What are the best pots for growing cannabis? This will depend on the type of medium you are going to grow in. Cannabis likes to have air in the root zone. Having a pot that can easily pull air through it, will provide the roots with more air, and will help the plant grow faster, and stronger.

Most people would have seen a plant pot before, and recognise that they are made of plastic. There will be a few holes in the bottom of the pot, so run off can leave the medium. Other than that, the only way air can get to your roots is through the top of the medium.

There are different types of pots for growing cannabis, that can supply a greater amount of air to the root zone. There are good points and bad points to using each different one, depending on your medium. The pots we are going to discuss are:

Standard Plastic Plant Pots

Fabric Pots ( Smart Pots)

Air Pots

Along with what are the best pots for growing cannabis, we will discuss what pot size is best for your plants, at what stage of growth. Your roots need plenty of room to grow comfortably. The more roots, the more shoots. This guide will be solely for growing photoperiod cannabis plants, as autoflowering plants will grow a little differently.

If you have any questions about what pots you should use for your grow, then feel free to ask for help in our cannabis growers forum

What are the Best Pots for Growing Autoflowering Plants

Autos, should always be planted straight into their final pots. This will reduce their stress, and let the root zone grow without disturbance. Plant auto flowering plants in pots between 10-15L. And leave them to grow their full cycle without transplanting them. You can read more about how to grow autoflowers, in the autos section of the grow guides.

Growing Cannabis in Plastic Pots

Most growers will begin growing cannabis in plastic pots. These pots are easily found at most garden centres in many different sizes. They can also be found as either square pots, or round pots. Square pots are better to work with when growing cannabis indoors, as they will fit together nicely in your grow room. This will make the most of the space you have.

Start off your seedling or clones in the smallest pot, 0.5L plastic pot. After a couple of weeks, the roots will start to show out of the bottom of the pot, and you need to transplant them into a bigger one.

The roots in a plastic pot will continue to grow, until they become root bound. They will spiral around the bottom of the pot, and will strangle themselves. They may also sit in pools of water and begin to rot. It is important to transplant your cannabis plants into bigger pots when roots show out of the bottom.

Transplant into 6-8L pots, for around 4 weeks. Until you are ready to flower your plants. 1 week before you want to “flip” the plants into flower, transplant into your final pots. This may be at least 18L, up to 25L.

The more space you have for roots, the more shoots you will get. Transplanting 1 week before you flip, gives the plants time to recover from the stress, and get comfortable in their new pot. When they are over the stress, flip them to flower.

What Medium is Best in Plastic Pots

Any medium will work well in plastic pots. They are a very good reliable basic addition to a grow room. As mentioned earlier, cannabis likes a lot of air in the root zone. Plastic pots will only be able to deliver air to the top of the medium. Other kinds of pots have been developed, that will help increase yield, and overall health of your cannabis plants.

Fabric Pots ( Smart Pots)

After plastic pots, fabric pots are the next popular pots for growing cannabis. The pots are made out of a light fabric, so the medium can draw in plenty of air to the root zone. This allows bacteria to breathe, and the plant will be able to eat, and drink more.

In a plastic pot, roots will grow until they are root bound. In fabric pots, the roots will “Air Prune”. When the roots touch air, the tip, will dry out, and die off. This will encourage the rest of the root to spread out radially, instead of continuing to grow like in a plastic pot.

In a fabric pot, you will get more roots, and you are less likely to have your cannabis plant become root bound. The medium will dry faster, as more air can get to it, and this will also reduce your chances of root rot.

Starting off in Smaller Pots

Start off your cannabis seedling or clone, in a 0.5L fabric pot. As the plant grows stronger, and the roots become well structured, you can transplant into a 6L fabric pot and finish off the vegetation stage. When you are coming close to flowering your cannabis plants, transplant them one more time into 18L fabric pots.

You can use smaller pots when growing cannabis in fabric pots, as the roots will be able to take full advantage of the space in the medium. You can grow a big cannabis plant in an 18L fabric pot. If you like you can go to anything as high as 25L. But make sure your plants have a good long veg before moving them to massive pots.

Fabric pots are a great replacement for plastic pots when growing cannabis. But during the flowering stage, it is common to see mould or mildew form on the side of the pots. Keep a good air flow over the plants to prevent this from happening. Or, you could update to Air Pots.

What is the best medium to use when growing cannabis in fabric pots?

Any medium works well when growing cannabis in fabric pots. But if you are using soils, instead of a coco like medium, you will have to water carefully.

Because the sides of the pot are fabric, water can pass through them easily. If you water too quickly when growing in a medium with low drainage the water can spill out of the sides. This will stop your medium from being fully saturated, and will cause issues with your roots. Water slowly, and take your time, and soil can work very will in fabric pots. But for the best results, use coco when growing cannabis in fabric pots.

Using Air Pots to Growing Cannabis

Air pots are a reasonably new piece of grow technology. Air pots are made out of plastic, but have bumps, and holes in the sides. The roots grow out to the side, and air prune in these holes. Once the root has been airpruned, it will grow radially instead of becoming root bound.

Because air pots are made out of plastic, the risk of mould and mildew developing on them is much lower than fabric pots. You still get the benefit of a good air supply to your roots, with less risk of mould.

Growing cannabis in air pots can be very rewarding. These are great pots, and they will keep your plant healthy, and happy, easier. Air Pots will cost a little more than plastic, or fabric pots. If these pots are in your price range, they are definitely worth the investment. They will outperform any other type of pot you can use to grow cannabis.

What Medium should I use when Growing Cannabis in Air Pots?

Much like fabric pots, thick soils can be a problem when growing cannabis in air pots. The water will find channels through the soil, and you may find it difficult to fully saturate your medium.

Coco, and other coco based mediums work well when growing with air pots. Because those mediums are light, and have good drainage. The water will pass through the medium faster. This will leave the medium fully saturated, and the root zone damp, all the way through.

Final Points

Cannabis will grow in anything! A bucket, a mug, even drinks bottles! You can see it done on in some of our diaries! It takes skill, but you can grow cannabis in any container. Give the roots enough space, and make sure the runoff can leave the medium, and your plant will survive. But for the best plants, you have to invest in the right pots.

Whatever pots you decide to go with for your percy grow, we are here to help you every step of the way.

Thanks for reading! You can find more information on anything related to growing in our cannabis grow guides. All of our guides are written by experienced growers, and members of our cannabis growers forum. If you have any questions, sign up. It is free, and we are always happy to help!

Good luck Percy Growers, Stay safe, and Happy Growing.