"Potting Up" process, steps, pot sizes
 

What size pots do you use, how many times do you do it, and at what intervals? Do you add fertilizers each time? Do you notice a difference between those plants that are potted up and those that are grown directly in the largest pot they will need?

This process is fun if you wan to be in touch with your plants, but can be difficult the larger the garden. Is it worth it?

I start seeds in 3-inch pots with purchased mix (a coir-based mix called Nutrapeat) using Craig's dense-planting method. I've used 6-packs and other "cell" containers, but I've found it's easier for me to label them and get them out of the pots if I use separate containers. There's also no chance of seeds floating over to the wrong cell. I start them outdoors in cold frames. Sometimes the seeds of one variety or another don't germinate at all, germinate late, or don't all germinate at the same rate. With dense planting of 1 variety per pot, less potting mix is wasted.

When they're 2-4 inches high or so, I pot them up in 3- or 4-inch pots using homemade compost. All the containers I use are recycled, and since I'm growing for myself and to give away, they don't need to be uniform. I plant them deep, leaving a couple sets of true leaves on top, to help them develop a strong root system. Last year I had some Purple Russian transplants that were so brittle that one stem broke while I was potting up. I planted it anyway, and it turned into a good plant.

I don't use any fertilizer.

The next step is the garden.

I don't plant my seedlings directly from seed pots to the garden because it's still too cold, windy, and rainy until at least the beginning of May. They have a better chance of survival in my cold frames. Also, I have other plants growing in the garden until at least April or May, so I wait to plant tomatoes until I can harvest the other crops.

I'm not trying to sound rude but if you look back in the threads you will see lots of information on the question you asked.
The plus side of this is you will get your answer now instead of waiting for our reply.:)

The down side is you will get conflicting information as to what people do.
This is the reason I wont post on how I do it any more.
Another is I have done this for years and had people say I am doing the wrong thing. To this I say it works great for me.;)



Worth

::: enabling search-fu now :::

I start my plants in a germing mix in those 72 section trays. I then pot up to a 4 inch pot (burying them down to the cot leaves) using a half and half mix of Miracle Grow potting mix and germ mix. That's where they stay until they go in ground and the ferts they get are only from the 1/2 and 1/2 soil mix.
When I plant in ground, I mix tomato tone in the planting hole and they get a top dressing of tomato tone again once they start putting on fruit.
That's it.

I start several seeds directly in 3.5" pots and do not pot up. I do, however, transplant about 1/3 of my seedlings to position them in the center if the pots, and this disturbs the roots just as potting up does. I have never observed any difference between the transplanted seedlings and those left undisturbed in the 30 years I have been doing this, but my experience seems to differ from that of others here.

I fertilize a couple of times with weak Miracle Grow liquid, and my plants are 10-12" tall after five weeks under lights.

TomNJ

Say what? jackdaniel

[quote=Paul R;161528]Say what? jackdaniel[/quote]

I think what jackdaniel is saying is ::: enabling search-fu now ::: = enabling search function now. I think he was abbreviating function with fu.

...and I thought he was going to search with a kung-fu attitude/intensity...

I start my seeds in a sandwich bag on a moist paper towel labeling the seed type on the outside. The germinated seedlings get planted in the Jiffy peat pots and a coir mixture.

About a month to 5 weeks later I pot them up in 4 inch plastic pots with regular potting mix where they stay until week 7-9. I like thick stemmed seedling but the fact is that a strong dense root system is most important to establishment. These can be in 4-6 week old non potted up seedlings as well as long as moisture is in their reach and the conditions are conducive to tomato plant growth. I am keeping my tomato plant count to 50 and chile count to 32 this year due to my new property and my fencing, bed building, and duckling raising projects I already have going on. (ask me how useful duckling poop drenched bedding is good for lighting a compost pile on fire, figuratively)

I start 3-5 seeds of each variety (all I need) in a very small cell/pot and then separate and pot up to final pots size some time after the true leaves develop, which gives the seedling enough height to bury it down to the seed leaves. My final pots range from 3" pots (18 cell strawberry flats) to 32oz deli containers. I usual fertilize at 1/4-1/2 strength once about a week after repotting and then the day I plant out I soak the pots in full strength (1 tsp/gal) bloom booster high Phos fertilizer to wet the soil and make removal from the pot easier. I don't like stooping over so I don't spend anymore time on planting holes than I need to.

Starter seed flats stay under lights and then the pots usually get carried in and out on sunny days.

Bottom line: I've got to try out the different methods.

I've done direct-sow in larger 6" pots where the plants stayed to fruit. I've recently used the 72-cell 1020 trays. I like the idea of densely planting individual 3" pots for each variety to avoid strays. Direct-sowing outdoors is way too risky for me. And the paper-towel method works great, but is a bit too much.

Eventually I guess I'll start leaning towards a preferred method with more successes under my belt. Until then, trial and error.

Does anyone "clone" or take cuttings from their plants? I've heard you can do this easily since TOMs have the hairs on the stem that turn into roots when buried. According to MJ threads you should only use cuttings once (don't take cuttings of cuttings) to avoid weakened plants.

You'll find there's no right or wrong way. As long as there's nutrients, light, warmth, and water, they'll grow. How I do mine:

1. I start my seeds in Jiffy Pellets and I have old trays. They're cheap...$2.00/36 per box at Walmart.

2. Once the true leaves emerge, I fill large styrofoam cups (Gordon Food Service...$1 and change for ~30 cups) with Miracle-Gro Organic mix (I buy the 2 cubic yard bag for $7 at Lowe's) up to near the top and transplant the young'uns into the styrofoam cup. I keep them under fluorescent lights until transplant time.

3. At transplant time, the ground is already tilled, so all I do is dig a hole, break up the miracle-gro over the hole, make a mound in the ground as I would if planting strawberries, then cover with dirt right up to the bottom leaves.

It's cheap and works great for me.

It seems I often over think things, and this would be no exception. Grow in compost, and fertilize in hole during transplant and once fruit sets, then you're good. I've got all sorts of vitamins, hormones, N, P, K, supplements, etc. (more than a health food store!) and find the maintenance to be a bit much. Simple is good. I'm going back to the old ways, tried and true for me:

1. Sow in 72-cell or larger 1020 tray or similar. Mix of peat moss, perlite, vermiculite, coco coir, etc. based on availability
2. Wait for first true leaves. Transplant to larger 3" or 6" pots up to cotyledons and fertilize with diluted solution (seaweed, compost tea, etc.)
3. wait until 8-10" and move to larger 10-12" pot (3-5 gal) for growout and refert. Final plants approx. 2 ft. max. right now indoors. If moving outdoors, skip the 10-12" pots and transplant outside and fert. and stake.

I am always mindful my ancestors had nothing but 100s of acres of land and seed, so I keep it simple.