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Size of Pots

Diabolus

Diabolus

What size of pots are you guys using? Last year I had a few 17" pots and a couple of 20" pots. Is that big enough or is there any advantage to the bigger size pots? I'm thinking the larger pots allow for the roots to spread out more but is this necessary?
 
plants will mostly grow to the size of their container, so larger pots generally mean larger plants but there is a point where the plant ain't gettin' any bigger. i have two cr habs started the same day, moved to intermediate pots the same day, one in a pot about twice the size of the other. other than pot size the plants have been treated the exact same and sure enough the one in the bigger pot is easily twice the size of the other.
 
To link this to another thread - if it takes a five gallon pot to grow a pepper, a contianer that is usually close to 10" wide, how can one grow a pepper in a five-inch basket stuck in a hydro system?

A professional gardener and landscaper told me the clue is keeping the roots wet. I have to agree - I've grown 2' tobacco plants in a 1/2" cubicle, but I had to water it every day.

I have about 50 containers (or will have once I finish transplanting!) and I'm seriously considering something like a trench that I line with plastic, set the containers in and then keep 1-2 inches of water in it. The plants would wick up what they need. Sort of like combining hydro with dirt growing.

Mike
 
I don't want to sound like a complete idiot here, but I believe that the reason that plants can get so big in the small containers in hydro is because the roots don't get bound up. In small pots without hydro the plant will stop growing and start producing pods as soon as the roots run out of room to grow out.
 
i beleive since nutrients in a hydro system are all readily available so the plant doesn't have to go searching for them it can then divert more energy into vegetative growth instead of rootmass. just my guess tho.
 
In hydro you get constant oxygen and nutrients going to the roots so the root sytem doesn't need to get huge
 
wordwiz said:
I'm seriously considering something like a trench that I line with plastic, set the containers in and then keep 1-2 inches of water in it. The plants would wick up what they need. Sort of like combining hydro with dirt growing.

Mike
Click to expand...
Peppers don't like to be sitting in water for very long and they need to dry out between waterings.
 
I start mine in these small 135-cell trays, once they are firm enough I move them to 0.5L pots just so they could grow enough and then 20L pots. if a plant needs something bigger, I give him one.
 
I dont think container size is the most important factor.
as long as the plants needs are met then I dont see why the plant cant grow big.

I've bought 1' tall chile plants grown in 2" cubes, not saying this is right to do, but ya know what I'm getting at.

I always thought bigger the container = bigger the plant, well I dont have time for some types to spend their time growing a great root system, I WANT PODS :lol: & I stake anyways.

this year I'm using smaller 7" containers. these are mostly for my chinense chiles or any other late/very late season growers - to get more above ground growth/pods because of my short season. I plan on keeping a couple of my fatalii's in 4" containers (quart size ?) to see the difference with the other fatalii's in 7" containers.
 
I sure as the devil hope 5 gallon containers are big enough... :lol:

***running outside to check on plants***
 
AJ,

I don't see any reason 5-gallon would not be big enough, at the worst, you may need to water them a little more frequently.

Mike
 
I know they will be big enough for first year plants...whatever I keep for next year will into 7 gallon containers about the Middle of December..

and Paul...ain't no way I am repotting all these plants...heck, I still got over 100 to transplant now...I have been real lazy...
 
POTAWIE said:
Peppers don't like to be sitting in water for very long and they need to dry out between waterings.
Click to expand...

Ya it works in hydro because of the increased oxygen content. DWC setups have the roots in the liquid all the time and the plants love it but you have to have a bubbler installed or the root system rots. Same principle applies with my drip system. An air pump is used to force the nutrients up the feeder tubes increasing the oxygen content and the plant does great even though the roots are constantly soaked.

The only way to combine dirt and hydro is to have a flood type setup where the plants get flooded and then are allowed to drain completely before the next flooding.
 
All of mine that aren't in the garden are in 7 gallon pots. I decided to put them in big pots cuz i plan on keeping them alive for several years. Hopefully that way i won't need to repot them down the road.
 
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