styrofoam cup size

kygreg · March 7, 2008

If I start seeds in a styrofoam cup for planting in 6-8 weeks; does it matter a lot or make any difference whether I use an 8oz size or 24 oz size? I am referring to affecting the quality of the seedling and the root system; the smaller size would, of course, use less potting medium and take up less space.

robin303 · March 7, 2008

I would use the 8oz. Next year I will do that than buying all those 3" peat pots. They dry out to fast for me anyway.

neoguy · March 8, 2008

We start all the seeds in homemade paper pots. When it comes time to transplant, we transplant to 12 oz styrofoam cups. I'm sure you could use 16 oz, but going bigger, I think would be a waste.

This is not a commercial, but if you have a GFS Marketplace in your area, go there for styrofoam cups. 25, 12 oz cups are 79 cents. I bought some yesterday.

kygreg · March 8, 2008

In my original post I should have said 16oz, not 24oz(there are 24 of them in the package)

neoguy · March 8, 2008

You could use the 8 oz for seeds starting, but probably overkill. I saw 4 oz stryo cups at GFS, 50 for $1.49.

I'd go with the 12 oz for transplanting and maybe have some 16 oz on hand in case you have to transplant again before planting out. I'd bet the volume of a 4" square pot will be pretty close to a 12 oz cup.

kygreg · March 8, 2008

Not sure what GFS is but we dont have one; her I get them at Dollar General; $! for 24 of the 16 oz or 72 of the 8oz.

Ruth_10 · March 8, 2008

I would start in 8 oz. or smaller cups and pot up to a larger size if you have to keep them for a time before planting out. Some people grow their seedlings very large in small pots, purposely letting them get root bound. I pot up to 16 oz. cups and am happy with the results.

I like plastic cups (e.g. Solo brand types with the thin plastic walls) better than Styrofoam cups because my sense is the plastic cups are a little steadier on their feet and don't tip over as easily. Maybe it's the ridge on the bottom of the Styrofoam cups. The Solo cups are flat on the bottom.

P.S. GFS is Gordon Food Service.

pbud · March 9, 2008

I start them in recycled yo baby yogurt containers, which I think are 4 oz. I usually draw a line down the outside dividing the container in half and plant five seeds (two varieties) in each half. They grow to potting up size quickly and then you can pot up to 8 or 12oz with good results. No need to use all of that seed starting mix in 8 oz cups just to start seeds. Check out NC tomato man's seed starting style - very densely planted in flats - and you won't worry about starting in 8 oz or preferably smaller cups.
Paul

Adenn1 · March 10, 2008

Last year I used the 16 ounce styrofoam cups (pic below) and had good luck with them. I used Jiffy Pellets to start the seed and once the plant got its first set of true leaves, then it was put into the cups.

This year I purchased 16 ounce plastic cups...was at the store a few weeks ago and they had them on sale--half off--so I purched about six dozen.

I find that the larger cup size allows for better root development and the plants tend to start off better once planted in the ground.

Melissa · March 10, 2008

I used the 16 oz solo cups for years--purchased at Sams Club for cheap. This year went to peat pots.

DonnaK-NC · March 10, 2008

Last year I started the seeds in peat pellets and then transfered them to some 8 oz plastic solo cups and they worked fine! This year, doing the dense planting method and I'm trying 12 oz styrofoam, well....just because....lol. I get bored and like to mix things up sometimes. lol

barkeater · March 10, 2008

I like to pot up, and not start in a big cup. I have a plastic germination tray with about 20 rows to start the seeds.

Then they get yanked out and transplanted into 6 paks, 8 to a tray. At about 6 weeks old, the most vigorous plants are potted up to 20 oz. Solo cups until planting out.

I love the Solos with their well tapered shape which encourages the roots to grow downward. Also, the thin plastic will heat up and dry out quickly.

Styrofoam insulates too well in comparison, and I have had a few problems with soil staying cold and wet at times.

Granny · March 10, 2008

I used the 16 ounce Solo cups last year along with some styrofoam. (Larger sizes of those were impossible to find locally.) Both of them tended to hold excess water, even with several holes poked in the bottom. I finally fixed the matter by cutting triangular wedges in several places where the side joined the bottom.

Either way, I found them to be pretty expensive for several hundred plants, so this year I ordered greenhouse flats in several sizes from Novosel Manufacturing.

creister · March 11, 2008

Peat pots will wick moisture away, so keep on eye on the watering. Also, if you plant them in the garden, cut out the bottom and make real sure that the entire pot is buried beneath the soil. If the top of the pot is above the soil, it will only wick away moisture back into the air. I have quit using peat pots for this reason.

Melissa · March 12, 2008

thanks for that info creister
This is my first year exclusively using the peat pots,so that is good to know. When I've bought things in peat pots from nurseries, I normally just tear off the bottom of the pots anyway, but glad to hear I've been doing the right thing.

Have you had any experience with the cow pie pots? I was thinking of trialing some of them against the peat pots to see which I liked better, or if I'd just go back to the solo cups next season.

March 7, 2008	#1
kygreg Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: kentucky Posts: 1,019	styrofoam cup size If I start seeds in a styrofoam cup for planting in 6-8 weeks; does it matter a lot or make any difference whether I use an 8oz size or 24 oz size? I am referring to affecting the quality of the seedling and the root system; the smaller size would, of course, use less potting medium and take up less space.

March 8, 2008	#7
Ruth_10 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MO z6a near St. Louis Posts: 1,349	I would start in 8 oz. or smaller cups and pot up to a larger size if you have to keep them for a time before planting out. Some people grow their seedlings very large in small pots, purposely letting them get root bound. I pot up to 16 oz. cups and am happy with the results. I like plastic cups (e.g. Solo brand types with the thin plastic walls) better than Styrofoam cups because my sense is the plastic cups are a little steadier on their feet and don't tip over as easily. Maybe it's the ridge on the bottom of the Styrofoam cups. The Solo cups are flat on the bottom. P.S. GFS is Gordon Food Service. __________________ --Ruth Some say the glass half-full. Others say the glass is half-empty. To an engineer, it’s twice as big as it needs to be.

March 10, 2008	#9
Adenn1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Philly Posts: 559	Last year I used the 16 ounce styrofoam cups (pic below) and had good luck with them. I used Jiffy Pellets to start the seed and once the plant got its first set of true leaves, then it was put into the cups. This year I purchased 16 ounce plastic cups...was at the store a few weeks ago and they had them on sale--half off--so I purched about six dozen. I find that the larger cup size allows for better root development and the plants tend to start off better once planted in the ground. __________________ Mark

March 7, 2008	#2
robin303 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Austin, TX Zone 8b Posts: 531	I would use the 8oz. Next year I will do that than buying all those 3" peat pots. They dry out to fast for me anyway.

March 8, 2008	#3
neoguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: NE Ohio Posts: 610	We start all the seeds in homemade paper pots. When it comes time to transplant, we transplant to 12 oz styrofoam cups. I'm sure you could use 16 oz, but going bigger, I think would be a waste. This is not a commercial, but if you have a GFS Marketplace in your area, go there for styrofoam cups. 25, 12 oz cups are 79 cents. I bought some yesterday.

March 9, 2008	#8
pbud Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bay Area Posts: 173	I start them in recycled yo baby yogurt containers, which I think are 4 oz. I usually draw a line down the outside dividing the container in half and plant five seeds (two varieties) in each half. They grow to potting up size quickly and then you can pot up to 8 or 12oz with good results. No need to use all of that seed starting mix in 8 oz cups just to start seeds. Check out NC tomato man's seed starting style - very densely planted in flats - and you won't worry about starting in 8 oz or preferably smaller cups. Paul

March 10, 2008	#10
Melissa Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Southwestern Ohio Posts: 54	I used the 16 oz solo cups for years--purchased at Sams Club for cheap. This year went to peat pots.

March 10, 2008	#11
DonnaK-NC Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Salisbury, NC Zone 7 Posts: 24	Last year I started the seeds in peat pellets and then transfered them to some 8 oz plastic solo cups and they worked fine! This year, doing the dense planting method and I'm trying 12 oz styrofoam, well....just because....lol. I get bored and like to mix things up sometimes. lol

March 10, 2008	#12
barkeater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NE Kingdom, VT - Zone 3b Posts: 1,439	I like to pot up, and not start in a big cup. I have a plastic germination tray with about 20 rows to start the seeds. Then they get yanked out and transplanted into 6 paks, 8 to a tray. At about 6 weeks old, the most vigorous plants are potted up to 20 oz. Solo cups until planting out. I love the Solos with their well tapered shape which encourages the roots to grow downward. Also, the thin plastic will heat up and dry out quickly. Styrofoam insulates too well in comparison, and I have had a few problems with soil staying cold and wet at times.

March 10, 2008	#13
Granny Tomatovillian™ Honoree Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 507	I used the 16 ounce Solo cups last year along with some styrofoam. (Larger sizes of those were impossible to find locally.) Both of them tended to hold excess water, even with several holes poked in the bottom. I finally fixed the matter by cutting triangular wedges in several places where the side joined the bottom. Either way, I found them to be pretty expensive for several hundred plants, so this year I ordered greenhouse flats in several sizes from Novosel Manufacturing.

March 11, 2008	#14
creister Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Abilene, TX zone 7 Posts: 1,478	Peat pots will wick moisture away, so keep on eye on the watering. Also, if you plant them in the garden, cut out the bottom and make real sure that the entire pot is buried beneath the soil. If the top of the pot is above the soil, it will only wick away moisture back into the air. I have quit using peat pots for this reason.

March 12, 2008	#15
Melissa Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Southwestern Ohio Posts: 54	thanks for that info creister This is my first year exclusively using the peat pots,so that is good to know. When I've bought things in peat pots from nurseries, I normally just tear off the bottom of the pots anyway, but glad to hear I've been doing the right thing. Have you had any experience with the cow pie pots? I was thinking of trialing some of them against the peat pots to see which I liked better, or if I'd just go back to the solo cups next season.