Root structure vs Plant Growth?

[Igignokt]

So I'm doing a co-op with a friend and I'm doing the vegging. Anyways, we're planning on playing with genetics and before we know it, space is the huge issue. I need to put the plants in bigger pots, although my box wont allow for many. My friend says he things the taller the pot, the longer the taproot will grow and thats what determines the height. That sounds like a valid claim, but what about the rest of the side roots then? What does this do to the plant growth/yield?

Any expert advice? I was thinking of using some tall big gulp drink cups from a gas station as pots since they're narrow but tall, but will that just make the plant long, slender and not bushy since that focuses mostly on the taproot and not sides?

PS we have Nebula, blue dynamite, power plant, fat bastards, KC36...since this is my first post I just figured I'd introduce myself as well

 

[guest101]

A plant like other beeings tend to be naturally balanced.
You cant have a structure growing up without having the suport for it.
I guess a plant wont strech according to the root volume that it as, but according to the "grow" that as allready done.

Its kinda of a snowball, more roots will take to you bigger steams, more flow, more leaf surface, MORE metabolic activity!
So, dont stick just to the root explanation...

Good luck mate!

 

[Igignokt]

Sorry what? So should I do the big gulp cups or not?

 

[guest101]

I dont know their real size, but...
Dont limit them! They will "pay" you back the soil you give them!
Less soil means more work wattering and feedind.
Id rather use a tall pot too... and thats not the think defining their final hight!
Peace!

Edit : I would simply see how many feemale i had, and then, give them the more soil that i can. Cover that ground stage withhh mother nature hehe

 

[Smoke68]

Congrats and Welcome to ICmag. Now, I am not sure by your posts whether or not you are new to growing, but either way... that is quite the strain list!!!
Bigger pot/soil = more root mass
More root mass = more nutrients to plants
More nutrients to plants= bigger plants
The more soil= bigger plants
I remember seeing an article in a hydro mag, not on MJ specifically, but it stated skinny deep pot/ skinny deep plant, wide short pot/ wide short plant.
Peace,
Smoke68

 

[Igignokt]

Yea we're not going for yield...just enough to keep us well happy through the ski season (and all year of course). My biggest interest is to start working with genetics and all so if long slender pots grows long slender plants, so be it. It's not like transplanting the current plants from keg cups to longer drink cups will hurt any.Then we can fit more and still get a decent yield. When we decide a plant is great well put it in a 5 gallon bucket. We planning on growing a few trees. Probably the cross between the nebula and blue dynamite will be the keeper to turn into a tree

Thanks for the warm reception too. I've wanted to post here for a while but never got around to it. I've vegged and grown outdoors before and so has he so between the two of us we have some experience, I just am looking for a way to keep maximum plants in minnimum space without hurting yield too much.

 

[guest101]

I hear you! Make it at LEAST 3L! 5L will be another stage!

"When we decide a plant is great well put it in a 5 gallon bucket"

I agree with you, but all greatness deserves at least one chance, and that chance is not gonna hapen im a smal 0.5-1L container!

Best os lucks mate!

 

[Guest]

It's too simplistic to say a bigger container equals bigger mass or more yield,proper utilization of available media with frequent transplantings has been the key for me.You can start a seed or cut in a five gallon container and I'll blow away the yield finishing in three.Start small and let the rootball fill the container before moving up.Let the plant fully utilize the media before giving it more to grow into.

 

[guest101]

Thats how i do it The American... but hes thinking in "drink cups" for flowering...
I didn use well the word "stage"...

 

[In Vino Veritas]

I used to use 32oz Big Gulp cups to flower clones under a 150W HPS, in soil. The plants would be like 2.5 times bigger than the cups. Top heavy as hell obviously. These were "land race" (whatever that is ) sativas from the islands mon! They would get 7 days veg.. It was a 150W HPS so performance was limited to say the least. I was steady with my 3-4oz a harvest from the little 24x18 cab..