Potting up from 18oz red party SOLO cups?

[luigiwu]

I still have approx 2 weeks before I can plant out and some of my tomatos babies are doing so well, I'm wondering if I should pot them up from their current 18oz red party cups. They are currently 8-inches high from the top of the soil and starting to look top heavy... should I chance it and leave them until May 1st?

If you think I should pot up, what size should that container be? Thanks!

[JamesL]

Can you slide one out and see if they are getting root bound?

[KarenO]

Hello,
I would say that for only two more weeks they should be OK. I have 18-22 inch plants in 16 oz pots most years. They only need potting up if the roots are tight which at 8" tall I wouldn't think they should be yet
KO

[luigiwu]

Karen, 18-22 inches from ABOVE the soil line? WOW! talk about top-heavy! :-)
Listen, some of my biggest babies have extremely droopy lower leaf/branches. Like touching the ground. Any ideas why that might be?
James, I might try that when this latest watering gets dry-ish...

[KarenO]

yup, above the soil line and often already starting to bloom. I need half grown transplants to set out to be able to grow later midseason varieties here. It's OK to be tall in the greenhouse in no wind but then I remove the lower leaves and plant them deeply when I set them out which makes them sturdy in the garden. I would venture to guess it may depend on variety as to the droopy branches. what are you growing and do you have any pictures?
In Solo cups the trouble is that the cups themselves are "tippy" because the bottom of the cup is narrower than the top and that is what causes the "top heavy" easy tip over problem. I use square or round greenhouse pots packed snug into trays and they really can't tip over. My way wouldn't work well with solo cups standing separately but try placing them snug in a tray if they aren't already.
t(his pic from last season)
Karen

[Tom A To]

What's your forecast? Maybe you can put them out in 3-4 days with some luck.

[Doug9345]

in 18 oz cups they should be fine. Reduce the temperature they are at and they will slow down. If you are talking about putting them out in two weeks and are in NYS then you must be on Long Island. I'd be putting them outside as much as I could.

[nnjjohn]

Some are growing fast and think these 3 imch cups are not big enough for two or three weeks

[luigiwu]

Hey John, where did you get your green plastic caddy thingies from?
Are those all tomatoes? They look a little big leggy?

[nnjjohn]

Originally Posted by luigiwu

Hey John, where did you get your green plastic caddy thingies from?
Are those all tomatoes? They look a little big leggy?

down the street i have a dollar tree store.. that iswhere i bought the three inch plant cups..i think from now on using a mushroom cardboard box i found for free at the local super market.. it is perfect for the 16 oz party cups.. that i will use next season instead of these small 3 in. cups.. i have the red 16 oz. party cups.. i can drill drain holes and get on that tomorrow or sometime this week. But yes, the free mushroom cardboard boxes at the local store are strong and have side holes to handle them in and outside during the warming and hardening weeks. I might put some out in the front in a week or two.. I can cover them if i suspect frost warnings later part of April or first weeks in May. By that time, most of my choice seedlings will be a chore to manage. i'll be giving at least half of the 70 seedlings away to friends and family.

[Tracydr]

I bought a big bunch of four inch square cups and trays from a Nursery supply. Makes moving tomatoes in and outside so much simpler than round solo cups. I was sick and tired of cups getting tipped over,too.
It was a bit of an investment but they are reusable and will last many seasons unless I leave them in AZ hot sun. Some got a little deformed from melting,lol!