[SIZE=10.5pt]OK I have about 60 plants in Solo cups and they are running out of room. I want to eventually put them in 5 gallon buckets. Do I go straight to the 5 gallon buckets or should I move to 1 or 3 gallon pots first? Or just put them in the 5 gallon buckets and not fill all the way to the top? Please advise.[/SIZE]
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container What Size container should I use?
- Thread starter DawgNutts
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I was thinking about the post#2 from this topic http://thehotpepper.com/topic/47878-is-this-a-normal-size-for-15-capsicum-chinense/filmost said:
I think is also about the soil you are using in the pot, not the same as dirt in the garden. I have never seen a pepper plant having such roots like one growing in a pot, and I am sure is not only about peppers. Same thing I saw on my Bugambilia plants.
Plants grown in garden soil can have every bit as large a root system of not bigger than those in a pot. It depends on your soil.rghm1u20 said:
But my point is, whether you transplant directly into the ground from solo cups or into large deep containers, the result is the same. They will focus on their roots first, then put out top growth.
My personal opinion is that intermediate containers just make more work for you, not to mention more money spent.
I went from smaller than solo cup containers directly into 3 and 5 gallon fabric pots which are their permanent homes, and my plants did fine. You can see so on my glog http://www.filmoreha.com and also here http://thehotpepper.com/topic/45529-filmost-2014-the-year-of-the-pepper/page-4#entry1014666
So, we agree about focusing first on roots.filmost said:
About plus or minus for each solution, DawgNutts can decide itself.
As I stated, I am not a container grower, I just have an overwinter pepper in a container, also a 2014 Chupetinho pepper.
However, I can tell you the container Chupetinho developed better than those in the dirt. I have used a 4 (max.5) liter container.
rghm1u20 said:
Container soil is often easier to work with. With garden soil you need to make amendments and optimize it yourself until you get the results you want. There are pros and cons of each. With containers you can at least move them around, but I think the greatest benefit of in-ground planting is that you can water less sicne the plants will dig down deep for water.
I am growing both in containers and soil and my plants do well in both mediums.
OK I have about 60 plants in Solo cups and they are running out of room. I want to eventually put them in 5 gallon buckets. Do I go straight to the 5 gallon buckets or should I move to 1 or 3 gallon pots first? Or just put them in the 5 gallon buckets and not fill all the way to the top? Please advise.
1, 3, 5... Whatever is convenient for you, but do fill whatever pot you decide to use all the way.
1, 3, 5... Whatever is convenient for you, but do fill whatever pot you decide to use all the way.
There are benefits to potting up gradually. Being that it is July 2,I would get them transplanted ASAP. Solo cup to 5 gallon container is not that big of a jump really. My questions though..
1.How big are the plants?
2.How established/healthy are the root systems on them? <--- Benefit of gradual potting up!
They could be 1" tall with a crappy root system,then you are going to see transplant shock,lag,etc. When going to 5 gallon.
That being said.... by years end,my inground plants are greener,healthier,larger pods.
1.How big are the plants?
2.How established/healthy are the root systems on them? <--- Benefit of gradual potting up!
They could be 1" tall with a crappy root system,then you are going to see transplant shock,lag,etc. When going to 5 gallon.
+1AaronRiot said:
No, but you will see slower initial growth. Ever transplant a 4 or 5 inch pot into a 1 or two gallon pot? Instant BOOM! The roots and plant grow in harmony.filmost said:
That being said.... by years end,my inground plants are greener,healthier,larger pods.
No, but you will see slower initial growth. Ever transplant a 4 or 5 inch pot into a 1 or two gallon pot? Instant BOOM! The roots and plant grow in harmony.
That being said.... by years end,my inground plants are greener,healthier,larger pods.
I have always just gone straight to permanent homes. Yes you don't see anything above ground initially, but then BOOM they just take off, as nature intended if you think about it.
But yep, just do what ever works best for you. ;-)
That being said.... by years end,my inground plants are greener,healthier,larger pods.
I have always just gone straight to permanent homes. Yes you don't see anything above ground initially, but then BOOM they just take off, as nature intended if you think about it.
But yep, just do what ever works best for you. ;-)
To chime in, I agree with pretty much everything everybody mentioned above...
but personally I think you need to pay more attention to maintain the right level of moisture right after transplanting if you use a much bigger pot.
Just because the tiny rootball area can dry up while most of the rest of the soil is still wet-- hich means you have to walk a fine line between overwatering in an attempt to compensate and underwatering because the soil seems moist!
but personally I think you need to pay more attention to maintain the right level of moisture right after transplanting if you use a much bigger pot.
Just because the tiny rootball area can dry up while most of the rest of the soil is still wet-- hich means you have to walk a fine line between overwatering in an attempt to compensate and underwatering because the soil seems moist!
Yes!plaisir8 said:
How is a seedling going to uptake and expire all the moisture in a big container. You end up having to top water and you never get a good root system. Then the "Why are my plants yellow and not growing" threads start.
My plants are doing so-so ;-)filmost said:
plaisir8 said:
I've never experienced the root ball drying out before the surrounding soil. In my own experience the soil around the periphery will dry up first. If you want perfect moisture and full control then I think it would make sense to go hydro.
Pr0digal_son said:
The same way they would in anything else. I personally think said threads start b/c people worry too much and try too hard. You can get a fine root system from top watering, what do you think inground people do? Last year my cayenne grew upwards of 5ft tall. I had five of them packed into maybe a 2x2ft space inground and their roots were huge when I pulled them up at the end of the season.
After a life time of traditional gardening I now grow exclusively in 5 gallon containers. When I first began my transition to containers, I did a lot of experimenting and observing the outcome.
My experience is that when I skip the intermediate pot, the plant seems to go into a dormant state for a significant period of time. While those in the smaller pots begin to flourish and many time even have started to set buds by the time I move them up to the permanent 5 gal. container.
They quickly overtake the "seedling-to- large container" plants and grow larger and more fruitful throughout the growing season.
Granted, planting up to an intermediate pot does require the extra step and involve additional effort, but the added expense for me is minimal since I reuse my pots and growing medium. And I simply see better results at seasons end.
That's not to say I don't occasionally get busy and behind schedule and plant a few directly into the large container. But when I do so, I always regret it afterwards because they are behind in development all season and never catch up.
CM
My experience is that when I skip the intermediate pot, the plant seems to go into a dormant state for a significant period of time. While those in the smaller pots begin to flourish and many time even have started to set buds by the time I move them up to the permanent 5 gal. container.
They quickly overtake the "seedling-to- large container" plants and grow larger and more fruitful throughout the growing season.
Granted, planting up to an intermediate pot does require the extra step and involve additional effort, but the added expense for me is minimal since I reuse my pots and growing medium. And I simply see better results at seasons end.
That's not to say I don't occasionally get busy and behind schedule and plant a few directly into the large container. But when I do so, I always regret it afterwards because they are behind in development all season and never catch up.
CM
i put 50 plants from solo cups directly into viagrow 5 gallon grow bags with all the soil, otherwise you shock them every time you transplant etc etc, better to just go for the final container now(in my opinion).DawgNutts said:
here they are now, if you're worried they'll mess up or something(don't mind the 3 gals on the left i planted last month)
nice plants Jon. Cute baby, she is mad and yelling bcz the way u are planting though lol, she said
the bags are good recourse, but may be hard to move around and u got them too close to each other, listen to her
on the pot size, like everyone said, some plants need small buckets, other need more space.
in general, 5 to 7 gallon is good, there are many downsides for pot plating, like watering, fertilizing, moving around vs planting in the ground, u water less, fertilize less, and dont move them at all
the bags are good recourse, but may be hard to move around and u got them too close to each other, listen to her
on the pot size, like everyone said, some plants need small buckets, other need more space.
in general, 5 to 7 gallon is good, there are many downsides for pot plating, like watering, fertilizing, moving around vs planting in the ground, u water less, fertilize less, and dont move them at all
Fairly new to peppers but I have grown everything under the sun (well not really) in containers and I have always gone straight from starter pot to its final pot being a 5-10 gallon... I have never had any issues.... Might be different for peppers but I did the same with all my peppers this year and all but one (just the runt of the group) are kicking ass and taking names....
Just my two cents, but I go from liners to one gallon pots, and then to their final home (usually fifteen-gallon pots, but I have some in tens and some in twenty-fives, depending on the plant). It's been my experience that putting a small plant in a large pot tends to cause a lag in growth as compared to doing it in three steps, but that's just me.
However you decide to do it, I'd highly suggest treating your roots with cold-processed Norwegian sea kelp (I use Maxicrop, personally) and mycorrhizal spawn. Both of these things will minimize transplant shock and speed root mass development.
However you decide to do it, I'd highly suggest treating your roots with cold-processed Norwegian sea kelp (I use Maxicrop, personally) and mycorrhizal spawn. Both of these things will minimize transplant shock and speed root mass development.
The only real reason to go to an intermediate size pots is because of your personal limitations, such as space or lighting. I am in an area that is too cold for peppers until about mid-May, so when I start from seeds in January, I move to intermediate pots because I don't have available space inside for larger containers. If you have space inside or out (depending on your local weather conditions), go ahead and put them into their final pots directly.