question on net baskets

[octobong007]

ok here's my situation. i'm wanting to drop soil grows and go strictly hydro. the current hydro set up is a 120 gph pump going to 4 distribution hoses for a drip system thats running 1 hour on 1 off in 6 inch pots that i drilled out to make into welfare nets...i ordered in some 6 inch net baskets...lesson learned on making baskets. when the plant gets going i see how the roots come out of the pots sideways and straight down and it dont utilize the whole 6 inch pots...now question i got is why cant i go 3 inch net baskets and keep the size of plants seeing how the roots dont stay in the pot anyhow? i'm wanting to make up for plants since i'm stopping soil, i'd go with a bigger "homemade" drip system. lighting i'll be using 4 bulb-4 foot t5's equalling 20,000 lumens in a 4x1 area...i'd probly throw a couple 50 watt hps's to make up for a little overhang.
that way i could run 8 3" instead of 4 6"...will that stunt my plants at all?
my god i hope that makes sense to someone, my buddy stopped by and said he's taking a break, so he gave me a few ounces of nice ganja and after 4 or 5 bongs worth, all i can do is...hell i forgot what i was saying, but can i do the 3 inchers?

 

[parkingjoe]

my arguement exactly octobong007.

i have aero amazonand everyone keeps saying the stems will break the tiny 35mm net pots-i dont think so.

so i also have a 16 site aero which has same sized net pots yet the 8 site aero lid has 70mm net pots-why i can only assume for holding more medium **** as clay pebbles.


nonsense this needs a bigger pot as you say the roots are out of the pot and dangling- i persaonally think its for plant support but everyone sets up a scrog type netting above for colas/buds to grow thruogh and support the plants.

so go with your instincts like me dude.


pkj

 

[shadetree]

I agree too, my aero system is currently using 3 inch pots and I haven't had any problems with them yet...as far as support, as long as the pot itself doesn't turn over, there shouldn't be any problems

 

[octobong007]

see as for support, i'm thinking once i lollypop them, it'll be their weakest point. i'm going to make my own lid by cutting out marine/gel coated board, and i'm wanting to put 8 3" net baskets, but they'll actually be inside planters that 3/4 the bottom is cut out for more strength as to not fall thru at all. as for the leaning factor, the plants should grow and support each other to an extent, plus i'll add 4 corner supports with line...like a boxing ring going around the outside. to make this better, i need to find fault with it cause i dont want to screw with this a bunch of times perfecting what i want as an end result. this means, FIND FAULT WITH WHAT I'M DOING! you wont offend me...if fault cant be found, i'll be investing the money...and not changing from the plan. so i need opinions on this.....pass to you bro's :48:

 

[0b1kinsmokey]

i grew a 9 footer in the shed with a 1" cup the 3 main roots had almost completely engulfed it(wasnt a producing plant or nething)

if ur plant is supported it isnt a big problem. it just recomended for those "inncidents". like dont except to do any significant tieing down if u need to if u use small cups.

also the smaller the cup the smaller the ridge... and if u have ever pulled very large plants from a bucket setup, u know that small cups with small ridges are the most aggrevating thing in the world. there is nuthing for aggrevating, and sometimes devestating than a large plant in production falling thru its hole into the rez or runoff. lol

once u get to the 5"-8" cups the ridges are much larger and much thicker, making it so u dont have to walk around eggshells when handling the plant at the base, and making it very easy to tie the girl down if u walk in one morning and she kissing the light lol

but that is only some of the time, when growing large. if ur just growing moderately sized cuttings or sog or watever u will be fine. well i mean sht, ull be fine either way, its just a pain in the *** with those tiny ridges.

i really dont know why they dont just make the ridges bigger..hate that sht

 

[0b1kinsmokey]

also, imo u may find that wat ur gunna do is gunna be a pain in ur a§§ and a potential source of wat i like to call "miticulture stress" (this is stress to u not the plant lol)

u should put up some type of intersection seperating them if u do that, becuase if one falls over (which is very possible) ur talking about another 3 plants its falling onto, potentially Very harmful, and difficult to correct on ur own if they are big enough.

not only that but the foliage can get very dense in the middle. when leaves rest on leaves they secrete alllll that water onto the leaf below them, which when flowering can attract mold of course.

Now i dont know the rest of ursetup but if u have other weak points like circulation, fresh air weak points, outside foliage that is most likely pest ridden, pests love dense foliage as u would imagine-then u will want to think more closely about how bunched up u let them get.

especially considering they will produce more if they have their own individual spaces, but this isnt always possible since we all usually have a limited space to work with, so u gatta do watever u gatta do. but i would consider seperating there spaces a little bit, with an X post or something. or if u cant, just for supports sake, just getting them each their own tamotoe cages.

post some pics of ur spot if u can, let us know how it goes

 

[kasgrow]

You don't need to use net pots at all if you don't want to. I use 2" neoprene inserts. They are much easier to work with. You can place them close together and grow a lot of smaller plants if you want. I use them in my dwc and then put them into 5" net cups for my flood and drain flowering. I have used them in dwc in flower and they work fine as long as you support larger plants. My mother plants grow up to 2' with the neoprene in dwc with no support at all and no problems.

 

[0b1kinsmokey]

good sht, ive never tried that, i think i will next time i do a sog, i was always afraid if i let them get to big they would just push down thru them.

good idea tho if ur stayin small

 

[octobong007]

i looked them up, how are they used?

 

[kasgrow]

The inserts are pre cut. You just open them up and wrap them around the stem of the plant. I just took some seedlings out of the rock I started them in and placed them in the slits in the inserts. Then I placed them in a lid on a dwc bucket. I will go out and take a couple of pics of them and post.

 

[kasgrow]

Here are a couple of neoprene insert pics in use.

 

[octobong007]

ok let me understand this...you just wrap that neoprene around the roots? what about any other medium or something to hold the girl in place? maybe cause i'm not stoned, but i'm just not understanding...yet. if you explain it, i'll listen. i got about another week and my clones are ready, just not exactly sure what i want to do with them, i just know they'll be hydro. what if i did a dwc with 2 or 3 girls per bucket in 6" baskets? would they crowd each other out or be a big bush?

 

[kasgrow]

Here are some pictures to help show how to use the inserts.













This is one of my clones veggin while space is made in the flower room. As the plant grows it increases compression of the neoprene insert helping to hold it in place. I put 4 -6 clones in a 3 gallon bucket to veg in. If you leave them in there through flower they will crowd each other a lot and you won't get much more bud usually unless you flower them when they are 6-8 inches tall. I don't use any medium. Just nutes water and air bubbles. That is all you need in dwc. As you can see the roots come through the insert hole easily at that size. That sour bubble clone is about 12" tall. I will probably clone off of it before flower.
The roots are mostly submerged.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Supporting your plant will be the biggest problem with 3" pots. If you plan on keeping your plants shorter, you should be okay. Once you get to about 3', a 3" net pot will have a tough time keeping your plant upright without supports.

Neoprene inserts are generally used for clones and early vegging.

 

[kasgrow]

If you want to take a plant all of the way through to finish with inserts they will work fine but as hemp goddess says you will need support. I have grown
5' bushes with them with no problems. I just put a tomato cage around the plants or tie them up. When it is time to harvest you just cut the plant at the base of the trunk and pull the roots out the bottom. The insert will be pretty stretched out so you will be out 50 cents worth of neoprene. When I flower in dwc I use 5 gal. buckets but for small plants 3 gal. is plenty. I am using flood and drain for flower right now but I have run 6 buckets under 1000watt metal halide and had a jungle. The inserts worked better for me along side net baskets with rocks. Plant size was the same but no rocks to mess with.