bigger the pot the bigger the plant?

kronica420 said:

is that true? im a first timer and i want really tall plants but idk how to get them that size. please help.

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StlSoldier531 said:

The answer to this question is Yes and No.

Generally speaking, Larger pots grow larger plants. The reason why is because there is more space for the roots to grow. This produces a larger root ball. This larger mass of roots can take in a lot more nutrients than a smaller root ball. This is especially true with organic growing where the nutrients are amended into the soil before planting.

But there are exceptions to the rule. Plants grow based on many factors other than the soil they are grown in and the nutrients used. These other factors include temperature, light and air quality.

But lets assume that you have the proper light, air quality and temps. Now we go into how nutrients are given to the plant. Some people use liquid fertilizers which are added to the water and are given to the plant during watering sessions.

If the proper amount of nutrients are given to the plant, the plant will grow big and strong. The roots only grow in order to find nutrients. A large root mass is not needed if everything is provided to a small root mass; meaning the plant will still grow pretty big and healthy because all of the elements it needs for growth are provided.

For example if you are growing in coco and are providing nutrients through watering sessions, then a smaller pot can be used. But if you are doing a 'water only grow' , meaning you have already amended the nutrients into the soil and only plan on using just water during the whole growth process, then a big pot will be needed in order to make sure that the plant will have enough nutrients to make it all the way to Harvest. This because with 'water only' grows, you will not be adding any nutrients throughout the entire grow, so you need to make sure there is enough soil and nutrients in the soil to keep the plant happy.

Here is an example, lets say I was going off to the mountains for 3 months to live in a cave, far away from any grocery stores or restaurants. If I had a friend who owned a helicopter and he agreed to drop me a food package once a week then I wouldn't need to stock up on a lot of food at once because I would have a regular resupply. But if I did not have someone who could drop me a big package of food on the weekly basis, then I would need to stock up with a lot food (enough to last for 3 months, lol) before I went to live in the mountains, to prevent myself from starving to death.

This is the same concept with plants. A hydro grow really illustrates this concept. Since the nutrients are mixed in with the water and are provided directly to the roots, a large root mass is not needed to grow large plants. Because the nutrients are provided constantly on a regular basis.

But in nature, roots grow deep into the soil because it is the plant's way of going grocery shopping when it needs food.

So if you are doing a 'water only' grow then yes you need to make sure you have plenty of soil and space for the roots to grow and find food. If you will be using liquid fertilizers then the pot size will be less important. But it will be your full time job to make sure that the plant gets everything it needs on a regular basis.

The other issue that can be a major factor when talking about pot size is "root bound" or "pot bound". This happens when roots grow so much, that after they reach the inside of the pot walls they begin to wrap around the inside of the pot. When this happens, roots can become tangled and knotted up, which can cut off nutrient uptake. Another thing is this. The roots keep growing until the can't grow anymore, or until they find food (which ever comes first). So what happens is this, a few roots grow, and begin to wrap around the pot, and begin to neglect all of the soil in the center of the pot. They continue wrapping and wrapping but they find no food because they can't breach the pot walls.

To prevent this from happening , some growers use root pruning pots. They are either air pruned or chemically pruned. Air pruned means that the pot has holes in the side of it and when the roots reach the edge of the inside of the pot they grow through those holes and into the open air where they stop growing at that point (this is because they don't grow in open air and light) . When this happens, the root sends signals back to the plant that it can't grow anymore, so the plant sends out more (different roots) to find food since the roots that have been pruned can't continue to grow. This causes the root ball to become more dense, meaning more of the soil can be used as a food source.

Chemically treated pots work the same as air pots. They coat the inside of the pot with a copper hydroxide and plants hate this chemical. So what happens in a chemically treated pot is the same as an air pot. The roots get close to the chemical coating in the inside of the pot and they stop growing. They refuse to even touch the walls where the chemical has been sprayed. This signals the plant to grow more roots to help the others that have stopped growing to look for food.

They used to use a chemical called Griffin's Spin Out. But this chemical is not used as much anymore in favor of a new chemical called Microkote. It is suppose to be safer for plants.

I would say that the chemically treated pots are more effective than air pots because in air pots, not every root tip will grow perfectly into each hole to be pruned but in a treated pot, every single root will be pruned, preventing any of them from wrapping around. This will create a perfectly round and dense root mass capable of utilizing 100% percent of the soil in the pot.

With these root pruning pots, Bigger plants can be grown in smaller pots without fear of the plant becoming root bound.

The pot size used, depends on the grower and the methods used by the grower. I have seen some really large plants in 1 gallon pots and I have also seen some small plants in 5 gallon pots.

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i need help I'm rookie said:

WOW did you really type all that? Or did you copy and paste

5 gallon and skys the limit so to speak just make sure when you water you do it right around the stem of the plant.

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i need help I'm rookie said:

WOW did you really type all that? Or did you copy and paste

5 gallon and skys the limit so to speak just make sure when you water you do it right around the stem of the plant.

Click to expand...