Gold Header Ad
reserve your ad hereWhen it comes to growing cannabis, everyone has their own requirements and uses various pot sizes. Growers will usually base pot size on plant count limit, grow space, whether they are repotting, growing medium- or large-sized plants, Sea of Green, SCROG, organic or hydro, watering frequency, and so on.
There is no right or wrong pot size when cultivating cannabis, and both small and large pots have their own benefits and advantages based on the grower. In this article, I will provide 12 tips to help you decide which pot size is most practical for you and which growing style is best suited to you.
Tip #1: Small Pots Are Ideal for Sea of Green Grows
Sea of Green set-ups require a large volume of smaller pots, ranging from 2 to 1.5 gallons. The benefits of growing with a SOG set-up are that the vegetation time is much shorter, the plants will grow to a uniform size, typically between 90 – 120 cm tall, and trimming is much easier compared to large-sized plants.
Tip #2: The Advantages of Re-Potting Before Flowering
Germinating cannabis seeds or planting clones in small pots is a great way to promote a healthy, strong root system without overwatering. As plants grow, repotting into larger pots every 3-4 weeks encourages root growth, resulting in faster growth and development.
Tip #3: Large Pots Produce Big Roots
Big roots usually mean big fruits, and the advantage of filling a 10-15 gallon pot with a prolific root mass means you will have a monster plant, capable of drinking high amounts of nutrients every time you water. A significant root mass also corresponds to a large stem that can range from 3 to 6 inches in diameter, depending on light intensity, environment, and genetics.
Tip #4: Big Pots Don’t Require Re-Potting
Suppose you are unable to repot your plants regularly or don’t have the time or space. In that case, the solution is to plant seedlings or clones in a large container and let them fill out the pot. This can be highly practical when growing outdoors, or if you plan to SCROG your plant and keep your plant count to a minimum.
Tip #5: Large Pots Are Ideal for Outdoor Growing
Outdoor-grown cannabis plants have the potential to become enormous outdoors and reach as high as 4-5 meters. When the goal is to produce an epic, monster-sized plant, a 20-30-gallon pot is perfect.
Tip #6: Autoflowering Cannabis Plants Perform Best in Large Pots
One thing I have learnt over the year growing autoflowering cannabis plants is that using big pots that range from 10 gallons upwards is best, to avoid stress and big yields. Autos do not like to be repotted, especially after the 30-day mark. Suppose you are planning to grow autoflowering cannabis plants indoors or outdoors next year. In that case, my advice is to germinate the seeds directly into the pot, and the roots grow as much as possible without disturbing them.
Tip #7: Big Pots Produce Bigger Plants and Yields
If you do not like growing a large number of smaller plants in the Sea of Green style, or are limited by plant count, growing in large pots is advised. The vegetative time may be much longer, and the plants will need plant training and maintenance; however, the yield will always be much higher than in smaller pots.
Tip #8: Small Pots Are Well Suited for Small Growing Spaces
Home growers operating in small grow spaces, such as a small grow tent or a converted wardrobe, will find that smaller pots and medium-sized plants are most practical. Using small pots will not produce massive plants or yields; however, for beginner-level growers, growing small plants or autoflowering cannabis seeds works a treat.
Tip #9: Large Pots Are Best for SCROG
The SCROG method is a systematic way to grow a single large plant, trained through a net screen. The Screen of Green technique is ideal for growers who want to keep plant count low, maximise their growing space, and achieve a uniform canopy, resulting in an impressive yield. I recommend using a pot that is 10-15 gallons in size for the ultimate SCROG set-up.
Tip #10: Smaller-Sized Pots Require Less Water and Nutrients
Watering small pots requires less water and nutrients than watering large pots, and is a great way to ensure you do not overwater your plants. This is one reason why SOG set-ups with coco coir and hydroponic drippers can feed their plants 2-3 times a day during the flowering period and produce plentiful harvests.
Tip #11: Smaller Pots Are Easier to Lift and Move Around
One way to determine whether your pots are well saturated or need watering again is to lift them from the ground. You may also need to transfer your plants from one room to another, and in this case, smaller pots around 5 gallons are most practical. Trying to move a much larger container around when fully saturated is hard work, especially in a polytunnel or greenhouse.
Tip #12: Big Plants in Bigger Pots Can Take Longer to Mature
I have grown cannabis plants in all types of pots, ranging from plastic, fabric, air pots and hydro net pots. One thing I have learnt is that a large plant grown in a big pot will take slightly longer to mature than a medium-sized plant. The reason is that there will be a much higher ratio of buds, and big plants can require 7-10 days of higher light intensity before they are fully mature and ready to harvest.
Feature photo: A variety of different-sized plastic pots for growing cannabis with. Photo credit: Stoney Tark.
