Obviously, this is my first post; I have been reading posts for a while though, and I am technologically challenged! As a new grower, the size and types of containers are overwhelming; need advice (pros/cons) of each size/type of container. I began growing vegetables a year and a half ago to learn about growing from seed and cuttings and have tried both container types, one that I need to water regularly and a self-watering container (like a homemade grow box) that you just add water to the bottom resevoir thru a tube on top and the plant soaks up what it needs. Has anyone tried to grow herb with self-watering containers? Any advice would be helpful as I live in a very hot, humid area where watering is constant due to the intense sun. So, I am going to grow in an outdoor building in the shade and use LED and florescent lights to keep it cool as possible in there. I’ll be growing White Widow. Thanks.
First plant seeds or clones in a one gallon pot for the first stage the veg stage.
Then when u going to start flowering your plants put them in a 3 gallon pot an that will produce got size plants so this is how the masters like lakewood do b it so that was enough for me to go by this way.
plus it is space saving I’m going some auto in one gallon bags an I just harvested one 22 an half inch tall with 3 Oz of wet buds so it works great I also have one in a 5 gallon bucket an it’s only 20 inch tall so as long as u watch the plantS an the roots u can become a master an using small pots I love bags they are more convenient when they are empty they don’t take up space I got 30 plants in my 5 by 5 tent letting them get big and I’m going to pick 15 of the best of each strain 15 total is what I’m growing an with the 1 gallon bags I still have space in there
I love white widow u no people don’t talk or grow as much white widow anymore but I love the girls they are easy to grow an have great smoke an u can get them to be a bush of u want I have mine in an outside building but it’s starting to get cold here. But I use hps lights an they keep my temp good with just one exhaust fan an I keep intake off until I am around witch is always so I control my air but they grow great in 1 gallon then later on put in 3 gallon to finish them hope this helps you
Well thats not true. I’ve been growing and here is a link to my 5th generation of White Widow
Will
I actually had a widow root bound in a 1 gallon , in my opinion being that W.W. Is more of a sativa hybrid , they can really stretch , but I’ve seen great results of widows in 3 gallons , but in a 5 gallon or 10 gallon , they really do freaking awesome , and can give an easy 4 ounces in a 5 gallon without training , are if not double in a 10 gallon . Now if you train it , are used a screen scrog net , than you can almost triple that with white widow . That’s just my opinion from my experience .
No Yoshi…it’s a Indica strain. I’ve been growing it for three yr’s now.
Will
Oh okay , than the plant I growed was not indica , it stretched past 48 inches even after being main lined and manifold .
Ya it had to have been. Other than that…how. have you been?
I fine. If ya want give me a call just having coffee…
Will
I just started using 3 gal fabric pots. 7" dia and 14" high, the roots seem to love them although they do seem to need watering almost twice as much.
I also heard somewhere that a good rule of thumb (indoors) is 1 gal for every month of growth.
I’m a beginner also…hope this helps.
Bud Holly
Thanks everyone for your comments; I am glad some are growing WW with success, as I just ordered the seeds and three-pack grow juices. I was planning on using one self-watering (now five gallons instead of three), and one grow bag I would have to water more. My grow room is 2’ by 4’ and I plan only two personal medical grow plants.
Obviously, I left out relevant info as to the soil and fertilizers for my containers. For my veggies I use coco fiber 1/4, Home grown worm castings from Peat 1/4, Perilite 1/4, and equal portions Azomite, Epson Salt, Dolomite Lime, and blood, bone, and kelp meal 1/8, and, equal portions fertilizers bat guano, composted cow manure, and homemade compost 1/8.
I water with collected rain water two or three times per week and spray and water once a month with 3 gallons aerated worm tea made with 3 parts worm castings, 1 part composted cow manure, and three tablespoons black molasses. The tea is aerated for 24 to 36 hours with two aquarium aerators. The tea is then sprayed on leaves to fight bacteria and mold, and added to the self-watering reservoirs. I only post all of this in the container section because the soil mixture and self-watering containers is extra especially sensitive. That’s why I don’t use Peat or Vermiculite. Both hold too much water and don’t allow enough air in the soil.
Has anyone used self watering containers? If so, what size, what type, and what soil?
Thanks,
MG
Since I am new to Forums in general and technologically and physically challenged, how long to I wait for an answer to my question? And, do i re-post if I don’t get an answer?
Original question: has anyone here ever tried or is using self-watering containers?
Thanks,
MGGrows
You probably did exactly what you needed to do to get my attention at least.
I remember seeing the most recent post just above, before your extra pots because no one had answered, but I had not answered because I do not use self watering pots and do not recommend using them, and so I left your question to be answered by someone who maybe does use them, as that was the final part of the question itself.
In my opinion, especially as cannabis is so susceptible to root rot, I do not think they are a good idea.
Maybe almost no regular forum members or commentators use them either? That might be telling you something…
Happy growing,
MacG
I personally have never heard of them either.
And sorry I must have missed your first request
As MacG knows I usually jump in everywhere…lol
But welcome to the forum and I’ll do better next time…lol
B Safe
Will
I am on my first grow and using a self watering system if you look on my page u will see my girls they are growing very well using a system of floats and a reservoir that holds upwards of forty litres of water/food
I don’t think this is what they meant by self watering pot, but maybe.
Usually when someone says something about a “self watering pot” they generally mean the pots that have a wicking system and hold some water in the bottom of the pot. These generally have thin channels of soil, or an actual wick to draw the water sitting in the bottom up to the rest of the soil, sometimes they will have an actual rope like wick. The water in he bottom often becomes stagnant and gives a perfect breeding ground for fungus gnats, and fungus, mold or mildew. The root will grow into this area and often will drown in the stagnant water, again contributing to a higher chance of other pathogens spreading through the root system, and giving lots of rotting roots for the fungus gnat larva to survive and thrive on.
However, if you can control all these things and make a ordinary “self watering pot” or you have some other system that works for you, more power to you.
Happy growing,
MacG
I started out a few years back with something very similar to your auto pots, actually the color of the floats and the design makes me think they are the same. They were two pots in tandem with a float in the middle that would regulate the flow. there was a removable membrane on the bottom of the pot to keep the roots from wandering. Seemed to me they were about two gallons per pot. I think they came from England. I had four set ups, eight pots. I was successful for several grows.
I ran into problems with solids clogging the float and a need for larger pot size so I don’t use em anymore.
Thank you all for your comments; since very few have used them, or used them with poor results, I will only dedicate one plant as an experiment and the other I will put into a grow bag. Once my seeds arrive and are germinated, I will post the results. I too had the same problems because the soil was too wet, so I dumped the Vermiculite and replaced with Perilite, and replaced the Peat Moss with Coco-noir to thwart this problem. I don’t use a float system for the same reasons as stated above. I also have an air pocket between the top of the water reservoir and hydroponic balls in the bottom of the grow bucket to allow air flow up into the roots. The wick is just a piece of that 4" plastic sewer pipe with slits in them that is placed into a 4" hole cut into the bottom center of the grow bucket. The grow bucket is also drilled all over the bottom and first two inches of the bottom sides for additional air flow. I water through a clear plastic tube that is attached to the bottom of the water bucket and at the top.
If anyone is interested, I can attach photos of my buckets and a list of soil ingredients. However, although they do work great for tomatoes and peppers, doesn’t mean they will work for pot. Updates to follow, however, since there is not a container section to post in, all I need now is where to post my updates and pics if it works.
Thanks so much,
MGGrows
Sure is a place…just go to Beginners, indoor grow and start a new topic. I’m interested and I’m sure there are many others also.
As a matter of fact there was a thread on the same subject this past summer
B Safe
Will
You can keep it in this thread, it is already titled indoor grow containers.
~MacG