Quote:
Originally Posted by Rajun Gardener
It is small but I think it should work with slow growing peppers. I have a few 512 trays too, now that is small.
I want to use them to germinate and grow almost to the first true leave before transplanting. I don't see much difference in them compared to starting 50 seeds in a community flat. I think the transplanting will be easier on the plant since I won't play with the roots that much compared to stripping 90% of the soil off the plants separating them out of a community flat.
The 392 is planted so I'll know soon enough..
How long can you leave plants in a 98 cell tray and are you using it for tomatoes and peppers?
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?? Not sure what you mean by slow growing, but my peppers have their 1st true leaves fully out 1 week after sprouting. I put the germinated seeds in Dixie cups as soon as the radical emerges. Cotyledons come out within a couple days.
392 cells per tray? wow!
I just germinated 4 pepper plants for an indoor experiment (sowed on New Year's Day) in a coffee filter, sprouted by 1/11 and I put the seeds directly into individual Dixie cups (roughly a 45 cell count). The 1st true leaves were fully out before 1/20 and the 2nd set of true leaves are half way out now a week later (16 days after spout - picture below).
I'll be potting them up to 4 inch pots once they have 3 sets of true leaves, probably around Feb 10th (1 month after sprouting) and that's where they will sit until final home at about 10 weeks old (3 plants in a 15 gallon indoor planter for these particular plants, not sure about the 4th plant yet - maybe it's own 2 gallon pot).
I've left them in Dixie cups until about 6 weeks before, but by then I think it starts affecting their growth. I just don't know if you are helping your plants out by starting them in such a small cells, maybe also increasing your work load. I know you plan on selling the plants, so maybe consider using the 98 cell tray for starting and transplanting into 3601 cell packs once they get 3 sets of leaves which should keep them OK until sale.