Pot size... what gives?

[Dan42nepa]

Ok trust me.. I am very very much still learning and have made some mistakes so far on my first organic grow but I started 3 seedlings in small cups.. transplanted eventually to 1 qt pots. They seem to be generally doing well. Now i decided to start 2 more a week after the original 3 and once a seed had cracked i planted directly into a 3 gallon pot. I have since learned, and it makes very good sense that starting in smaller pots would help develop a better more condensed root system as oposed to starting in a bigger pot but it seems that the one i started in the 3 gallon pot has larger leaves, maybe a slightly shorter stature but I like the way the plant looks.. It has almost caught up with the other 3 which were started a week earlier.

This is the one started in the 3 gallon pot:



This is one started in a progression of sized pots and finally transplanted yesterday from 1 qt to 3 gallon..




What gives? All are using identical soil and lights and feeding schedule. They are all northern lights under 400w
MH bulb.

After i sprouted the seed in the 3 gallon pot it was too late to change it. Anyone understand whats going on? It has larger leaves but maybe more horizontal spread.

 

[JackTheGrower]

I'm not sure I have an answer but, as an organic grower I like the larger root area.
I also have heard the rumor that plants that take more time developing roots tend to be female vrs the quick tall growers.

Perhaps there is something to be said about undisturbed root zones?

 

[Dan42nepa]

Lets hope so.. The leaves are noticibly larger but the plant shape is more squat and flat as oposed to vertical. Its going to be much harder for me to judge when to finally transplant to the 5 gallon final pot..

 

[Suby]

The difference multiple potting makes won't really be significant until late in veg or flowering, at this time your soil is providing more than enough nutes for the given size and rootzone either of your plant at this time, this difference will be be more visible when flowering and budding starts to occur.
I find sometimes they grow too fast when they go straight ot a large pot, I like a controlled veg because I like to train them well,.
What multiple transplant provides is a well established rootzone, the greater suface area of rootzone established will provide the greatest amount of processed nutes to the rootzone.
Plus if it's a sativa based strain they grow quick regardless

S

 

[420KushMaster]

keep an eye out at the fourth node for the male preflowers on the bigger one.

 

[Dan42nepa]

well if the bigger one does turn out male and the smaller 4 are females i would be more than happy.

 

[jaykush]

i transplant fairly often, after transplant they always burst with growth. also after water with straight kelp tea (teaspoon per gallon) and they love it.

 

[Gantz]

it's good to start them in small pots like small plastic beverage containers. and then move to slightly bigger and bigger containers.
the reasons are many. i will list a few i think are important.
1.if some are sickly you will know before it will be too late.
2. after every transplant the plant suffers a growth explosion. the rootzone expands and grows really fast. because of this so does the rest of the plant. doing multiple transplants before the flowering stage will make your plants big.

 

[inflorescence]

What gives? All are using identical soil and lights and feeding schedule. They are all northern lights under 400w
MH bulb.

But the northern lights aren't identical, since they're seeds, not clones.

 

[JackTheGrower]

"Ok trust me.. I am very very much still learning and have made some mistakes so far on my first organic grow "

We wouldn't be Organic Gardeners without our eyes open.

I understand that with seeds genetics are different from seed to seed.
That is that some traits of the parents or even the parents parents can come through.

For all of us growing standard seeds we have to accept the sex distribution.

Male, Female, Hermi ( both male and female )

I wish ya luck on a good harvest.

 

[Dan42nepa]

yes you are both right... all 5 have slightly different charichteristics