Transplanting questions

[Doctor Trevor]

I started two Dark Angel seeds (Taija and Stacy) a few weeks back in one gallon cloth pots. My plan was to move them to five gallon cloth pots when it was time.

Reading a few articles, I'm thinking I should've started smaller. Will the current-sized pots be a problem? From what I've read, I would transplant when the leaves reached the rim of the pots. Is this still the way to go? Should I do it earlier? Later?

The articles say to essentially flip the pot over and let the plant slide out. I imagine this being a problem with the cloth pots and the size of them. My thought is to simply cut the one gallon pots in pieces and scoop up all the soil (and plants) and move them into the larger pots

Should I transfer into three gallon pots, instead of the fives? With previous plants, I started and finished in three gallon pots.

Any help would be appreciated.


DT

 

[Sparkey224]

I started two Dark Angel seeds (Taija and Stacy) a few weeks back in one gallon cloth pots. My plan was to move them to five gallon cloth pots when it was time.

Reading a few articles, I'm thinking I should've started smaller. Will the current-sized pots be a problem? From what I've read, I would transplant when the leaves reached the rim of the pots. Is this still the way to go? Should I do it earlier? Later?

The articles say to essentially flip the pot over and let the plant slide out. I imagine this being a problem with the cloth pots and the size of them. My thought is to simply cut the one gallon pots in pieces and scoop up all the soil (and plants) and move them into the larger pots

Should I transfer into three gallon pots, instead of the fives? With previous plants, I started and finished in three gallon pots.

Any help would be appreciated.


DT

Hey DT, you are cool with one gallons. I usually start in solo, 1s, then 5s or 10s.
Yes, you will have to cut the one gallon cloth pot to transplant but be sure to water the soil to help keep the soil intact without messing with the rootball.
I would recommend starting off in plastic 1gal next time so you dont have to waste anymore cloth pots.
Wait a bit if you think the plant is to small for the transplant. The bigger of a plant will have a more established root ball making it easier for the transplant.
Hope that helps, good luck and take your time.
A pic would be hreat if you have one

 

[013]

Hey Doctor,

Yes it’s true they grow faster when starting in smaller containers and using the upcan method. But this method of transplant should only be utilized when 1) the plant is extremely healthy, 2) when it’s toally rootbound 3) the plants leaves extend beyond the edge of the container. Finally another key identifier for rootbound is 4) that the plant needs to be watered nearly every day because it’s so healthy that it drinks up all of the moisture.

Too many transplants are not good, the most experienced growers appear to start in 20 ounce cups, then when all 4 conditions above are met at first upcan they go into a 1 gallon container. Run that for multiple (4 to 6 weeks) until it’s rootbound again as per the same 4 conditions above and then jump into final container. The final container should be at least 5 gallons for a photoperiod. The rootball should be gently scored with a sterile knife at time of upcan, this cutting of the roots encourages the plant to take over its new home. Once you transfer into final container wait 3 weeks for roots to grow out then flip to flower.

Roots grow heavily in veg cycle, but in flower cycle new root growth stops and the plant uses the rootball that was built in veg to support flower.

This is written for soil or peat based grow mediums, and this may or may not apply to coco grows.
Just to be clear... soil is soil and coco is hydro.

And yes transfer out of fabric pots is cumbersome. I use plastic airpots.

 

[Doctor Trevor]

Thanks for getting back to me. I'm probably still two or three weeks away from transplanting but I was looking into it last night.

Here are the girls as of this writing:

 

[CanadianJim]

Someone somewhere was talking about putting the fabric pot straight into the bigger fabric pot, like those supposedly biodegradable peat/cardboard pots. And one suggestion he got was to cut slits into the sides and bottom.
He posted later that he couldn't up pot because the plant had sent it's taproot through the pot into the soil underneath.

 

[013]

Nice garden Doctor Trevor! Thanks for sharing pics

 

[Fastass419]

Hey doc I start with cloth pot I have seen got away from them but that's another story but it's not that hard to get the plant out of the pot it helps with 2 people but just turn it over and grab it at the bottom seems and wiggle it the pot will let go but flow what @013 said when to up pot that was perfect

 

[Doctor Trevor]

I'll get my wife to help me with this. Thinking another two or three weeks.

Maybe I'll do it a few days after I flush the plants. Or would that stress them out?

 

[Fastass419]

I'll get my wife to help me with this. Thinking another two or three weeks.

Maybe I'll do it a few days after I flush the plants. Or would that stress them out?

Why would you flush I dont know why you would do that unless you over nuked them besides that dont flush

 

[Doctor Trevor]

The nutes I use apparently have a lot of salt in them. I was told to flush regularly to get rid of the build up.

 

[Southerncough]

You can get her out of the fabric pot without cutting it. Takes a little finesse and the pant should be pretty root bound. I turn the plant sideways, pinch the seam where the sides meet the bottom between pointer finger and thumbs (both hands) and then with my other three fingers i gently push on the bottom of the bag. Some roots may have grown into the bag, so gently work it. You may feel some resistance but keep working it and eventually it'll move about a half inch. Keep coaxing it out by pulling the sides down and pushing the bottom up. One it starts to move a bit more freely flip it upside down and slide the plant into your hand/pull the bag off.
Not ideal but it can be done!

 

[Fastass419]

The nutes I use apparently have a lot of salt in them. I was told to flush regularly to get rid of the build up.

Ok I hate flushes it clean the soil of all nutrients and it takes alot of water and alot of time

 

[Doctor Trevor]

After I flush, I feed the plants again. The nutes are there, but the salt is not (at least not as much).

I use a ten gallon igloo cooler with a spigot and length of plastic tubing for the flush. It makes it much easier to do and I have control over the water flow. I fill it the night before I flush to let the chlorides gas-out.

I'm concerned that 'training day' may be too close to transplanting day. Do you think a week between the two would be enough time as not to stress out the girls?

 

[013]

Sorry man, no help here, I’m soil grower who only flushes the toilet.

On soil grows I’m basically against flushing, I save that option in case nutes too hot or to undo a major screw up but I try to avoid it.

 

[Southerncough]

And of you're growing in soil there's really no need to!

 

[Doctor Trevor]

Sorry man, no help here, I’m soil grower who only flushes the toilet.

On soil grows I’m basically against flushing, I save that option in case nutes too hot or to undo a major screw up but I try to avoid it.

Well, at least you flush the toilet...

 

[Enjoil]

I started two Dark Angel seeds (Taija and Stacy) a few weeks back in one gallon cloth pots. My plan was to move them to five gallon cloth pots when it was time.

Reading a few articles, I'm thinking I should've started smaller. Will the current-sized pots be a problem? From what I've read, I would transplant when the leaves reached the rim of the pots. Is this still the way to go? Should I do it earlier? Later?

The articles say to essentially flip the pot over and let the plant slide out. I imagine this being a problem with the cloth pots and the size of them. My thought is to simply cut the one gallon pots in pieces and scoop up all the soil (and plants) and move them into the larger pots

Should I transfer into three gallon pots, instead of the fives? With previous plants, I started and finished in three gallon pots.

Any help would be appreciated.


DT

No don’t cut the container you paid for! It will just roll right down, take a small bucket or stool or something and set your fabric pot on it, then roll the sides down to free your plant and then throw her in her new home. Hope that helps

 

[Fastass419]

I dont worry about transplanting cause I use great white it helps my plants just grow but I don't mess with fabric pots I use air pruning pots here what they look like

they help with root development and quick 1 week in these pots roots are coming out the bottom from solo cups

 

[Doctor Trevor]

I'll look into these pots for next time. ThaNKS.

 

[013]

Hey Fast - What size are those?

They look like ones or threes, didn’t know they had small ones too. That’s cool as shit thanks!

I’ve got 7’s and the bigs ones are 15 or 20 whatever the wide short ones are but will have to check my grow shop for the small ones