Repotting seedlings

cjp1953 · March 25, 2018

My Hot Cayenne peppers are 4 weeks old and need repotting.The cells they are in have 3 seeds in each.Not all the seeds came up at the same time.I have a couple cells with 1 or 2 seedlings with their true leaves mixed in with seedlings with only their cotyledon leaves.It would be hard not to disturb the seedlings while I try to separate them.Would this cause any problems with seedlings without true leaves or could I transplant them into red solo cups at the same time?In the past I planted only 1 seed per cell.

SQWIBB · March 25, 2018

If I get a few healthy seedlings in one cell, I sometimes divide and save.
As a matter of fact, I broadcast seeded some California wonders in a 4" pot and got about 20, I used a spoon handle to carefully did them up and transplant, saved 6 out of the 20

I used to have guilt over culling, now I'm downright ruthless!

Nan_PA_6b · March 25, 2018

I'll bet the ones without true leaves would survive being potted up. I bet they'll survive being left in the cell with the bigger ones removed, more soil added. But my experience is limited with peppers.

Nan

Salsacharley · March 25, 2018

I have a similar problem with some jalapenos. I had some bad germination in a 2" jiffy pot so I added a couple more seeds. Now they all decided to sprout and I have some with true leaves and some are still helmet heads. I've just let the big ones keep growing while the late ones get true leaves. I'm almost there, but I do have an extreme range of some badly needing transplanting while their neighbor needs to be better established. I think it will all work so they can all survive and be transplanted in the next week or so.

cjp1953 · March 25, 2018

Really strange growing patterns,these were planted on Feb.25th and some came up in a week or 2 and the rest in the last week.I could wait until later this week.

GrowingCoastal · March 25, 2018

A friend gave me some pepper seedlings. One of them had two more sprout alongside. This week I removed them before their true leaves showed and they are doing fine in their own little pots. I think there is less damage to the wee ones if they are moved before they get too many fine roots to tear when it comes time to move them later.

cjp1953 · March 25, 2018

I went and did repot them in red solo cups,made holes in the bottom and sides and filled with seed mix by Miracle grow because that what I had left over from last year,after transplanting set the cups in my tray and added water.It's taking time for the water to wick up but in time they should get it.Going to add perlite to the mix next time as it was compacted.

bower · March 25, 2018

I've often had extra peppers pop up after i thought I transplanted one... I don't think I've ever seen one killed by separating. They tend to show appreciation, instead.

I had gazillions sprouting in one cell this year - old seed I didn't expect but a few.

Good thing my friends are farmers...

cjp1953 · March 25, 2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by bower

I've often had extra peppers pop up after i thought I transplanted one... I don't think I've ever seen one killed by separating. They tend to show appreciation, instead.

I had gazillions sprouting in one cell this year - old seed I didn't expect but a few.

Good thing my friends are farmers...

It's been a crazy germinating season with my peppers.First time using a heat mat.

clkeiper · March 26, 2018

I often plant with just the cotolyden stage. that doesn't hurt them just try not to rip off the one root they have and even if you do set it a bit deeper and cover the tray or pots with a sheet of plastic or an upside down webbed flat. to give them a bit of humidity while they are recovering.

BigVanVader · March 26, 2018

Hard to kill pepper seedlings, trust me.

SueCT · March 26, 2018

If that happens to me, I separate the seedling(s) with real leaves and I might put the one without back in the same small cup it came from with a little more starting mix to fill up where the others were removed. There is no reason you can't put them in the solo cups, but I like to see them doing well with real leaves first. I rarely loose a seedling, but it takes a lot more soil to fill a solo cup and if the little guy isn't going to make it for some reason, I would rather save the soil. Its also easy to over water with a tiny seedling in a big cup since it doesn't have much in the way of roots to use it up if the soil gets a little wet a little too deep in the cup.

But if it is easier or a time saver for you just do it and be careful not to water too deeply until it grows a bit.

Scooty · April 12, 2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by SueCT

If that happens to me, I separate the seedling(s) with real leaves and I might put the one without back in the same small cup it came from with a little more starting mix to fill up where the others were removed. There is no reason you can't put them in the solo cups, but I like to see them doing well with real leaves first. I rarely loose a seedling, but it takes a lot more soil to fill a solo cup and if the little guy isn't going to make it for some reason, I would rather save the soil. Its also easy to over water with a tiny seedling in a big cup since it doesn't have much in the way of roots to use it up if the soil gets a little wet a little too deep in the cup.

But if it is easier or a time saver for you just do it and be careful not to water too deeply until it grows a bit.

I'd say it has a lot to do with your setup. I went to LED growlights with lots of blue nearly 1:1/1:2 ratio blue:red. This forces lots of root growth (it also leads to really really dark green leaves.) Once the seedlings completely root out in the 6 pack, they go into solo cups. If I go from seedlings directly into solo cups, they get somewhat stunted, because they try so hard to push lots of root growth even though they have next to no foliage.

With CFLs, I got as much root growth as vegetative growth or sometimes just "normal plants" (which still look leggy in comparison).

In the 6 pack, brad's atomic grape, JBT, and an RL JBT mutant that have been sitting outside or under natural light for nearly 2 weeks after filling out roots after growing under LEDs. Colors have started to change back to lighter green due to "normal lighting"

The solo cup is Malee Rose (DTP mater). Still 2 inches tall, same as when in 6 pack, replanting in 18 oz solo cup. Roots already hit bottom and coming out. It will be completely roots almost root bound in probably another week.

2 x Sun Chocolo in 16 solo cup, another reference for how deep the green color gets (need to split this one).

I went to 18 oz solo cups this year because the roots have simply been developing really fast under my current setup.

March 25, 2018	#1
cjp1953 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Cuyahoga Falls,Ohio Posts: 818	Repotting seedlings My Hot Cayenne peppers are 4 weeks old and need repotting.The cells they are in have 3 seeds in each.Not all the seeds came up at the same time.I have a couple cells with 1 or 2 seedlings with their true leaves mixed in with seedlings with only their cotyledon leaves.It would be hard not to disturb the seedlings while I try to separate them.Would this cause any problems with seedlings without true leaves or could I transplant them into red solo cups at the same time?In the past I planted only 1 seed per cell.

March 26, 2018	#10
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	I often plant with just the cotolyden stage. that doesn't hurt them just try not to rip off the one root they have and even if you do set it a bit deeper and cover the tray or pots with a sheet of plastic or an upside down webbed flat. to give them a bit of humidity while they are recovering. __________________ carolyn k

March 25, 2018	#2
SQWIBB Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Philly 7A Posts: 739	If I get a few healthy seedlings in one cell, I sometimes divide and save. As a matter of fact, I broadcast seeded some California wonders in a 4" pot and got about 20, I used a spoon handle to carefully did them up and transplant, saved 6 out of the 20 I used to have guilt over culling, now I'm downright ruthless!

March 25, 2018	#3
Nan_PA_6b Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 3,194	I'll bet the ones without true leaves would survive being potted up. I bet they'll survive being left in the cell with the bigger ones removed, more soil added. But my experience is limited with peppers. Nan

March 25, 2018	#4
Salsacharley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: New Mexico Posts: 2,052	I have a similar problem with some jalapenos. I had some bad germination in a 2" jiffy pot so I added a couple more seeds. Now they all decided to sprout and I have some with true leaves and some are still helmet heads. I've just let the big ones keep growing while the late ones get true leaves. I'm almost there, but I do have an extreme range of some badly needing transplanting while their neighbor needs to be better established. I think it will all work so they can all survive and be transplanted in the next week or so.

March 25, 2018	#6
GrowingCoastal Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Vancouver Island Canada BC Posts: 1,253	A friend gave me some pepper seedlings. One of them had two more sprout alongside. This week I removed them before their true leaves showed and they are doing fine in their own little pots. I think there is less damage to the wee ones if they are moved before they get too many fine roots to tear when it comes time to move them later.

March 25, 2018	#8
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,793	I've often had extra peppers pop up after i thought I transplanted one... I don't think I've ever seen one killed by separating. They tend to show appreciation, instead. I had gazillions sprouting in one cell this year - old seed I didn't expect but a few. Good thing my friends are farmers...

March 26, 2018	#11
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	Hard to kill pepper seedlings, trust me.

March 26, 2018	#12
SueCT Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,460	If that happens to me, I separate the seedling(s) with real leaves and I might put the one without back in the same small cup it came from with a little more starting mix to fill up where the others were removed. There is no reason you can't put them in the solo cups, but I like to see them doing well with real leaves first. I rarely loose a seedling, but it takes a lot more soil to fill a solo cup and if the little guy isn't going to make it for some reason, I would rather save the soil. Its also easy to over water with a tiny seedling in a big cup since it doesn't have much in the way of roots to use it up if the soil gets a little wet a little too deep in the cup. But if it is easier or a time saver for you just do it and be careful not to water too deeply until it grows a bit.