Crabgrassfarms said:

Does the size of the new pot matter? I have been germinating seeds in peat, and after roots are developed I put them in 5 gal buckets. I have had no problems but have noticed some folks transplant there plants twice using an intermediate size pot.
What is the benefit to putting the plant at risk twice? Does the plant have some awareness of the pot or plug it is in, without root growth I doubt it, or something? In other words does it make a difference to a 3" plant if it is in a solo cup, 3 gal. or 5 gal. pot?

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Watering and feeding needs differ in different sized pots. I like to go from solo cup - 1 gal - 3 gal - 5gal if I need to but 3gal is plenty for me 95%of the time . I can tell their watering needs better, I don't waste nutes when I'm feeding enough to saturate the soil. When you spot water small plants in large pots you're just guessing how much water was enough to cover all the plants roots and the space they're growing into. With a smaller pot there's no guess work...saturate and move on...

I do multiple transplants to get more frequent wet dry cycles

Another benefit of doing more transplants is that it encourages the root ball to fill out the intermediate spaces before going to the final pot. If you go straight from plugs to 5 gals, you might see that your roots pool at the bottom of the pot, and don't fill out the upper area as much.

Crabgrassfarms said:

Does the size of the new pot matter? I have been germinating seeds in peat, and after roots are developed I put them in 5 gal buckets. I have had no problems but have noticed some folks transplant there plants twice using an intermediate size pot.
What is the benefit to putting the plant at risk twice? Does the plant have some awareness of the pot or plug it is in, without root growth I doubt it, or something? In other words does it make a difference to a 3" plant if it is in a solo cup, 3 gal. or 5 gal. pot?

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Id go lower personally. If you plant a clone or seedling into a 5 gallon pot, growth will be slower and you can easily over water. I go from clone cube to 3.5 inch pot, then to 1 gallon. It takes about 7 days for roots to fill the smaller pots and another 7 days for the roots to fill the 1 gallon after transplant.

ArtfulCodger said:

Another benefit of doing more transplants is that it encourages the root ball to fill out the intermediate spaces before going to the final pot. If you go straight from plugs to 5 gals, you might see that your roots pool at the bottom of the pot, and don't fill out the upper area as much.

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I believe the plant has absolutely no sense, comprehension, or connection to the size pot it is in. Nope just can't be, the roots spread following water and nutrients, and a easy path. Whether the taproot is 5" or 5,000" makes no difference. That roots go to the bottom is the natural order of growth and gravity as well, as it affects water. I would germinate my plugs in 5gal. but I generally prepare my pots while I germinate seeds. I see a definite advantage to the handling small pots but I don't have a need.
When I breakdown my pots I find roots well developed through out.

Crabgrassfarms said:

I believe the plant has absolutely no sense, comprehension, or connection to the size pot it is in. Nope just can't be, the roots spread following water and nutrients, and a easy path. Whether the taproot is 5" or 5,000" makes no difference. That roots go to the bottom is the natural order of growth and gravity as well, as it affects water. I would germinate my plugs in 5gal. but I generally prepare my pots while I germinate seeds. I see a definite advantage to the handling small pots but I don't have a need.
When I breakdown my pots I find roots well developed through out.

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In plastic pots the roots head to the bottom and sides of the pot and few go down the center. In fabric pots the roots spread out and go through the soil and don't hug the sides or bottoms. They don't root wrap and they self prune, You can grow in any size pot that suits your needs. I find it easier to transplant up and no reason I know of not to......Large pots & small plants don't make sense to me but eh havater

I always go solo cup to 5 gallon fabric pot. I saturate the media after transplant and then its usually a good 6 to 8 days before shes dried out again.
So in my opinion, a benefit to transplanting multiple times is faster wet/dry cycles causing faster growth.

I only do what i do because i dont have anywhere to transplant so i do it in my kitchen and my wife gets angry. So once is enough for me.

Goodshit97 said:

I always go solo cup to 5 gallon fabric pot. I saturate the media after transplant and then its usually a good 6 to 8 days before shes dried out again.
So in my opinion, a benefit to transplanting multiple times is faster wet/dry cycles causing faster growth.

I only do what i do because i dont have anywhere to transplant so i do it in my kitchen and my wife gets angry. So once is enough for me.

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The wet/dry cycle is new to me and must depend on the growing medium. I pretty much work by the light pot/bag system, if the bag feels light I give it 1.6 l of water. I use a good soil with very good water retention, I just turned the lights up and flipped them so they should use more water now but it has held at 1.6 every other day for weeks.

Crabgrassfarms said:

The wet/dry cycle is new to me and must depend on the growing medium. I pretty much work by the light pot/bag system, if the bag feels light I give it 1.6 l of water. I use a good soil with very good water retention, I just turned the lights up and flipped them so they should use more water now but it has held at 1.6 every other day for weeks.

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Not sure what size bag/pot you are in but i give my 5 gallon bags 3 liters every 2 to 3 days usually.
Im running promix bx with harvest hero perlite amended with gaia green.
Will be feeding botanicare for bloom

Crabgrassfarms said:

The wet/dry cycle is new to me and must depend on the growing medium. I pretty much work by the light pot/bag system, if the bag feels light I give it 1.6 l of water. I use a good soil with very good water retention, I just turned the lights up and flipped them so they should use more water now but it has held at 1.6 every other day for weeks.

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Hey, Gday, I grow in 3 gallon pots with Promix type soil and I feed or water 1 gallon ( 4 L ) every 3-4 days.... In 5 gal pots they get 1.75 gal every 4-5 days. I didn't see the size of pot your using but 1.6 L water every other day that doesn't sound right to me. It sounds like over watering by not watering enough each time. Saturate the pot then let dry I don't think 1.6 L will saturate a pot.

I usually transplant twice. Once from the starter cup into a 1g and then into a 7g before flip. I do it this way because I use low maintenance soils like Roots Lush, and transplanting helps lengthen the lifespan of the soil without having to amend as often. I can usually go full cycle with one top dress around week 3/4 of flower by using transplants into fresh soil as a feeding method. If the plant is healthy and slightly bound up at the bottom, I’ve found that it actually enjoys a good transplant.

@ArtfulCodger had a good point above about root growth as well, imo.

PipeCarver said:

Hey, Gday, I grow in 3 gallon pots with Promix type soil and I feed or water 1 gallon ( 4 L ) every 3-4 days.... In 5 gal pots they get 1.75 gal every 4-5 days. I didn't see the size of pot your using but 1.6 L water every other day that doesn't sound right to me. It sounds like over watering by not watering enough each time. Saturate the pot then let dry I don't think 1.6 L will saturate a pot.

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I use 5 gal bags and don't have a water problem. I don't water them if they don't need water and my humidity averages around 57%. I use hot soil and may not use any amendments at all if they mature in a timely manner.

I go from either 18oz Solo Cups, or 32oz Uline Deli Containers to 5 gallon pots usually. And I go to the 5 gallons only because I can get more of them under the light for vegging.. This is also for seeds, and determining sex.

I use a 1000w Hortilux HPS for seeds-harvest. I start them ar 24in from the light, and lt them grow towards the light. Ill raise the light as needed, when they start to show any stress. I can get them closer in the fall-winter, than I can from Spring-Summer.
I also have 2 x 1150w Gavita DE, and they are always 36- 40 inches from the canopy. Any closer and the infrared fries them.

But I usually veg in 5 gallon containers, grow bags are easiest to re-up pot. I grow larger plants, and flower in 20 Gallon containers of Promix BX.

But I only use the 5 gallon containers for saving space. I myself like to use the bigger container from the start. The trick is learning to water. Which is an art/science unto itself. But if you aare good at atering, and dont need to save space, from what Ive read, its best to have your plant in the same container from start to finish.

When I transplant from 5 gallon grow bags into 20 gallon Totes, I simply fill the 20 gallon container up with enough space left over for the 5 gallon container. I simply CUT the bag away from the plant, and slightly rough up the roots, if need be. Ill veg another week so the plant can reacclimate to the bigger container, and then flip it.

Ive got a few strains/mother plants that when the clones are done, the 20 gallon containers are completely filled with roots, and when the soil is dry, I can lift the whole root ball, and medium out in one piece.

Now some/many strains wont grow like this. I can get 22ox from an old 1010 Barneys Farm G13 x Haze plant, a 2010 Mr Nice Super Silver Haze, and a 2004 Willie Nelson cut. If I veg the SSH, and the G13 x Haze for 60 days in a 5 gallon container, and then repot into a 20 gallon, I can get from 18oz-24oz from 1 plant, under a 1000w Hortilux HPS. The Willie Nelson will go crazy if you let it veg that long, and would take 2 lights to grow it. I also Bend the plants over, and they grow into a huge bush. 1 plant will easily fill a 4 x 4, and a 1000w Hortilux HPS. The Willie Nelson stretches for at least 80 days after flip ad will take up 2 lights, and get 2.5lbs from 1 plant. Ive actually gotten 16oz from the Willie in a 5 gallon container, and 30 days veg. And it took up 2 lights length wise to light it. Flipped at 12 inches, and it was 6.5 feet long and 3 feet wide when finished. I didnt think it would ever stop stretching. And this was on the Edge of the garden. The Willie will stretch 6-7 times is veg size. and a smaller container doesnt seem to hurt it as much as other strains. If I grow the G13 x Haze in the 5 gallon container, and I leave it in a 5 gallon container vs putting the same size cutting in a 20 gallon container. The G13 x Haze will be lucky to get 7oz, as when the 20 gallon pot will get 18oz-24oz. The Willie takes 105 days to finish.

We also have an old pre 2000 genetics AK47 mother, and at most it will produce 14oz per plant, but the weed is incredible, and reeks of catpiss, and flowers. Has an Anise Seed, and floral taste when dry toked, and a floral Anise taste when smoked. But the stench off of this stuff is second to none. You can have it growing in your basement, and you can smell it outside in the street 75-100 feet away. Its a bust if you have unfriendly neighbors, or the cops smell it.

We also have an old 2000 Afghani #1 cut, and in a 20 gallon container will only produce about 8oz, and doesnt fill up the 20g container with roots. . So its best to grow it in a 10 gallon container. But its one of the best producing pure Afghanis Ive seen, and is very potent.

Bringing my auto matanuska again, grown under 150W and missing 1 cola and the tip of another (empty stash). Starting in a final 5 gallon pot (I know how to feed enough to not overwater or use excess nutes). People told me that I was crazy growing an auto from seed in a final 5 gallon pot, I told them I was gonna boost the shit out of the roots, and so I did and the roots colonized the entire 5 gallon fabric pot, it was a nightmare to get rid of most of the roots (I reuse the soil, I dont mind a few roots but man, this one was a monster). Toped at 4 nodes, with a 300-600W light this would have been even more of a monster. Root boosters I used: Rootfast from Atami (Mostly phosphorus with a bit of macro and micro nutrients), Special Roots from Special nutrients (Liquid kelp with amioacids) and my homemade germinated lentils root booster. I germinate 50-100 grams of lentils, after that I let them sit in water (double the ammount of lentils) for 24 hours and then I blend them and strain the result and pour a generous ammount in my water can. Its full of auxines which is a very important growing hormone for plants, vitamins, vegetal protein and many micro and macro nutrients in small quantities.

That said, its probably better to do one or two transplants for photoperiodic seeds, but if you know what youre doing is not necessary.

Im lazy I guess
I go from root filled solo cup into final bedding
I've got a neat guerilla grow plot that's taught me alot
I learned in the service the human body's can endure way more then most realize
I also learned that cannabis as long as it's happy during first 8 weeks of life can endure quite a bit
Cause lord knows momma nature ain't gentle
I'm sure I'm nails on a chalkboard to some
That's good

Crabgrassfarms said:

Does the size of the new pot matter? I have been germinating seeds in peat, and after roots are developed I put them in 5 gal buckets. I have had no problems but have noticed some folks transplant there plants twice using an intermediate size pot.
What is the benefit to putting the plant at risk twice? Does the plant have some awareness of the pot or plug it is in, without root growth I doubt it, or something? In other words does it make a difference to a 3" plant if it is in a solo cup, 3 gal. or 5 gal. pot?

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No is the short answer. But, the "amount" of water given can be critical. I go from "solo" to 3 gal. material bags, 1 transplant 1 chance for failure or stress! SSgrower

Im gonna bury that entire banana box for example into a plot that can be light dep'd if necessary
I really enjoy watching New ways of germination/propagation
I can never learn enough

For me, using an intermediate pot between the seedling cup to the final fabric pot seems to work the best. I like to use plastic for the first two pots because it's easy to slide the plants out of them, but I don't like plastic because the soil stays very wet--they can go several weeks or longer between waterings.

I may redo this process as well
And try the 3 pot method
Just prefer to avoid plastics if I can