transplanting, rootbounding progressively or instantly?

Hello!
I read a lot about this topic, but there are two main opinions that disagrees with each other.
So we all know that the bigger root sistem leads to a bigger plant, so when i was looking for some information about transplanting and I found theese two opinions:
1) quote of user babygro

You should progressively pot up plants incrementally, so 1Litre, 3Litres, 6Litres 12 litres or whatever, so each time you pot up to a larger pot size the roots continue to fill that pot, then the next one and so on, this way you get a much larger root mass than if you went from a tiny cup to 2 or 3 gallon pot which is a bigger size than I use to flower in my plants in.

Bigger rootmasses = bigger plants and yields, because they have larger root capacities to uptake nutrients and water and therefore to grow more quickly and bigger.


It's a commonly reported fallacy on here that bigger pots automatically = bigger plants and yield. You will only get that in bigger pots if you've allowed the rootball to develop properly by regularly potting up into incrementally larger pot sizes.


It's pointless going from a 3 or 4 inch pot to a 2-3 gallon container.

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2) quote of user wakebakeworksleep

I know this is old but I thought I'd school a veteran. It's pointless to build up to larger pot sizes slowly. Once a decent root mass is obtained in a 16oz solo cup up to a 1/2 gal pot, that can and SHOULD go directly into the size of pot you wish to end the plant's life in, for most of us that's a 5 gallon. What kind of advice is multiple transplants?
I've had seedlings with full root mass in solo cups go straight into 5 gallon buckets and after harvest looking at the roots there wasn't room for more root mass.
I think some of you just want to make this hobby as complicated for others as possible.

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To sum up is there one answer or they are both true?

I do the second, Once she is big enough to get out of the original pot I go straigt to a ten gallon. I dont like the mid stop and have big plants but dont forget you could have a great pot but if you dont give her what she needs yield will be low. But as to the question I do the second. If I start a seed in hydro I start her in the giant holder she will spend her life in.

Opinion 1) is on the money. Manipulating the number and timing of transplanting can be a valuable tool to those
of us not satisfied with just dumping seeds in dirt. You can tweak some interesting variables if you understand how a
seedling grows. For instance, I grew out a freebie from Attitude that was tall, lanky and had large internodal distances.
Overall an ugly plant. But the product was the bomb! I re-grew the plant after a measly 22 gram yield and took some clones
after she had been re-vegging for 3 weeks. Here's the tweak -- I put the new seedlings from the paper towels into a 16 oz solo cup
for 1 week. THEN I TP'd into a 4-inch pot and ledt her there for 2 weeks. The 4-inch pot was slightly bigger than the solo cup so
the root mass immediately hit the sidewalls of the 4-incher and proceeded to grow a lot more side branches. Just what I wanted.
By forcing the seedling into a state of mildly rootbound condition I forced her to put out more side branches.

Opinion 2) is what people say who may be aware of 1) but need an excuse to ignore common sense. Only valid point for 2) is
that TP'ing does stress a plant if done clumsily. Then again if you cant TP without drama maybe it's time to take up badmitton, eh?

BigSteve.

I would go with somewhere in the middle of those two options. I think the first answer is correct, but I don't believe that many pot changes is nessisary. Probably three different pots from seed to finish would be sufficient. The theory is when your first pot is filled and placed in a larger pot, the roots will quickly fill that pot. When the roots are completely full and placed in the final pot the plant can utilize the entire soil including the upper most part that gets neglected when transplanted right away to the finishing pot, since roots have a hard time growing upward.

I have seen both methods done with excellent results but I have been growing for years with multiple pot changes so why change now? It's only one extra transplant so really it is not that much extra work. If you want to do it the easier way by just placing the seed or plant into its final pot, just make sure you choose a pot a little larger than you need to compensate.

This is only my opinion, but have been growing now for over fifteen years and find the three pot method works for me. Hope this helps and keep it green!

WP

Over 15 years of growing experience has shown me that option one is the way to go.

Thank you very much, I already did the 1. opinion, I just wanted to know, no offense, but there are a lot of people who states that their technique is the best, while actually they do it because of lazyness or lack of inspiration, you know. I love the thing, I'm doing it for myself and I'm trying my best. I hope this toppic will be seen by people who are like I was yesterday, so they find the right way.

Thanks!