Starting to worry my plants will get too big for my yard.

[BigB 420]

Finding that balance between maximizing yield and not outgrowing my space is driving my crazy. Plus I'm anxious to get everything started. I've been waiting all winter.

I'm wondering if I should hold back a little to keep my plants shorter. Or maybe just top, supercrop, top, repeat.

I've got 8 clones ready to go. 4 OG's and 4 Blackberry Kush. They've been spending the last few days outside in the sun, and coming inside under a floro at night to prevent any early flowering. The Blackberry's are in 2 gallon smart pots right now and about 8-10" tall. The OG's are younger, about 4-6" and currently living in red beer cups. They'll move to 2 gal. Smart pots once they get a bit bigger.

My plan was to put them outside full time in another week or so once we get 14+ hours of sun.

When they outgrow their 2 gal. Pots I plan to move them into some 20 gal. Pots.

With this much veg time do you guys think I'm going to get monsters? I really want to stay under 7 feet or my wife is going to freak out.

I'm also somewhat limited on how bushy I can let them get. My grow space on my patio is 15' by about 25'. I have more yard out beyond that but I'm trying to keep everything out of sight for safety reasons.

Do you guys think the 20 gal smart pots will help keep my plants a little smaller?

 

[SensiHerb]

wouldnt 20 gallon pots let them get huge? thats a huge pot... im new to outdoor growing but i would assume 5 gal bucket would be better than 20 gal if you want to keep them small......

 

[dirrtyd]

I say no you started too early they will grow good if your soil is good. Get ready for the wife to be mad. lol You will need to train you plants to stay within your limitations. keepem green dirrtyd

 

[BigB 420]

wouldnt 20 gallon pots let them get huge? thats a huge pot... im new to outdoor growing but i would assume 5 gal bucket would be better than 20 gal if you want to keep them small......

I'm really not sure. Everything I've read says get the biggest pots you can for healthy plants, but I'm pretty new at this. I would be fine with 6 foot tall plants (I have about 7 feet of fence, maybe a little more), if they're not too big around, I need to be able to walk around them. I haven't bought the pots yet so I can certainly switch to a different size. I also have the option of continuing to veg indoors for a while, or keep them in their current two gallon smart pots until later in the season.

The 20 gallon smart pots are only 20 inches across and 15 1/2 inches tall. Honestly they seem kinda small to me.

I plan to lolly pop near the end of veg, and top. I also have the option of training and super cropping, Heck last year I just lopped of a bunch of big low branches that were only going to grow fluffy buds. Last year I only had two 6' plants and two 5' plants, but I don't know how long they were vegged for. I got them from a neighbor in early august and they were about 4' tall at that time.

 

[indcolts77]

20 gal is a lot....but you could LST or top it to keep it under 7ft easily

 

[Kervork]

Most people won't recognize a 20ft tall plant as pot.

 

[BigB 420]

20 gal is a lot....but you could LST or top it to keep it under 7ft easily

Any size suggestions? I have 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, etc. available to me. I would like to stick with smart pots though.

Doesn't LST make 6 foot wide bushes? That might be worse. lol. I'll top for sure.

Maybe I should just plan to spread out into the rest of the yard as needed. Just tell the wife "sorry baby, I didn't know" hehe. I could beef up my fencing while I wait for them to veg.

 

[BigB 420]

Most people won't recognize a 20ft tall plant as pot.

20 foot would be insane.. haha.. I think rippers would know what they were looking at, passerby's probably wouldn't. I'm legal, I just don't want a shotgun pointed in my face by some asshole who wants my plants.

 

[SoCal88]

Last year I put plants out in May and they still flowered right away..

 

[BigB 420]

Last year I put plants out in May and they still flowered right away..

Could have been the change in light cycle maybe? I'm slowly lowering mine down from 18 hours light to around 15. Hopefully the gradual change will help.

I've also seen some people who let them start to flower and then re-veg. It's supposed to make for really bushy plants but I've never tried it.

I have taken clones during flower and re-veged them with buds on them still. The buds break apart and grow tons of wierd mutant leaves and branches. I stil have a few cheese moms I did that with last year.

 

[BigB 420]

So what's the consensus? 10 gallons? 15 gallons? lots of training and hope for the best?

 

[Timewasmoney1]

top them. Also do not use a 20 gal. i grew in a 20 gal and she grew over 8'. so stick with a 7-10 thats what im doing as i have to keep my short also

 

[indcolts77]

20 gal is a lot....but you could LST or top it to keep it under 7ft easily

Any size suggestions? I have 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, etc. available to me. I would like to stick with smart pots though.

Doesn't LST make 6 foot wide bushes? That might be worse. lol. I'll top for sure.

Maybe I should just plan to spread out into the rest of the yard as needed. Just tell the wife "sorry baby, I didn't know" hehe. I could beef up my fencing while I wait for them to veg.

Nah man I started on April 1st last year and had em in 5 gallon smartpots....I LSTd and they were about 3' wide by 4' high....10 gal would work well for you

 

[BeastGrow]

smaller container = smaller plant. you probably want something 5gallons or less

 

[BigB 420]

Thanks guys. Saves me a lot of trouble with trial and error.

I think I'm goin to keep them in their current 2 gal pots till they seem full of roots, then based on how big they are at that time ill move them up to their final pots. Probably a 10 gal so I don't have to water too too often.

Now to work on some heavy topping and training.