Multiple Plants Per Hole?

[DuskrayTroubador]

Because I'm starting my seeds outdoors in their final holes this year (to avoid any transplant shock) I was thinking of putting 2 or 3 germinated seeds in each hole to account for possible losses.

My concern is if 2 or 3 plants sprout and survive per hole, is my yield going to be hindered because the plants are fighting at every level for space, light, etc? Basically, am I going to yield more with 1 plant per hole not competing with any other immediate plants or will the two plants, though competing, likely yield more?

My strains are big girls: Spontanica, Pineapple Chunk, Green Poison, and Special Queen. For some reason, I imagine them competing for everything and being small plants because of it.

Thoughts?

 

[MountainBudz]

My first year of growing outdoors ever I did three plants per 2 to 3 foot diameter by about 2 feet deep hole. They weren't feminized seeds however and this is one reason I did it like this, because I figure if I end up with on girl per hole that would be great.

Will it hinder your yield? More than likely. If you have feminized seed, stick with one per hole. If you have regular, go ahead and give it a shot. I had success with it myself and wish this year could be as good as that year, it would make me more than happy lol.

Another good reason in my opinion to put two to three plants per hole is if you are putting them out late. In general you want a large hole to make a large plant. If you put them out really late your roots arent going to have a chance to fill in a large hole. So putting two to three per hole in this situation could actually increase your yield.

Are you doing fems? Are you planning on setting late? Is this a guerilla grow that will not be tended to often?

Whatever choice you choose, good luck this year brother!

 

[DuskrayTroubador]

I'm putting the germinated seeds out there within the next couple days. The main point is attrition; starting plants outside I plan on losing some.

I'm running all fems so no males. I'm planting 2 per hole hoping that one makes it, but if both do I don't plan (as of yet) to cull one.

 

[Kygiacomo!!!]

i used jiffy pots this year and i had zero transplant shock for the first time ever. im gonna keep using these suckers from here on out. i wouldnt put 2-3 seeds per hole man. u can run into all sorts of issues,plants not getting enuff light,no enuff air movement and hence bud rot will could be a huge issue. gl man i would just get some jiffy pots at walmart for 3$ and be done with it and dig holes for each one u will be alot happier that u did come harvest

 

[MedResearcher]

Can always cull the weaker ones and leave the best.

When we train grape vines, we will prune them down to 3 shoots. Then come back and prune them down to 1 shoot, the 1 that is doing the best out of the 3. Then again before they split, we leave more than 2 shoots, so we can choose the best 2.

Id just make sure there is at least some space between them, so they have a little room to get established before they start competing.

 

[Skeeterass]

Why couldn't he do it and just tie them down some opposite of each other. Low stress training..

 

[idiit]

Why couldn't he do it and just tie them down some opposite of each other. Low stress training..

^ he can and should if he ends up with two good looking females in one hole.

starting germinated sprouts directly in the ground outdoors has tremendous attrition losses. I would only expect a few/100 without the mini greenhouse technique:

^^ https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=278674

i'm using the mini greenhouse technique this year and am successful overall but encountered aprox. 50% overall losses even with the cup in the ground and the clear plastic dome with holes for ventilation on top.

i'm now mostly doing transplants from here on out. the direct seedling method started from 4/15 till now.
.

 

[MountainBudz]

Thats something I left out. Start them young in terms of training them out to the opposite side of each other. It will grow eventually more as into one plant. I've done this a few times and it works well. Yielded just as much as the singles. As it starts growing back upwards again tie down again. You probably wont have to keep feeding them out to the sides too much, you just don't want them pressing on each other. Just think to yourself that you are training or turning two plants into one and lay it out.

I'm glad the jiffy pellets worked for you Kygiacomo. I used them one year as well, personally I advise against them. Out of a tray of seedlings a few years back (in peat pellets, jiffy specifically) only half actually took off robust and vigorous. The other half were slow and stunted with very low yields. Reason being is that for some reason the pellet compressed the roots too much inside and they didn't break through all that well, so its like the roots had something holding them down from running freely. I even tested a few by slicing the netting/mesh material on the outside of the pellet off before transplanting and that didn't work either. I also tried breaking up the dirt, but that shit is so compacted that it breaks roots with it.

I personally steer clear from them. What in my opinion works best and the way I do it is I start all of my plants in those little 6 pack seed starters, usually 12 6 pack trays per flat. Then once they get to there second or third true leaf, let the medium dry out. You do not have to disturb the roots period this way. You just take your finger and lightly squeeze around the soil and gently push from the bottom up and pop out the plant. Then you can either set them in the ground, or what I do is transfer them over from that stage to a one gallon container and once the roots start filling that container (will fill in usually 2 weeks) let it dry out, but not to the point where the plant droops. Just dry medium is what your looking for.

Take the plants then to your hole and have your hole opened up nicely, set the container inside make sure you have room and the plant fits a little deeper (about 2 inches up the stem) or more and once your opening is measured take the container lightly squeeze the edges to loosen the dirt from the container, (do not loosen the soil itself or you could get some transplant shock!) your just not wanting the container to stick to the edges of the soil block. Then turn upside down gently push on the bottom of the container and slide it out. Gently sit it in the hole and cover up to however much you prefer. I like mine deep for extra roots and anchorage power.

The pellets may work for you though, but in my opinion if you want these babies to spread like wild fire, id do the method I described. The roots are never disturbed, no chance of being held down which in turn gives your plant a quicker start and in the end, a larger yield. Good luck brother!

 

[MountainBudz]

I thought I was the only one having problems with the pellets but after doing some research online I found many others had the same problems. Just keep an eye on em Ky.

 

[idiit]

bugs are going to lunch this time of year.

de works. I use it but even with diatomaceous earth, root protector ( cup underground) and 'veggie salad' protector ( clear dome on top at least until they get past 2nd nodes) you are fortunate to get any to survive. without the mini greenhouse method few/100 survival rate is typical.

 

[MountainBudz]

True that. I've had success starting plants outdoors before but never as much success as I have giving them there first couple of weeks of life starting out in a controlled environment. Give them nourishment and baby them until they are able to fend on there own then put them out. I've ran test before starting them directly in the ground in there hole and outside period in all methods you can imagine. My best success came from starting them in a controlled environment. The end results were not any different either. Both methods produced the same amount of bud but the ones started inside grew healthier and faster.

Just my opinion.

 

[sprinkl]

I think 2 plants in one hole will yield more than one plant. The longer the veg time, the more the results will be the same as they compete more for light, nutrients and space. But I don't think 2 plants would yield less than 1.

It may feel like wasting money on seeds but in the end the seeds are worth less than the work you put in, often even less than 1-2 gram of the final product. And if you do need to pull a plant out of a hole you're going to lose a lot of yield if you have no back-up ready...

 

[Bud Green]

If you're planting little seedlings in 3 foot diameter holes, putting 3 in each hole is good insurance....
Even if starting with feminized seeds (no culling males necessary) you can watch the girls develop and pull out the runts, or the weakly ones.
If all 3 in one hole grow evenly, You can still cull 2 of them if you decide to, OR leave all 3 and train or tie them to grow in 3 directions.
If you leave all 3 and they get too crowded, just prune off the branches toward the middle of the hole and leave the branches of all 3 that are not crowded..
Planting 3 seedlings in one hole offers you many possibilities, and guarantees you will get at least SOMETHING from that hole.
A smart way to do it, no matter how you look at it...

just my humble opinion.... Bud

 

[NeDank]

I have mine grown 3 plants per hole. Although the holes were pretty big like 2-3.5 feet wide 1.5' deep. I train the plants to grow in 3 different directions so there isn't any fighting for light. Yield has been on average 1/4 lb per plant or 3/4 lb per hole which I wouldn't say is diminished at all for seedlings planted end of may and harvested mid-end september.

 

[CheifnBud2]

one plant per hole. unless you are running yards of soil.

 

[Ourobouros]

Direct sowing outdoors works fine, you just need to account for the fact that for every 100 seeds you plant you will be lucky to get five mature plants. The good news is that you can get 5000 or more seeds from a single pollinated female so if you have a small spot dedicated to seeds you can make it all work fine. In my experience, the few plants that survive direct sowing are likely to be monsters if the conditions allow. Once you've got a pound or so of seed you like socked away (not all that difficult), you should be good for years.

 

[Bradley_Danks]

3 per hole can work good and bad. Depends if u can make it happen . You can make gnarly scrog grows with 3 per hole. Also more tops. In my experience doing multiple plants per hole makes the plants more susceptible to wind damage so you might consider using a trellis when the plants get large.