Questions about being rootbound and possible rootzone issues

[ButterflyEffect]

So I've been growing vertical 1 gallon hempy pots for the past 6 years now. I would've rather done it horizontal but a couple of reasons set me on this path so I've tried to make the best of it.

For some time now I've been seeing things that look like something biological is going on. Some kind of pathogen for sure. I've seen deficiencies that I couldn't explain away, as well. I also thought that things could just be better.

That leads to my question. Am I doing a disservice to my garden by keeping these plants in a 1g container?

A couple of points...

- I use untreated rainwater with Jacks 321, some Agsil and some CalMag as a buffer.
- The plants go into flower at 28-30". They typically max out at 36-38" after stretch.
- Medium is a 12 to 1 ratio of perlite to vermiculite. I did this so it would need to be fed more frequently, specifically in flower.
- I feed once a day until stretch is over, then it goes to twice and finally three times daily. EC gets lowered as the feed frequency goes up.
- The plants are always root bound when I pull the balls out of the pot after harvest. Roots look and smell pretty good usually. Not bone white, maybe a light tan color.

I always felt that I could make up the lack of container size with more feeds daily, kinda like with coco. Am I wrong in this assumption? I've been rethinking a lot of what I've been doing to try and improve.

Thanks all

 

[piper]

I've been using one gallon fabric pots for about 4 years now, I don't worry about it

I use jacks 20-20-20 and 10-30-20 some calmag when needed and molasses a few times

You'll get others opinions, the more the merrier

I am a farmer

I put them into flower about now

 

[ButterflyEffect]

I've been using one gallon fabric pots for about 4 years now, I don't worry about it

I use jacks 20-20-20 and 10-30-20 some calmag when needed and molasses a few times

You'll get others opinions, the more the merrier

I am a farmer

I put them into flower about now

Thanks for the reply friend! Those are some nice looking plants ya got there!

You're using fabric pots which will air prune the roots. Mine are plastic. I did use air pots back when I started and was using soil. I still use them for veggies outside. Love em.

 

[piper]

There not in the best of health, (usally a ph or calmag problem, lazy) but I don't grow for beauty, I just grow for me, I normally run 16 to 25 of these in a sog sometimes more sometimes less

I personally can't lift anything over 8 pounds, I do sometimes and pay for it later

It's why I use one gallon pots

northern lights
white widow
maui mango haze
kush and cookies
space queen
mob
c+


is what I have been running for the last few years and whats in the tent

I sometimes still use plastic pots, they have holes drilled in the bottom and sides, sometimes I use tubs, 2-3 plants per tub

Have a great grow

 

[ButterflyEffect]

I hear ya. I started doing 1G perlite/vermi after trying to lug soil to my spot and it was just killing my back. Now it's pretty straight forward and light.

Have yourself a great grow, as well!

 

[piper]

I remember those days as well, it was 1975 or 76 when I started growing outdoors, I hated it, bugs, mold, thieves, helicopters, everything pretty much had seeds back then, but we had good smoke, I miss the tai stick straight from nam

 

[ButterflyEffect]

I remember those days as well, it was 1975 or 76 when I started growing outdoors, I hated it, bugs, mold, thieves, helicopters, everything pretty much had seeds back then, but we had good smoke, I miss the tai stick straight from nam

Never did have good luck with outdoor growing. Sounds like you were doing it in the good old days!

 

[realityisntwhatitusedtobe]

Watering Twice a day on perlite hempys? I have used the weigh the bucket method and it was Always enough to water every 2 or even 3 day. Maybe im Missing Out on yield?

 

[Three Berries]

My last grow with an auto completely filled the 3 gallon pot. I think when they get to that point they start to shut down unless you have a drip system.

 

[ButterflyEffect]

Watering Twice a day on perlite hempys? I have used the weigh the bucket method and it was Always enough to water every 2 or even 3 day. Maybe im Missing Out on yield?

My theory when I started this method was to veg plants to ~30", put them in flower and get 4-6 ounces a pop. When I don't have issues, I can do this pretty regularly. I'm just trying to figure out whether being rootbound in a plastic container has any detrimental effects in spite of feeding 3 times daily from mid-flower on.

Keep in mind, they're vertical in a donut of 4 with a pair of bare 315w CMH bulbs and they're about 10" from the bulbs. VPD is very well maintained with Arduino controllers running AC, heat, a dehuey, and a misting nozzle.

 

[ButterflyEffect]

My last grow with an auto completely filled the 3 gallon pot. I think when they get to that point they start to shut down unless you have a drip system.

I always thought because they're in hempys with the res at the bottom of the pot and the 3 times daily feed that they'd be ok. I'm kinda emulating what coco folks do without all of the problems associated with coco. If I had the room, I'd run PPKs.

I feed from a 27G res, so I could add any number of multi-second feeds. Having checked the wetness of the rootzone and media over the past few years, 3 feeds is what I cam up with for now.

 

[Three Berries]

I've never grown anything but soil but now am a soilless mix with Promix. So that is kind of it all depends on the feeding. But the last grow was FoxFarm Ocean Forest, it ran out of nutes around 8 weeks though.

It's the one with pot filled. What happens in hydro if the roots get bound?

 

[ButterflyEffect]

I've never grown anything but soil but now am a soilless mix with Promix. So that is kind of it all depends on the feeding. But the last grow was FoxFarm Ocean Forest, it ran out of nutes around 8 weeks though.

It's the one with pot filled. What happens in hydro if the roots get bound?

That's kinda what I'm trying to figure out. In a traditional hydro setup they wouldn't be able to get bound, at least I don't believe. Hempy is passive hydro so I wouldn't think there would be an issue so long as the feed frequency and wet/dry cycles are appropriate to the environment.

 

[madalasatori]

A gallon is fine, sounds more like an efficient uses of media rather than being rootbound

 

[ButterflyEffect]

A gallon is fine, sounds more like an efficient uses of media rather than being rootbound

That was my original thinking. I went with this design due to not having a ton of water and also wanting to get great growth at the same time. If I wasn't so concerned about water, I would ditch the hempy pot for a regular container DTW. I would just up the feed frequency.

Kinda breaks the whole idea of 1 ounce to a 1 gallon pot.