Smallest size smart pot for a pound?

[JOJO420]

I am wanting to know from all you guys n gals that use smart pots, what is the smallest size I can use and still get a pounder?

I am asking cause the other day at the farm, we went under the house and found a bunch of old smart pots in great shape. I believe they are the 45 gallon ones. Is this big enough to grow a pound? I have never used these before and do not wanna think they can grow a pound if they cannot?

 

[UnknownProphet]

I grow pounds outta beer cups with spit as fertilizer, what you don't?

U jelly?

 

[JOJO420]

I grow pounds outta beer cups with spit as fertilizer, what you don't?

LOL , I needed a good laugh

 

[organic P]

yes a 45 is more than enough pot to get a p.

 

[WPA]

Oh yeah 45 gallon is plenty!

Make sure your plants get as much sunlight as possible! and don't let them dry out!

 

[Darth Fader]

There's guys here pulling lbs in 5 gal buckets.

 

[JOJO420]

Ok guys thanks for the responses.
How about the 30 gallon smart pot? We found a bunch of those also, it was like jackpot, 50 smartpots, some big some 30 gal. IF those 30 gallon smarties will pull a pound, I'm gonna fill those up for a friends Medical grow this yr and help a brother out. Im thinkin I can..

 

[.clunk]

I have seen guys pull a pound out of a 15 gallon easily (we're in canada so actually around 20 gallons with the metric/imperial conversion). They triple plant each bag and train the plants out from each other with bamboo stakes.

 

[JOJO420]

We will be growing these using single seedlings and clones, pre veggged indoors to 2-3ft, using soil, up on a ridge in so. California.
Sun will not be a problem as the garden is south facing and gets sun from sunrise to sunset.The cover is perfect and the plants will be in sun ALL day long. Best part is the breeze up there is perfect, its always cool and breezy , its truly a slice of heaven.
This makes us very happy as the climb up the hill is steep and if we can pull pounds outa 30 gallon smarties our workload just got smaller and best part is they were FREE
I'm just worried they will not be big enough and we will have to water like crazy? I have never used the smart pots yet. I usually make my own cages outa fencing and landscape fabric. I imagine these smart pots to be similar. This will be a great place to test these out
Can anyone post pics of pound plants in 30-45 gallon smart pots? or even 65's for that matter cause I think we have a few of those also.

 

[afi]

I know you are talking about outdoors but here is my C99 at 20 days of 12/12 in a 10 gal. and I will easily pull a lb.

The only problem I would be worried about is keeping them watered. I would suggest preparing the ground a little under them so the roots can grow into the ground.

Peace, Afi

 

[JOJO420]

The only problem I would be worried about is keeping them watered. I would suggest preparing the ground a little under them so the roots can grow into the ground.

good advice afi, thank you. I was thinking the same thing. I am amazed at these smart pots and what they can do. This is shaping up to be a fun garden this year

 

[Bullfrog44]

You can combine them using the BOG method. Take the 30 gals and fill them, maybe cut the bottom out. Then bury them half way deep in the 45 gal. This would help with the drying out factor.

Also, I have got a P from a 30 gal. It needed watering everyday if the weather was 80 or above, and sometimes twice a day. Nutes were hard to keep up with, but if you top dress with composts or EWC it will help. I suggest leaving a fair amount of room at the top of the pots. 4inches for mulch if not more, then 2inches for compost added later in the year. Good luck with all this.

 

[nomaad]

30-45 gallons should be sufficient for 1 pounders. I'd personally splurge on the 45's. If i could, I'd use 65s and put 45 worth of dirt in them... they will be wider and you'll get more canopy. I got around 1.5 from pots like that last year.

 

[SuperSizeMe]

I don't see why not

 

[Critter]

Id say in coco a 7 or 10 gal. Maybe even a five with enough veg. I know ive gotten 6-8z's off one 5 gal smartie easy min veg.

 

[afi]

I don't see why not

Very nice!!

 

[JOJO420]

30-45 gallons should be sufficient for 1 pounders. I'd personally splurge on the 45's. If i could, I'd use 65s and put 45 worth of dirt in them... they will be wider and you'll get more canopy. I got around 1.5 from pots like that last year.

How was the watering on those smaller smarties? everyday? twice a day?And we only have a 250 gallon water tank. Will the watering be hard to keep up with in the smaller 30- 45/gal pots vs say a 65 or 100 gallon? How much water are you guys , specifically nomaad, giving to the 30 gal pots daily to pull these pounds?
I am gonna spurge and buy a couple 65 gallon ones , for the biggest plants. I also was gonna say we are dragging bagged soil up very steep hills, by hand. So the smaller pots are less work and less money for soil, but i dont want more water work or having to worry about the plants drying out, thus hurting the yield. this will be a fun experiment

Also, I have got a P from a 30 gal. It needed watering everyday if the weather was 80 or above, and sometimes twice a day.

Were the plants in full sun? Did you mulch them at all?

Nutes were hard to keep up with, but if you top dress with composts or EWC it will help. I suggest leaving a fair amount of room at the top of the pots. 4inches for mulch if not more, then 2inches for compost added later in the year.

Can you explain more. Why were the nutes hard to keep up with? is it the smart pots? I have used black pots for years, and never had a problem, so I 'm not understanding why the nutes are hard to keep up with.
Thanks everyone for your responses. This is gonna make some people very happy this yr

 

[nomaad]

During flowering, my 200's got about 20 gallons a day, watered in once a day. The 65's got about 6 gallons per day. I don;t remember any specific problems with the smaller pots drying out too fast.

 

[JOJO420]

Ok this is getting good. We have crucial information about watering and yield. We even have some pics,indoor pics, but pics none the less. Where you ata outdoor guys?? Post some pics of pounders in 30 gallons or less. Which thanks to Nomaad, let us know 1.5+ is possible. Nomaad you never cease to amaze me
I/We wanna see pounders, in pots, smart or not,lol from years past if can? It helps, cause I can give people a reference point. I t gives my patients, my friends something to reference when we look at this thread. Im gonna do my part and post pics from this time 2009, the last time I had an outdoor garden to report about. I hope it can be a reference point for all you guys out there climbing hills, diggin holes, and loving this plant!! The sweet smell of success is not far off, wont be long now,lol Only a couple more (3-4) months. Must succeed. Here is some pics
First pic is a ChemD clone from an Ic mag legend Bandit777. Second is the Light Dep, lower garden bed with pvc hoops, we dragged 12 mil black plastic,lol. We were such beginners. it was like growing pot in a sandwich bag,lol on a hill ,lol . but it sure was fun.
Third pic is a Blue Dream. 4th pic is the deck out back, I used it as a nursery, i had the clones and seedlings hardning off in the sun all day and the T-5 and shoplight you see light up the night till midnight..They moved to the big cages on solstice.
5th pic is very special seedlings, a breeding project of mine, a land race preservation project, 100% Columbian Sativa and Papua New Guinea Gold (PNG) . 6th pic is a NYCD x Bubba Kush seedling that was sprouted late May. 7th is another shot of the light dep. 8th pic is thi crazy alien looking plant that made this insane looking pod. WOW, mother nature is sure cool
The last pic deserves its own mention. Another steller clone from da Bandit, It's Mental Floss. Easily the Best plant I have ever grown in California. It was a special pheno. I miss it dearly.
BUT, I pollinated a branch, THANK GOD, with a Sensi Star male. I have 10 seeds left. I will post pics of the mom tom

 

[Bullfrog44]

Can you explain more. Why were the nutes hard to keep up with? is it the smart pots? I have used black pots for years, and never had a problem, so I 'm not understanding why the nutes are hard to keep up with.
Thanks everyone for your responses. This is gonna make some people very happy this yr

The reason nutes are hard to stay up on is because of how often you water. Just like any other feed schedule's, you should feed every other time. If you are watering 2x times a day, they your nutes get flushed out real quick.