Transplant or just start seeds in 5 gal pots?

islandhigh said:

I guess Im just curious as to why most people start in cups? Is there an advantage?

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Less power consumption for a few weeks. 4-5 days germing. two weeks or so for them to get enough leaves to give them something stronger.
You can start your seeds in cups 2-3 weeks before your other crop is ready to harvest. Harvest -> new plants put in not new seeds put in.
Sexing plants you could grow for a few a month before sexing. Could have lots of males in 5 gal pots.
Having them in cups also you to make comparisons and choose the best plant to plant.

crazyhazey said:

planting seeds in a giant pot are like counting your eggs before they hatch. 5 gal buckets take a lot of soil and you might end up overcompensating when it comes to watering. do the sure thing and grow them in party cups, the roots will be able to get more air and flooding helps roots settle into a pot and spread out, and if they become root bound move them to a 2 gallon, and eventually the 5 gallon. you also might want to see if one of the plants is growing right or if the seed even germinates. if your seed doesn't root, your left with 5 gallons of wasted soil.

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So you're saying it takes to much soil to fill a 5 gallon bucket, but then you are filling cups, then 2 gal pots, and then 5 gal. Seems to me you are using almost twice the soil. When you could just fill the 5 gal and be done. The only thing you're saving transplanting is water and space. And if your seed doesn't sprout you are still left with fresh soil that hasn't been used.

It is about water use. If you want a soggy bunch of soil, put the seed in your five gallon bucket. I can out veg anyone with a transplant or two over someone who starts in 5 gallon. The water sinks to the bottom and the plant will take forever to gets roots down there to get it. Even Autos I transplant one time. In veg I want a good branch structure and great root system...but everyone has a method that works for em.

The problem with planting directly in large containers is that the plant will only draw water from the top of the container. You will have to water while the bottom is still saturated. This allows fungus to grow, which wouldn't otherwise grow. Generally though, you don't want to wait too long to get it out of the small container. The plant grows best if it never encounters an obstruction in it's root growth. Plant in a cup, and keep eyeballing the bottom drain holes. As soon as you see the first root, go directly into the large container. A medium size intermittent container would work, too, but I don't see the need. Just don't fully saturate until the plant is well established.

So there is an alternative argument from me transplanting. That is plant the seed directly in your 5-10-15 gallon container from the start. This method really is good if you want to top out the genetics for a big harvest. The reason is all in the TAP root. Early on after germination, the Tap root will explode with growth and it likes to drill down to the bottom, then off shoots can engulf the pot. In cups or even a 1 gallon pot will not let that Tap root, do what it wants - grow fast. So in a sense you are constricting the plant. I have done both and I like the ability to control growth with the cup-gal-pot transplanting method. The main thing is to spread Peace and joy.

islandhigh said:

Feminized seeds, so the soil wont be going to waste. Why is it not better to just pop a seed in a 5 gal pot and just let it grow? Seems like there would be less stress from no transplanting. No paper towel germination. Less risk too?

I have FoxFarms Ocean Forest and Light Warrior. I was thinking of just layering some FFOF on the bottom 2/3 and some Light Warrior on the top, so my new seedling wont get burnt. When it grows big enough, it will tap into the FFOF nutes on the bottom.

Thoughts?

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This tells you why starting in a 5 gal isn't the best idea.

jonsnow399 said:

This tells you why starting in a 5 gal isn't the best idea.

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Dr.Carl Whitcomb is a Master Sensei!!!

I like to start in 6 inch pots and then transplant to final pot as soon as roots have developed enough, starting in to small of a pot will slow them down a lil and starting them in too large of a pot can be challenging because you have to make sure not to water to much or you can really stunted their growth.

I always and I mean ALWAYS get yellowing, curling leaves, deficiencies etc when using small pots. Seems like im the only one. I tried my best to keep plants in small pots but they won't last more than 10 days until they start showing roots below the pot and yellowing. Rootbound I guess. Using trychoderma harzanium really speeds up root growth.. Transplanting will fix any problems 100% of the time. That's why I don't start in small pots anymore. I start in final pot or at least in 3 gallon pots. I usually water around the plant, never directly under the stem. And it works for me. Plants grow faster, no yellowing, no problems at all. It's not natural to transplant. It's one of those things I kept doing because everyone said it, but it doesn't work for me.

elfo777 said:

I always and I mean ALWAYS get yellowing, curling leaves, deficiencies etc when using small pots. Seems like im the only one. I tried my best to keep plants in small pots but they won't last more than 10 days until they start showing roots below the pot and yellowing. Rootbound I guess. Using trychoderma harzanium really speeds up root growth.. Transplanting will fix any problems 100% of the time. That's why I don't start in small pots anymore. I start in final pot or at least in 3 gallon pots. I usually water around the plant, never directly under the stem. And it works for me. Plants grow faster, no yellowing, no problems at all. It's not natural to transplant. It's one of those things I kept doing because everyone said it, but it doesn't work for me.

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Use the rootmakers or other air pruning pots and you won't have the yellowing.

jonsnow399 said:

This tells you why starting in a 5 gal isn't the best idea.

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Great vid. Also tells you that impeding root growth will inhibit your plant. I'm going to try rootmakers next. Thanks for posting this.

islandhigh said:

I guess Im just curious as to why most people start in cups? Is there an advantage?

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When doing large numbers of seeds outdoors, cups or gallon pots are the way to go. Some of the sprouts will be culled by you and more by nature. Soil is heavy and hard to move. With two milk crates you can carry 8 plants in gallon pots. In cups or trays, it is even more.

Transplanting is not a big deal if done right. The only time you truly never want to transplant is when growing autos. But with photo seeds, even fems, I would start them in gallon pots, then go into the 5's when the roots start to reach the sides of the gallons.

God damn it. An old thread. I've got to start looking at the start date on these things better.

I start in 32oz Stadium Cups if I'm germinating many seeds, will usually grow them long enough to determine Male/Female, and then will transplant into 3 gallon Smart Pots, and veg to whatever height I wish, usually 24 inches anyway, and then transplant into 10 gallon Smart Pots.
My soil is Promix BX.

If I'm doing clones, I start in 32oz cups, and then transplant into a larger container for veg, and finish. I have been growing in 20 gallon container x 1 plant per container, x 2 containers per 1000w HPS Hortilux. Usually pull 2lbs per light, no climate control, with Mr Nice Super Silver Haze, and Mr Nice Critical Mass.

In the best case scenario, I would prefer to start them in the Larger Containers from the beginning. I find it easy to water correctly in a large container, and a small plant. Just don't overwater. Theres No Rule that says I have to soak my containers. Its easy enough to visualize, who the root will grow. You know at first they don't need a lot of water, but do need just enough extra for the roots to expand. And if you transplant from a cup,, just remember the center is going to dry out faster than the new soil its just been transplanted in.

You give just enough water for the roots to continually expand. After they are pretty much filling the container, I will then give it enough water where it will Drain Slightly. No Flooding it.

Other than visualizing this, I also use a Moisture Meter... A cheap 1 from Lowes works great, and I will take several reading from within the container, and I will also slightly Lift the container, to determine if I feel it is heavy, or light.

Jogro said:

Huge advantage.

Cups are cheap, require very little soil to fill, take up very little space, and are easy to move around.

In cups, you could put 10 newly planted seeds in the area the size of a shoebox, move them from place to place with one hand, water all of them with a 1-liter bottle, and run all of them under 1-2 compact fluorescent lights.

You're not going to pull off any of that with even one 5-gallon pot.

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I like your cup method then transfer seedlings to bigger pots but what I would like to know is how many seedlings can I put in a 5 gal pot? Using multiple seedlings in 5 gal pots would give me a grow space of less than 4 by 4 and would allow me to use the HLG QB-288 V2 , two light kit which they say is good for coverage veg state 4 X 4 and flower state of 4 X 2. What do you think?

It should take 4 transplants to get to 5 gallon pots......Works the best for me.

seed in root riot after popping.
to a solo
to a 1 gallon
to a 3 gallon
to your 5 gallon.

Wait 8-10 days to start root set and flip

seems like a lot of unnecessary handling but if it works for you...great! I plan to go solo then to 1 gal then to 10 gal, 3 sprouts per 10 gal fabric pot, 4 total

Jogro said:

Huge advantage.

Cups are cheap, require very little soil to fill, take up very little space, and are easy to move around.

In cups, you could put 10 newly planted seeds in the area the size of a shoebox, move them from place to place with one hand, water all of them with a 1-liter bottle, and run all of them under 1-2 compact fluorescent lights.

You're not going to pull off any of that with even one 5-gallon pot.

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Yeah but then eventually you'll need that big space anyway. So what's the difference. I mean at some point you'll have 10 huge plants and you'll need space for 10 5 gal pots. I don't see the advantage.

frmrboi said:

yeah, what he said, common sense really, that's how comercial nurseries do it.

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Unnecessary to say yeah what he said.