StoneyMemoirs
Well-Known Member
Now i thought i read somewhere someone said avoid using grow bags in docs kit...
Cant think of any reason why...
I plan on potting up into 7 gal bags..
Anyone got 2 cents on this?
Keep it in plastic or go for the bags?
It's a point of debate around these parts--I've personally used them for years, in the kit, with great success. I agree with everything Wren and Doc said, but thought I'd add my perspective. Roots don't like air exposure, but they do need a porous, aerobic soil, which *I* personally can have a hard time achieving in areas with relative humidity often 60+%.
Others sometimes have a hard time figuring out how to change their Kit habits for appropriate timing and dosage in the smart pots. You can see traditional pots and smart pots in this old photo--I'll even run them together when I feel like it, with damn near the same feedings and timings, except for when it's different. Some plants metabolize slower, others faster, and it makes a BIG difference in paying attention to these things and changing the timing of the drenches and foliars accordingly. Growing slower? WAIT on the cat! Going faster? Consider skipping a between-drench-watering and go straight from one drench to the next. Look at the plants. Listen to them! In the photo below, the plants in the smart pots are respirating better than the one not in them--we have different genetics at play here, but this observation seems to be a trend in my tents.
They do dry out faster and tend to leach/runoff more drench when 'watering' which I appreciate--this means more wet/dry cycles, which means more total drenches/foliars in that time, and in my experience, that's been a good thing. My brix readings are highest the day after a drench. Others seem to have odd issues occasionally--excesses/deficiencies--but in my opinion, that's user error, not the bags. Again, this has been debated--but I thought I'd give you my perspective, as a long-time advocate of the bags.
Hope this helps!