One of the cool things about my job, is the fact that I get to speak with all types of growers. I decided to write this outdoor cannabis pot size guide because I want to answer some common questions I get all the time. Therefore, this blog will focus on pot size and maximizing your harvest.
Outdoor Cannabis Pot Size Guide
New growers ask me all the time, “What size pot should I buy?” For outdoor growing, there is no clear cut answer. Instead, your pot size will depend greatly on your expectations and the time of the year.
Pot Size to Maximize your Harvest
Your pot size will depend on when you start your summer grow. Lets say for instance, that you start your grow in February and plan on harvesting in October. Long grows like this are very challenging and require a very large pot. I recommend at least 100 gallons minimum, but most big time growers in California and Oregon use 200 gallons pots for these types of grows. Starting your grow in February is challenging because there isn’t enough sun light to sustain vegetative growth. Many growers like myself, incorporate the Gas Lantern Routine to insure that our plants do not flower prematurely. The average cannabis gardener however, will not need to grow to such lengths unless they are prepared to go the distance and grow huge trees.
For the average California cannabis grower, I recommend starting your summer clone grow in mid June. Starting clones in mid June is the best time to grow because you don’t need any additional lighting to sustain vegetative growth. Harvest on October 1st. To maximize your harvest, use a 65 gallon pot and premium organic soil. This combo can produce between 2 and 4 pounds of high grade cannabis when done correctly! If you don’t need that much or just don’t have the room for that type of plant, you can always use a smaller pot within the same time frame. Any pot bigger than 65 gallons for a June to October grow is overkill in my opinion.
Total Costs for one 65 Gallon Pot Setup:
- One 65 gallon fabric pot – $15
- 5 bags of Premium Organic Soil purchased locally – $80 (I recommend Fox Farm)
- Fox Farm Nutrient Trio – $33
- Organic Bud and Bloom booster – $15 (Start applying as soon as you notice buds)
The total startup costs for a premium 65 gallon setup is around $140! With this setup, your plant/s should thrive! The organic soil is the most important part. Each 1.5cu/ft bag should run between $13 and $18 at a local hydroponics store. Cheap soil is a waste of time and money. Don’t bother!
30 Gallon Outdoor Cannabis Pot Size
If a 65 gallon pot isn’t feasible, try and grow in at least a 30 gallon pot for a June to October 1st harvest. A 30 gallon can yield between a 1/4 pound and 1.5 pounds. In general, big pots provide a nice buffer when compared to small pots. In my opinion, growing in big pots is way easier and much more enjoyable. Besides, growing big plants in small pots is very challenging because it is difficult to maintain rapid growth with such a small root area. Small pots are definitely more labor intensive too. They require regular fertilizing and daily watering! If you are using a 20 gallon pot or smaller, you literally cannot miss a day in high heat.
Late Start?
If you are getting a late start, no big deal. Maybe you were out of town. Whatever the reason, you can still grow premium cannabis starting in July or August. If you starting your summer clone grow in July and want to maximize your harvest potential? I recommend a 50 gallon pot. For a August start date, I recommend at least 30 gallons. Remember to use premium organic soil and place your plant in a sunny spot! Plan on harvesting sometime in October. I usually let my plants go a little longer when they get a late start.
5 Gallon Outdoor Cannabis Pot Size
The key to a successful summer grow is to maintain rapid growth through all stages. Since we never want our plant to slow in growth, we need to provide an awesome environment for it to flourish from start to finish. Using a 5 gallon pot and growing from June to October is almost impossible. I’m sure someone has mastered it, but it is not a practice I recommend for the average grower. Your plant simply cannot flourish in this pot, especially during the summer.
Final Thoughts
I hope this blog helped at least a little. The point of this blog was to help maximize your summer harvest by choosing a pot that is appropriate for your grow. When choosing your pot size, I urge you to error with a larger pot. Good luck!
Lastly, if you have any questions please post them in the comment section. If you are interested in learning even more about growing cannabis, please check out my blog. Here are a few of my most recent posts:
- The Cannabis Growing Season – Southern California
- Is a Grow Tent Necessary
- Trichomes When to Harvest
- Cannabis Water Filter
- Organic Fertilizers for Cannabis
27 Comments on “Outdoor Cannabis Pot Size”
These seem really big for such a short grow period.
However, after growing for the first time I definitely learned a 10g encourages faster veg growth than a 5 gallon, even when jumping straight from a solo cup. are you saying it grows even faster to 30 or 65g?
I ask because I recently transferred my 5g to 10g and the roots in the 5g still hadn’t reached the bottom or side of the pot. The plants are indica heavy (white walker) and about a 18 inches high (topped to 6 main stalks/nodes).
Seem to be growing a little quicker now a week into the 10g but not really sure
HI Brendan! Thanks for your question. Yes, in my opinion a bigger pot will yield a larger plant. But choosing the right pot size really depends on your expectations and how much you want to yield. Bigger pots are also easier to grow in because they provide a buffer. Look there are a lot of variables when determining what size pot you should use (strain, time of year, sun light, soil, pot size, nutrient levels). You need to figure out what works for you! Personally, I try and avoid repotting because it is messy and time consuming. Check out my summer grow journal HERE. Hopefully it helps a little!
Moving forward, I would ditch the 5g and stick with 10g pots or bigger!
Yeah, I got 11 plants all in 7g or 10g just using seeds I found in baggies over the last year 😉
They are all starting to flower and look great. I experimented a ton to learn for next season. Two I didn’t do any plant training, two I topped once and cut down to 4 main branches, two topped once to 6 main branches, two I didn’t top but instead bent the main stalk in a semi circle and it developed perfect even canopy of 8-10 nodes on each.than I got one I only fimmed 3 times on just the main stalk and it is a solid 1-2 feet taller than all the plants at about 5 feet while all others are 3-4. The 10th I topped late and it kind of is developing as a 6 headed monster nodes on the top, for whatever reason it responded really well and it helped that I made sure they developed into 6 even branches.
Lastly I ‘mainlined’ the 11th one and it has by far the most total growth.
I will adjust bbased on final results but I am thinking next year probably just do 4-6 plants that I start in March and put in bigger 20-30 pots and just mainline them all. That would probably develop triple the yield and be less work. Like you pointed out I have to water these bastards daily so set up an automated water dripping with 1/4 tubing coming out my window so water stays cool and uncontimated haha
Thats awesome man, congrats on your grow! I wish you a successful harvest! If you are starting with seeds, late March is the earliest I would start. But I would probably wait another month just to be safe (you don’t want your plant to flower prematurely). If you are using clones, I would wait till June to get started. For these timelines, you’ll harvest sometime around October 1st. I would also consider using a larger pot than a 20-30 gallon if you start in March or April. Growing for 6-8 months in a smaller pot is challenging. For a summer grow, bigger pots are easier and provide a nice buffer. The goal is for your plant to maintain rapid growth throughout its life. You never want to stunt or slow down its growth.
Hey! I’m gonna do the mid June start with the 65 gallon pot, could you help me out with some watering advice please!?
Hey Tyler,
There are a lot of factors that determine when to water so here are some quick suggestions:
– Each plant uses a different amount of water so treat each individually.
– I like to use soil sensors that tell me the moisture level and when to water. These sensors work great and can be purchased on amazon. I wrote a blog about these types of sensors here! They usually range in price between $20 and $100 depending on the brand.
– If sensors aren’t an option, feel the soil of each pot with your bare hand every day or so to check moisture levels. Water based on how it feels.
If you have any more questions, lmk!
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If I’m growing from seeds, how many times should I transplant it before putting in my 30 gallon pot?
Mark: Transfer as few times as possible, like once or none if possible.
I’m getting a couple clones that are about a month old and plan to veg for two more months, then switch to flower. I’m in Hawaii, so as it is, here at the end of June, we are only getting about 13.5 hours of daylight. I’d like to do a 4 (maybe 5) month grow, then repeat… hopefully 3 times a year. I’m not going for monster plants, by growing from March/April to Oct. I’ve got a covered greenhouse and can’t grow in the soil, so I am considering using 30 gallon bags. Thoughts on this, or should I shoot for a 65 gallon bag. The goal is about a pound per plant give or take a few ounces. First time grower here, and I’d also like to mix my own medium in order to save a few bucks over commercial mixes. Don’t really know if that is feasible or not. I will have to find a good recipe though, just in case.
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When you use the Fox Farm Nutrient Trio do you always water with them? how much water should each plant get daily?I’m still learning and was reading your piece on growing in bags. Also which Fox Farm Soil is best?
Thank you,
Jay
Hi Jay,
I always water with the Trio fertilizers. Never apply fertilizers directly because it will more than likely burn or even kill your plant.
Your second question about water is a little tougher to answer… In short, I always test the soil with my hand to see if I can detect moisture. If I feel moisture, then I know it doesn’t need water. Dig your fingers in about an inch or so, if it is bone dry..give them water. You can also invest in a moisture meter. They’re cheap, but they definitely will provide you with some data to make a better decision on if you need to water (at least until you get the hang of it).
For your third question – I prefer Fox Farm Ocean Forest.
Hope that helps a little!
I have an old fibreglass canoe I will use for ideally 6 plants. Was thinking about drilling holes on the side for drainage and adding a layer of 1/2 stone and 4 or 5 large rocks on the bed of gravel then the soil. I can move it to catch sun with my 4 wheeler. Any recommendations?
Meant 1/2 inch stone (gravel) which is the same when I mentioned gravel.
My Organic shop says to use Fox Farm Ocean Forest when planting and then use Fox Farm Happy Frog for flower stage, or mix 50/50 with both at flowering stage.
Hey Patrick,
First time grower here. Reading this was what initially got me to purchase a few 50 gal fabric pots for my outdoor clones as I got a late start at the end of July. Also using FoxFarm Ocean Forest. I had my clones in solo cups when I first got em but have since just planted them in the 50 gal pots. I know this totally skips transplanting as some growers recommend. Feel pretty good about gauging when and how to do watering but don’t want to load my plants up with fertilizers and extra nutrients as I’m trying to do this as organically as possible. Do you have any general tips for a late-start situation like this? Thanks!
Whats up Mike?
Sounds like you’ve set yourself up for success! The Ocean Forest should provide enough nutrients for at least a month. Assuming your clones were strong and had good roots, they should take off! One thing I might suggest is to make sure they get as much sun light as possible. Hope you crush it Mike, good luck!
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I have some 20 gallon containers and some 10 gallon containers I want to grow in. When should I start my seeds? I’m in SoCal
Matt,
The answer you are looking for really depends on what your grow expectations are. Here is a short blog I wrote on this topic. Hope it helps a little!
Hi I’ve grown for a few years now, I use fox farm fertilizer and mix it with sand, I was told that I shouldn’t use it straight, is that true?