How long in solo cups

How long can marijuana plants be kept in red solo cups without being rootbound? A month? And even if they do become rootbound for a bit is it that much of a problem if I transplant after?

Good question. Cause as soon as my seed showed a sign of life like the 2nd day I transplanted to a bigger pot. I know I was wrong for that.

i leave mine in for about a 3 weels or so, maybe a bit less..

when they get root bound, when you go to transplant them, take a razor blade and insert in into the root mass about a half of inch and fun it vertically down the root mass.. this will encourage the roots to start to grow down again instead of just continuing to spin out around the pots, which is not what you want..

depends on how strong the light u have got them under is,me i just got sum clones they wer in them cups all in all about 4 weeks before i put them n slighly larger ones, sum say its best to let them get a little rootbound then repot them.

Hey thanks for the reply guys. Any other inputs. They are outdoor plants but they are not in ground. They are started in the 16oz plastic cups. So 4 weeks isnt too long to keep them in these little cups without causing any problems? My problem is that I just started my plants now, but I have to leave for a month thats why im asking.

A few years ago I was growing nothing but white rhino strains. I started them in 6" containers then at 2-3 weeks I then transfered to 12". I left them in there for a few weeks then when I went to transfer them to my raised bed outside, I noticed the roots were really root bound. I took a razor and made 3-4 slices on the sides and teased the bottom roots a bit. Everything seemed fine except the root bound plants averaged a foot shorter. When I went to harvest them, I dug out the root ball and the roots grew out maybe 1-2 inches at most. The none root bound plants had root balls about twice as wide and deep and looked a lot more hardy.

So I don't think it'll "ruin" your harvest, but its still better to not let them get root bound. And while razor keeps them a live, but it doesn't cure the root bound issue completely.

Now going back to your original question, I think two weeks is the most I'd keep them in the container. In a one gallon smart pot, I don't push past three weeks, even though four weeks they'll still appear fine. The rule I follow is to always aim for a distance of two inches, from the tips of the roots to the container. If your roots tips are touching the container or coming out of the bottom, it's time to transplant.

i keep mine in there until sexed.

Wow this thread has been very hepful to bad no one uses it lol but this answered my question. Looks like mine is a week old today so she will be transplanted in a few days into 1 gallon pot.

i wanted to experiment with a grow would my plants die if they were kept in a solo cup till flowering?

about 3 weeks. then transplant. but, i have done the whole veg to flower cycle in a solo cup.

cool im going to try and only veg for 3 weeks then go to flowering and see what happens

I have my girs in half gallon pots monday will be 1 month since they sprouted and I put then into half gallon pots and startung to have roots come thru the bottom so I would def believe a solo cuo would not be ideal to keep them in esp if your going out of town for a month and hav8ng to water them etc they will prob rough as anything imo