Mounds or pots?

[caliprop215]

Wats up everyone..

I haven't grown in mounds or pots besides small 30 gallon pots before. I grew in dug holes filled with soil...

What are the pros and cons of mounds and pots?

Does all the water wash away the soil and shrink down to nothing....

I'm thinking about next year already I got about 2000 square feet for the grow. I thinking 6 plants ...a yard or more soil each.....5 pounders hopefully closer to 10 but we will see...

Smoke on guys and happy harvest. We smoking a foot long raw paper right now. Really hard to roll lol.

 

[Noonin NorCal]

Check out Shcrews journal, He does mounds.
Ive seen rows of bed/mounds at a buddy's property, Max out your grow space is all I'm gonna say and good luck

 

[caliprop215]

Check out Shcrews journal, He does mounds.
Ive seen rows of bed/mounds at a buddy's property, Max out your grow space is all I'm gonna say and good luck

I'm familiar with his work and journal...u think mounds will max out the space more then pots?

 

[Noonin NorCal]

You would get bigger root mass which equals bigger plants imo

 

[aridbud]

You would get bigger root mass which equals bigger plants imo

Yes!

 

[therevverend]

Mounds are the way to go. My buddy has a nice trick. He's in a former gravel quarry so he has no top soil. You stick the shovel in the ground you hit bedrock.

He set up two sticks on the grass and circled tar paper between each stick. Then stapled it all together with someone holding onto the stick on the 'down side' so it didn't fall over. Piled all his soil in the middle until it filled up the tar paper and pushed against it, holding it together. That way he could make each mound whatever size it needed to be and didn't have to worry about it washing away or collapsing.

You can make your mounds anywhere from 100 gallons to 500 gallons. I'm sure you could use different material if you wanted.

 

[aridbud]

Mounds are the way to go. My buddy has a nice trick. He's in a former gravel quarry so he has no top soil. You stick the shovel in the ground you hit bedrock.

He set up two sticks on the grass and circled tar paper between each stick. Then stapled it all together with someone holding onto the stick on the 'down side' so it didn't fall over. Piled all his soil in the middle until it filled up the tar paper and pushed against it, holding it together. That way he could make each mound whatever size it needed to be and didn't have to worry about it washing away or collapsing.

You can make your mounds anywhere from 100 gallons to 500 gallons. I'm sure you could use different material if you wanted.

Excellent method...aeration for roots, soil for nutrients, tar paper to mold its shape! ;o).

 

[PDX Dopesmoker]

With 6 plants in 2000 square feet you could do 20' wide Dankwolf style containers or some kinda giant mounds. Either way it seems like enough dirt to grow record sized plants and I look forward to seeing the photos next summer.

 

[HHILL]

First off, mounds for the win. Second point, since you already dug holes, just cover them with good soil. Third point, if there are gophers or voles, make sure to line the bottoms and sides with 1/2 wire mesh. I’d do it if there weren’t varmits anyway. Fourth point, if you can make a huge area where the Cannabis roots commingle, do it. They will ‘talk’ to each other and tell the other plants what’s up. And synergistically be better plants because of it.

A big raised bed is better than mounds, better than smartpots.... if possible.

 

[CrushnYuba]

So, i got mounds and pots. Both have their merrits.
Mounds are rad but only if you do 2+ yards and dripper line. Hand watering is hard and soil/ top dressing seems to run off and sides are hard to keep wet off they aren't real big because of the curve. Pots keep everything in place real nice. Mounds are nice because roots have more lateral space to grow because they tap the clay. You end up with a plant that naturally wants to grow wider. And it's nice that you can add soil to them and change the shape of them even with plants in the ground. Having a little curve helps water run out and keeps your center stalk and main root ball a little dryer. Easier to keep dirt and top dressings off your stalk. Less of a chance of stem/root rot.

Pots keep things more sterile. Animals fuck with it less. Turkey and deer can't fuck it up. They can be easier for sure. Mounds definitely take more thought and work. I kind of like my pots better, because it's easier.

 

[PDX Dopesmoker]

What about a 2000 square foot outdoor deep water culture? If you get digging now the concrete might be hard enough in time.

 

[CrushnYuba]

Pots definitely have their upsides. A slightly constricted root zone allows for more feeding and less chance of overwattering.

Me and my buddy have this bet for next year we are calling the "100 gallons chalenge". Its 10 lbs out of a 100 gallon pot. On pallets so it can't grow through the pot. No synthetics and no liquid feeding through drip line. Organic top dressing only. Plant selection must be done by April, and plants can't go into 100 gallon pot until june 1st. No smalls or third cuts. Only the outside 18" of the plant is admissible. loser pays the winner 1000$ for every lb. If neither of us gets 10 on our selections, i win.
He says he had a 6lb plant in a 65 gal this year. I have done quite a few 2+ lbers out of a 20 gal. I liquid Fed through drip and roots grew through the pot, so top dressing only and putting on a pallet will definitely make the challenge more difficult.

 

[farmerlion]

Nice thread , I am facing this question for next season.
Peace. MedDakotabis

 

[theJointedOne]

I dont think its so black and white...

whats your environment?

genetics?

water source?

ect

each has its own merits, imho

i have extensive experience with both, if you have any questions

 

[caliprop215]

I dont think its so black and white...

whats your environment?

genetics?

water source?

ect

each has its own merits, imho

i have extensive experience with both, if you have any questions

Thanks for all the help guys keep putting in input please all info is great so far.

I'm on a well now this year. I'm not sure how this will affect the plants.

I have about 2000 sq ft. It will get full sun 75 percent of the day.

I will be doing all organics nutes. Odds are it's going to be earthjuice and amendments.

In about a yard of happy hippie mix/ local compost/ additives...

I will be planting the seeds couple months before they will go outside. Pick the best 6 healthy Hardy plants. All should be 2 plus ft when put outside.

In central california.great weather most of the year.

If u had to choose 1 of the 2 for the rest of time .....which one would u choose?

 

[caliprop215]

Pots definitely have their upsides. A slightly constricted root zone allows for more feeding and less chance of overwattering.

Me and my buddy have this bet for next year we are calling the "100 gallons chalenge". Its 10 lbs out of a 100 gallon pot. On pallets so it can't grow through the pot. No synthetics and no liquid feeding through drip line. Organic top dressing only. Plant selection must be done by April, and plants can't go into 100 gallon pot until june 1st. No smalls or third cuts. Only the outside 18" of the plant is admissible. loser pays the winner 1000$ for every lb. If neither of us gets 10 on our selections, i win.
He says he had a 6lb plant in a 65 gal this year. I have done quite a few 2+ lbers out of a 20 gal. I liquid Fed through drip and roots grew through the pot, so top dressing only and putting on a pallet will definitely make the challenge more difficult.

That's one hell of a bet.

Going to be hard pulling those numbers from those pots.keep us updated

 

[TychoMonolyth]

I'm weighing this now. From what I'm reading, a mound with a shallow retaining border might be best.

 

[troutman]

Pots are nice if you can water them all the time and have a really secure site.
But the downside is they can get expensive if you need many and they're visible
to the trained eye. I would rather spend the money on more soil, nutrients, etc.
and have the plants grow directly in the soil.

 

[Sertaiz]

mound, retaining wall!

 

[Dankwolf]

You can control weeds and unwanted growth with pots better . if you have moles pots are nice becuse you can put mesh under them to keep them out . pots also help if you have deer or rodent issues . I have seen pack rats f up some plants . my native soil is not good for growing anything really.

I would say it really depends on your situation and grow style .if you do go mound style make sure you mound is big enough for the plant. if not you can end up in a situation were half your plants roots are in the mound and the other half in the ground . if you have a deficiency it would be hard to correct fix if you don't know if its the mond or the groumd lol

Any way my 2 cents.