I’ve split off-topic from @Uncle_Al threads.
Continuing the discussion from Let me dust off my mothballed equipment and get glowing:
Those pots look too large for the seedlings. How were the root balls when you transplanted? I ask because I put a couple clones in pots that were too large and they took forever to start doing they’re thing. Ended up shutting down the lights and putting them in the ground outside. Then they stretched a ton. Now they look spindly and weak and are taking forever. Very dark green and visually healthy, but not doing much.
This is the mother the clones were taken from below. . Sorry for the lighting. It’s early.
These are her clones. They were cloned in rockwool, transplanted into 32oz yogurt cups then, here’s where the mistake comes, 3 gallon pots, never mind you ladies need room…
Sorry for outdoor pics in the indoor…
Looks like a bunch o hunnies up in your room. Also something you said makes me think your in so cal?
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Plants are stupid they don’t know what size pot they are in, what they do know is wet or dry and over/under fed it is not a requirement to root bind seedlings I save a lot energy not repotting a lot of times I will go from germination in a plastic bag and paper towel into a seedlings tray until first leaves and I’m sure they won’t damp off then the small pots you see here. My hand mixed soil will have tempered to a proper moisture by the time they are four leafsets I will not shake the old soil off nor will I mess with the rootball the whole thing will go into a 5 gallon soil filled pail until finish. I couldn’t be further from SoCal.
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i was seeing large pots for some reason? just imagined vegging out in 5 gallon then repotting for flower… You’re far more on point than I with what you have going on.
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I still have not successfully cloned a plant but I will work on it this grow, I have fresh feminized beans on the way it is the one aspect I have failed at
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I get that one a lot from people and once I explain the gentle touch and spiking of clones they mostly succeed. Fire away any Qs when your ready.
Heres some I prepared earlier.
Maybe i didn’t read right, but yes, plants do know what size container they are in. Different mediums also dictate required root mass size. Or, better said, plants know when they are in a container that is not large enough., container size has a direct effect on yield as well. The advantage to using a smaller container in veg and for seedlings is that you can control the humidity, and can apply the correct watering schedule.
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I plant in the buggest container i got. Preferably just pop the seed in there. You can have too big of a container. And also plants arnt stupid. They know a lot more then you think brother:)
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I use big containers also and it improves my yield. I like bigger plants and hate to start getting root bound early on.
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I’d agree that the plants aren’t stupid 
and that they do know when they have or don’t have room to grow. personally I’d never go directly from seed to a 5 gallon or larger since they are going to be moved into another space, where additional bloom cooked soil is added. That happens last week in veg to let roots acclimate, hopefully.
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I cant wait to buy a house instead of this trailer. Ill be using 100gal smart pots filled and just toss seeds in there random!
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Is it better to use a smart pot or right in the ground with replaced soil
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Both are great. It all depends because the roots will just grow through the pots.
Important to remember that root growth also requires energy. I personally don’t expect a huge root mass when i harvest because i use water soluble salts or hydroponic nutes. I prefer that the plant doesn’t waste energy on root development so it can focus that energy on growth or flowers. This is why gigantic plants can be grown in a 6" rockwool cube, and organic growers need a huge pot. The plant must work more for the food. This is also why you can get better yields with hydro.
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I do outdoor in the ground.
Indoor hydro only other then a mother plant or two can be in soil.
When I did grow in indoor dirt Id go solo cup to 1 gallon to final pot in order to save potting up a tiny plant in 6 gallon pots hogging space only to find out its a male.
Hi guys, did i understand correctly? I cant put my clones or seeds directly into big pot directly? At first i need to put them into smaller pots and then to biggers?
Of course you can, however there are advantages of a smaller pot for clones or seeds. Also it takes longer than you think for a plant to get root bound. If transplanting is done correctly, the plant will never know and will not stress.
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Some of my seedlings in a cup that it was sprouted in. I normally germinate in these cups they are
1 pint or 568ml so just over half a litre pots/cups with holes pierced inthe bottom.
They then get transplanted to a choice of 11 / 15 / 25 litre pots.
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I had been considering using blue Solo cups. It seems like a viable alternative, the clear cup does not appear rootbound,which allays a fearful thought about rootbind.
I will maintain plants are stupid. There is no consious thought about how big or small the pot or cup is. It will only respond to wet/dry, nutrient levels and rootbind a slow to grow plant in a big pot is probably out of range most likely too wet and not needing to send roots deeper and more likely to suffer, then more likely to get poisoned by premature nutrient feeding as the gardener reaches for a cure Any cure
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I find a difference between clones and seedlings in these cups @Uncle_Al clones will become root bound much faster, due to been a clone from a mature plant they grow faster than germinating seedlings once potted into these cups.
A P88 clone half the age of the seeds above.
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