Container sizes for autos

[Dutchman1]

They look good but i would have put them in there own 10 gallon pots rather than two in one 20 gallon pot. Actually I take that back. Id put them in two 5 gallon pots. I dont think 10 gallon pots are really necessary for autos.

[THComa]

Here are some pics of some autos grown in this set up under a Kind LED 450 light
I do two plants per one 20 gallon tote

[THComa]

It's been a while since this topic came up but I didn't want to start a new thread.
I have been happy with my container choice for autos and just wanted to share even though some of you might not agree with my set up.
When I decided to do autos in soil I wanted to give them plenty of root room to get as big as they could since they grow so fast.
So I went with two 20 gallon plastic totes with holes drilled in the bottom and sides for drainage and air.
Then I put about 2 inches of rinsed river rock on the bottom with a couple layers of burlap to hold the soil up.
Filled them with FFOF soil with some rinsed perlite added and it seams to work really well.
However one thing I find odd is how much I have to water compared to others.
I have to water almost every day or I see the leaves start drooping and I don't get much run off, but I water but not over saturate.
My autos might love water and or I think the wide soil area pulls any excess water out to the sides and evenly distributes the moisture.

[BlueBudz]

Well good to hear they are doing good now

[PuravidaC]

They are doing much better, thanks. They didn't have a lot of stretch but I think that mostly came from over watering just as they entered that phase. The breeder said they don't handle stress well, so... I only expected around 2 oz per plant so we shall see in 3 or 4 weeks!

[BlueBudz]

PuravidaC how are the girls doing?

[D.A.A.S.69]

Yeah they gonna get bigger an fatter. I'm glad they doing better. Happy Holidays PuravidaC.

[PuravidaC]

Thanks, DAAS. They will be 6 weeks old on Christmas. First time growing autos so I don't know how much more stretch they might have left. Breeder says 8 to 9 week life span.

[PuravidaC]

Yeah, OJH, I am growing in soil so I'm at or slightly above proper ph range but my guy at hydro store showed me a chart of which nutrients are more readily available at ph level. It seems most nutrients needed during veg cover the 6 to 7 range (soil only) but nutrients needed for flower are more readily available on the lower side of that range. I use drops so it isn't as exact as meters. I thought about getting a ph meter but then I read about issues you and others have had and not sure if they are reliable.

[D.A.A.S.69]

Morning PuravidaC, they are looking lots better, maybe they will get back to growing again ,like they are supposed too.
Yeah, that's a big deal ,is having your soil the right ph, in the beginning of your grow, or else they want grow properly, or either they will grow slow as hell, with autos ,you don't want slow growing

[oldjarhead100]

looking good puravida arethey in SOIL or Coco because in Soil isn't the ph from 6.5 to 7. in coco its 6 to 6.5 same as hydro maybe Im thinking wrong but a ph of 7 in soil would make me smile

[BlueBudz]

They’re looking good!

[PuravidaC]

Well the girls are looking much better! I fear the stress from over watering which reared it's ugly head around week 4, just as they were beginning to stretch, has had a negative effect on their overall growth. They are really short, even by auto standards, but I continue to learn with each grow. I have battled high soil ph, around 7, AND over watering. I have tried to bring soil ph down gradually, in an effort to not be too agressive, without much success. Without a doubt I will balance ph of growing medium but I start next grow. I have heard others stress the importance of correcting soil ph before starting but as usual, I have to learn the hard way!!!

[D.A.A.S.69]

Hey BlueBudz, yeah you got SmartPots-fabric, you need grates under them, hope your plants do good.

[BlueBudz]

Thanks DAAS I will try and not let them dry out as much, maybe that’s why I have slow growth! I recently managed to get all my pots on grates to keep air moving under the pots so overwatering will be easier to avoid now too!