim Horton cups (large) and then after they get to about a foot tall I transplant them into 3 gallon pots.

TGT

HMMM 1.39 $ for each cup eh?

 

[abirdintheair]

i use a 3 pot 2 transplant grow, and a week ago i switched my seedlings from reg cups to 16oz beer cups in my small cab, planning to switch again at week 3 to gal pots for the rest of the grow. my males that showed after one week already had a STRONG root system through the 16oz, way beyond what i expected. the seedlings were just under being rootbound in the small cups and all signs have shown that a lil bit of rootbounding does hurt as long as its rectified soon.

 

[TGT]

Dr Dog, your right, $1.39 a cup. It seems expensive, but after a month of not cleaning out my car I have enough cups for ten grows. Sometimes I can't see my floor! Us Canadians love our Tim Horton's - there must be something addictive it it. Oh well, I kill two birds with one stone - I get my caffeine fix and I get free pots. What more could I ask for? other than my buck 39 back.

TGT

 

[Dr Dog]

LOL I never thought of using the tims cups, I will have to keep a few(normally a couple a day I accumulate) and see how they work
That is classic, how would that be for a collectors mug, the seedling edition!