One Large Container vs Multiple Smaller Pots

Indoor Growing
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What would you do??

If one was going to grow 2-4 Large Plants-Trees, under 1000w Hortilux HPS- in a 4 x 4 or 5 x 5 area, would you use Multiple 20 Gallon Containers, or I can use a 75 Inch x 16in Deep Round Kiddde Pool.
Im tending to go with the Kiddie Pool, as it would give huge root space.
Plants I will grow.
Destroyer- ACE Golden Tiger x A5Haze. Maybe 2 of each, bent over. But 4 plants may be too many, as I know if given space, light, and veg time, 1 plant of either strain, can take up a complete 5 x 5 area.
Seedlings will go straight into the large container, and vegged unde r 1000w Hortilux Blue for 30 days, and another 30 days, under 1000w Hortilux HPS, unless they get t o big, veg time would be cut, or vice versa.
Mainly trying to fill up 5 x 5 area, but not be extremely crowded. Will be vegged 24/0. Every 3 days lights out for 6 hours to rest equipment.
Multiple smaller containers, or 1 huge one, for 2-4 TREES.

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Multiple because they will compete for space.

You will want to check them thoroughly as well…and you wont be able to do that on the backside of the pool against the wall/tent

Plus, you got to think about after the grow, are you doing no-till living soil? Cause if you are tossing the medium, thats a heavy load to pickup

If you are pheno hunting large numbers with next to no veg, the one bed makes sense, but for trees? You need separate

Just my .02

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I agree easier to move around and can shuffle around as needed

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Im in a HUGE Attic. No Tent.

Attic is 45 feet x 45 feet, and 7-10 foot ceilings. Huge fresh air exchange. I will only be using 5 x 5 x 7 foot tall part of the attic.
Kiddie Pool is 75 inches across. But I will only use about 4.5ft-5ft, as thats about the reach of the 1000w Hortilux.

I figure there will be so much medium, and if given room, they wont really compete much for space, and given the Pool will hold at least 7.4 cu/ft of medium. At least 2x 3.8 cu/ft bales of Promix BX. Maybe more.
Not worried about getting rid of the medium. They will be grow in Gaia Green 4-4-4 x 2-8-4- AZOMITE, Ful Power Fulvic Acid. Extra Epsom Salts/Gypsum, every 2 weeks.

On plant location.

I plan on putting one plant one one side of the pool, and bending it towards the middle. Then opposite side of container, Again bend toward center. Then, go back to the opposite side and another plant- bend towards middle. Then 4th plant, go to opposite side again, and bend plant towards middle.
Or, just grow 2 plants, and do the same bending. 4 plants would be less veg time.

If I used smaller containers, I would use 34 Gallons, and 2-4 plants.

In reality, depending on Medium Density. Potting Soil, like Promix BX .
A 20 Gallon container, only hold 9.1 Gallons of fluffed up medium. They would hold 20 gallons, if you had the medium Compressed, as per a Bale of Promix BX, but all fluffed up, and taking into account that one needs to leave a few inches from the top of the container soilless. It equals out to about 9.1 Gallons.

A 34 Gallon container, in reality, holds about 13 Gallons of Medium/Promix BX.
A Huge, 60lbs Bale of Promix BX, is 28.4 Gallons of medium, but will fill up about 2.5-2.3 20 gallon containers. So that shows how compressed the Promix BX is. All fluffed up, it takes up about 2x the space vs compressed.
The Kiddie Pool, would still most likely, hold about 3 Bales, of Medium. I think the pool will hold more medium per space.
But still debating. Thats why I asked opinions.

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You can just use 4 earthboxes pop a plant in each , have the same yield as a 15 gallon pot, and not have to do anything beside fill up the reservoir once the roots hit the res as well.

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Not above ground competition we are worried about, but one plant is going to outcompete the others for root space…it will no matter how much space you give, thats just how it works

Thats the real issue, or one plant could be sensitive to too much water, not like its feet wet and the others not, you will never have it perfectly optimal in a single medium unless you are growing from clone, same clones, and no veg, but again, thats more for variety and smaller plants

KiSS

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I’ve grown TK’s where people claim it doesn’t like wet feet and it absolutely thrived in a SIP :joy:

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Multiple small containers.

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I use SIPs as well for a couple years now… i definitely have run strains that dont like the wet feet. I pop alot of seeds tho

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I just recently picked up a few small city pickers/mini earthbox containers from Walmart for next to nothing… They are perfect for a single plant or maybe even 2 quick veg. 20 in long x 12 in wide and 8 in deep so could prob fit 3/4 in your setup

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Well this is the internet and for every post I make saying my experience, people’s opinions differ.

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Between the pool and multiple containers? I would go with multiple containers.

If other options are possible though, I very much prefer larger containers but moreover, SIP are king for sure. I’m extremely interested in the tray2grow and autopot system, which combines large fabic beds with SIP irrigation.

Right now I grow in a 2x4 raised bed with roughly 10 1/2 cubic feet of soil. I also run a single Earthbox. The bed has it pros and cons. One MAJOR downside is it’s maneuverability… which it so say absolutely zero. It’s best perk is that you can neglect the hell out of it. Say you need to go on holiday or whatnot. It’s very forgiving.

The Earthbox SIP, though. I got that last year and If I had to do it all over, I would rather have purchased 4-5 EB’s -OR- that tray2grow system. EB is hand over easy as hell. Topdress a bunch of amendments and pour water down the tube when it’s dry. Super easy but during flower, you occasionally have to fill that rez daily.

Regarding multiple plants in the large container. I’ve done multiple 10 plant hunts in my 2x4 bed. Remember the maneuverability though. Shit sucks when you have to inspect each plant.

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Yeah I’d rather put in 2-3 plants each EB and pheno hunt that way.

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I have some 65 gallon smart pots and thought about 2, in a 5 x 10 room. They wouldnt be moved, got some cool drainage pans and some new diy cob lights finna play with, would be a bitch to train plants if to many in there. Ive grown 2 small ones in a 7 gallon worked fine. Go for it post your results if you would. Dwc the kiddie pool lol.

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The plants would be Feminized Destroyer, and Fem ACE Golden Tiger x A5 Haze.

I would Veg said plants, in 10 Gallon containers.
Then when flowered, I would Transplant into larger Pool, or individual containers.

I think I have decided to Veg in 10 Gallon fabric Pots, and then at flowering time, transplant into 40 gallon fabric pots. Veg 7-10 more days to make sure they are happy.
I would have 4 of the 40 gallon containers. They are 27.5in Wide, which has 2 of them coming in 5 inches under my limit.

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I was always curious about this. Figured they would get there roots tangled or something crazy. Cause I thought at one point in just buying a doggie pool lol.

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Considering they would at first be vegged, in 10 gallon containers, one would pretty well know the watering habits of each individual plant.
Last grow, my Killer A5 Hz, anjd Destroyer had basically the same watering, and feeding habits.
Ive grown in a bed before, long ago, but grew sea og green, and smaller plants, in a 4 x 8 x 12 box, and 2x 1000w HID. Never had any problems, though, it was all same. strain.
Also, if there is competition, it may be a good thing. = adaptation. And they grow just fine, out in the woods, closer together, guerilla style if soil is prepped well. So not really worried about competition. And, they would be at least 2-3 feet away from each other, before there would be competition, for root space. By that time, they would have a huge root system.
I have generally decided to veg in 10 gallon grow bags, and then transplant into 40 gallons, and veg 10 more days, then flip. 2 plants, vegged to the max, of these 2 strains, and all that medium in flowering should completely fill in a 5 x 5. 2 may even be too many.

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I just grew 5 different strains, in 3 gallon fabric pots, in a 5 x 5. `13 plants, which was to many. 1000w Hortilux HPS
2x ACE Killer A5 Haze- 2x Seedheads Destroyer S1- 2x Relic Cough BX3, 2x Crickets/Cicada Pacific Northwest Hashplant x Puck- 5x Puck S1. Keeping the canopy even, was a nightmare. I had to cut veg time on the Indicas, as the sativas got huge vs them. It would have been a waste of those good seeds, if I didnt have a bunch more of each strain.

So this time, its back to limited amount of plants, grown as trees.

I normally grow hybrids, more sativa dominant, that generally stretch, a great deal, and I use the stretch, to my advantage, in less veg time, but, to get big trees, veg time is still extended.
In seed plants the minimum is they veg until they at least start showing Uneven/Staggered branching pattern. Thats an indication, they are on their way to what I call, Veg Maturity.
I had to top, which I normally dont do-I bend them over, the Killer A5 Hz-Destroyer, Cough BX3, because of crowding, and how much they grew vs the others.
NBormally out of a 2010 Barneys Farm/Reeferman G13 x Haze a buddy has, I can get 22oz-26oz from 1 plant, in a 20 gallon tote, with 60 days veg from rooted clone, in a 5 gallon container. Transplanted into the 20 gallon, 1 week before flip.
So production, is also important. My buddy wont hardly keep anything that wont produce at least an lb per plant, with a veg time he considers reasonable. Gs per watt, can be misleading, as veg time also must be taken into consideration.
One can easily get more than what I am, if they would top it, and then even top the secondary branches, and then veg the crap out of it, until the growing tips, are monstrous. But one would have to veg 3-4 months, and use an xtreme amount of light on it.
The ACE Golden Tiger x A5Hz I will grow this time, and the Destroyers, are prolific producers, and potency is way up there.
It was a nightmare to keep the canopy even, and really, I dont really care as much about variety, as I do all out potency. Doesnt matter if its extreme couch lock, or insane paranoia. I can make any of it work. As long as its good stuff. Bottom line is it top grade stuff. To me, thats where it begins, and ends.