Hello all, my name is Mathew, I am new to the group and just wanted to introduce myself. I am 40, I am a new customer of ILGM. I have been off and on indoor and outdoor growing since I was a kid. I stopped growing for over a decade due to my career, the risk of getting caught was not worth it. Now that recreational has been legalized here in NY and cultivation for 6-12 plants at a time is permitted for personal use. I have decided to start an indoor grow. Things have changed so much! I always grew in soil inside and outside. I used HPS lamps I “found” in parking lots, a timer, I would line the walls with tinfoil, set up oscillating fans around the room and hope for the best. Had some successful yields, had some not so much. So for my beginner’s return to growing… The set up I am currently working on is a vivosun 4x4x6 grow tent, a vivosun VS2000(200w actuality), a Yansun 1000w (500w actuality), a couple clip on fans for circulation. I plan on doing 2 photoperiod plants, and 4-6 autos at a time. My first grow will be Sour Diesel Fem Photo, and OG Kush Auto I got from ILGM. The photos in 20 gal pots, the autos in 7 gal pots. I have a temp and humidity reader for in and outside of the tent, a soil ph gauge, with moisture and light gauge. I make a soil blend in each pot by starting with a layer of pond pebbles about a 1/2" to an inch thick for drainage. I then put a thin layer of perlite as a buffer between the pebbles and soil. For my soil I mix basic potting soil with moisture control potting soil, sphagnum moss/peet moss, sand, perlite, worm castings. I aim to use Alaskan fertilizers, all purpose for veg, morbloom for flower. I will be germinating all seeds next week, and that will begin my return to growing. Any advice? Thoughts? Ideas? Any and all will be appreciated. Thank you. I will be keeping a grow journal here as well once I begin.
@FromTheSoil welcome the The Forum!! 6-8 plants in a 4x4 is interesting enough, some of them in 20 gal pots is wild dog. I have 4 7 gal pots currently in my 4x4 and there’s no room for any friends lol. There’s not enough square footage for that imho. Yield will be impacted.
Welcome to the group. Lots of wonderful, great growers here . So much great help. Im a new grower also. I couldnt have done it without everyones help here… im just thinking that 20 gallon pot might be to big for only a 6ft high tent… but im sure more experienced growers will chime in
I was going to start with two photos on one side and four autos on the other. I figured the photos need more root space. I want them to spread out so I went with the largest I could fit in half the space with leaving a foot of space around the pots for airflow. The other half of the tent I was going to do the four autos in smaller pots because they dont need a lot of root space, or space at all in general. These are my first autoflowers but from what I have seen they dont grow big.
Six plants in a 4x4 in 3g bags.
There’s 4 clones in 1g bags in the center of the tent.
Not sure if your plan is gonna work…
5g is plenty of a photo plant in a tent. And you really don’t need that with proper training and nutrition.
Oh - and some autos can actually get a good size before they’re done.
Welcome back to growing and to the community Growmie. I’m definitely one to stuff a grow space full but 20 gallon pots would work great outdoors. Those will take up a lot of space that will be needed late in veg and starting flower that could make air circulation a little difficult. 5 gallon pots would work just as well and easier to manage. I grow strictly in 3 gallon pots for the reasons above. The lights you have selected will do a good job in veg but will struggle to produce any decent buds in flower. The 1000 watt light is more likely 90-100 watts plus 100-120 from the 1200 watt fixture. Total of 220 watts max would flower a space a little more than a 2’ x 2’. Realistically looking in the range of 650 true wattage from the wall 
Here’s 2 - 10 gallon pots in a section of my 4x8. They take up a third of my tent in a scrog. Had I not scrogged they would have filled half my 4x8. Honestly, 5 gallon pots are plenty. Especially for indoor grows. These plants have been growing since December and I doubt the root structure fills the entire 10 gal pot.
Welcome to the forum.
Welcome to the community we’re glad to have you. 
Welcome to the forum. 
@CurrDogg420 I’m not pot discriminating, the tent is only 6’ tall. A 20 gal container is likely in and of itself dang near 18”-24”’ tall. He’s putting photo plants that will only have under 4’ feet for veg and flower? Remember there are lights up there too. And there’s 2 of the 20’s in addition to 4-6 5 gal containers. I just felt it was gonna be painfully tight up in there. But to each there own. I ain’t hating. 
welcome lots of topics and group chats here with lots of different ideas and ways to grow…something will fit
Welcome to the forum
Not against it at all but 2 - 20 gallon pots and 4-6 autos in 7 gallon pots in a 4x4 seems difficult lol
Hahahah. You kill me some mornings man. I agree tho. Its not impossible, just seems to be a bit of a waste and will make the fit TIGHT. Im sure its possible, just not really necessary.
I grow in 1-3 gallon pots and its plenty. 5 gallons indoor is about the most that most ever need
@PurpNGold74 @The_Chef @CurrDogg420 I guess I just look at my floor space with 4 7gal pots plus a floor fan and a humidity wick bucket and think to myself a 20 gal container is 3 of my 7’s put together for one plant then double that with another 20 gal. Just those 2 eat up a lot of square footage. Then add to that 4-6 additional 7 gal containers he said??? I guess I just need to see it in reality lol.
@FromTheSoil Please post a pic of your tent once you have everything in it. That’ll be the real test.
I can’t help myself
A 20 gallon pot with a diameter of 21" has an area of 346 sq inches X 2 = lets call it 700
Likewise a 7 gallon pot takes up 176 sq inches X 4 = 700 (X6 = 1056)
total pots alone 1400 or 1750 if 6 autos
the floor space of a 48x48" tent is 2300
You will probably want saucers under at least the 7 g bags. They take up even more space.
One plant in 3x3 - 9 weeek veg
In a 5 gallon Rain Science bag
Autoflowers are mixed bag. When I grew them I used either 3 or 5 gallon pots. It made absolutely no difference.
No concern with the roots getting bound? I always used big pots. My uncle used 5 gal buckets and many times the roots would come through the holes he would cut in the bottom of the buckets. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge by the way. It is appreciated.
