Transplanting Auto Flowering Seedlings From Solo Cups

K

KCKronic

New Member
Rookie mistake! I started auto flower Feminized Northern Lights CKS seedlings in solo cups. Then I recently discovered that they should have been started in their final 3 gallon pots so as to avoid transplant stress. Is this info True or False?

Right now they are in ProMix organic soil, no nutrients, Day 12 in soil. I wish to plant them in a soil mix composed of Fox Farm Ocean Forest (80%) soil with Promix organic (10%), coco, perlite, and clay pellets (10%). Also intending to use Fox Farm Grow Big, Big Bloom and Tiger Bloom nutrients at 14 days in soil with a 1/4 of dilution increasing gradually to full strength.

Any help avoiding transplant stress or comments would be greatly appreciated as this is my first grow from seeds.
 
No worries, it's not a FACT that you can't move them into larger containers. I've done solo cups to 1 gallon then up to 5 gallons. Now I just do 1 gallon and then move them into 5 gallon containers. I might pick up a day or two of nute stress since the FF is "hot"....I would assume starting a plant in the FFOF would cause the same if not more stress ( I start in FF Happy Frog). Oh and opinions/facts here (including mine) are just opinions so ask questions and take answers with a grain of salt. Some experts here have not completed their first grow, others have 100's of grows under their belt without a picture to prove so.

Happy growing and happy researching!
 
Thank you EEKO for the post and info. I'm going to have to transplant for this grow. Just hoping to do it right. Nice "Bulldog" grow you've got going!
 
KCKronic said:
Thank you EEKO for the post and info. I'm going to have to transplant for this grow. Just hoping to do it right. Nice "Bulldog" grow you've got going!
Click to expand...

Thanks. Keep in mind that when you transplant them into FFOF the soil is loaded with nutes. In a day or two you will notice some end of leaf nute burn, don't stress they will get use to it.....adding more nutes before their root ball is able to consume of all of the nutes in your 3 gallon pot might take awhile.....so start slow. I'm not an expert at autos but it seems almost like using FFOF provides so much that all of the wonderful nutes with the great looking labels don't have much time before the plants are ready for more nutes and it's time to flush.

If you don't have Cal/Mag get some, I waited too long and it hurt.
 
Another informative post! Thank you. I had read that FFOF is hot hence the mix of other less nutrient rich components such as the ProMix Organic that I used for the seedlings.

One question for you. Why were Calcium and Magnesium additives required in your experience?
 
KCKronic said:
Another informative post! Thank you. I had read that FFOF is hot hence the mix of other less nutrient rich components such as the ProMix Organic that I used for the seedlings.

One question for you. Why were Calcium and Magnesium additives required in your experience?
Click to expand...

I can't pin point that down. I had a comedy of mistakes ranging from bad PH meters to high (PH8-9) tap water to my girlfriend thinking my water containers sitting on the counter to air off the chlorine for 24 hours was her container to make tea and coffee (I was using water high in chlorine not knowing it)so my plants were all sorts of unhappy. Once all of that was cleared up they were cranky again and on-line research plus the staff at my local grow shop said I needed it. Once I started using 2 teaspoons every feeding for my original 6 plants and they were supper happy I did it for every feeding for my next 6 plants and my current grow of another 6 plants. With 9 different strains going I can't keep them all happy 100% of the time (last time I run so many strains, they all have different needs), but not one is bitching about CalMAg issues.
 
IMG_295721.JPG
IMG_295721.JPG
Transplanted Northern Light Autos today. Went a little easier on the soil mix using mostly FFOF. Have CALiMAGic on hand. Hope the girls like their new home.
 
I believe success is mine! On the 32nd day there are pre-flowers showing on the Crop King Northern Lights Feminized Auto Flower! The transplant never slowed them down. All four stand at about 20 inches tall, have much branching, and now flowers. The kid inside is saying, "YIPPEE!" Photos on the way...
 
Plants all look great, youre right that they never even noticed their new pots, lol. For comparison sakes, cuz I don't see too many more of them on here......my Bubba kush (heavily LSTd ) @ 32 days as well. Look at the height difference, lol. I counted 34 flowers on her today and she's 18" across.
420-magazine-mobile191931523.jpg
 
Hey Guy, Thanks for the kind words and a look at your Bubba Kush. They look amazing! Keep up the good grow Guy... I will be following your grow.
 
Yeah I used to do the same thing, start autos in their final pots (because i heard that was the right thing to do) but I've since changed my method and have much better results.
I start in solo cups and transplant them to 2 or three gal, depending on the seedling vigor. I used to start them in 5 gal.
On the transplant I am very careful not to transplant too early, before the roots have made their way through the whole cup. I have my media all ready to gently set the small root ball in. I get the same rate of growth the day before and the day after a transplant. No slowing. Careful is the key. What many people don't realize is that each root has microscopic root hairs on them. Those tiny thin roots hairs are what creates a symbiotic relationship between the roots and the media. Those root hairs are responsible for the uptake of water and nutrients. If the root ball is disturbed, those tiny root hairs are separated from the roots and new root hairs will need to grow back before water and nutrients can be taken up into the plant. If a transplant is done and the leaves weep at all the transplant was not done careful enough. Yes they will perk back up but at the expense of a tiny bit of growth. Careful is the key.
I also am a firm believer in not going too big for the final pot. The plant will try to fill out whatever pot it is put in as the roots search for water. That is fine with photos where time is ultimately not a factor but if we are forcing autos to grow roots by putting them in too big of a pot we are taking energy and resources away from the plant that can better be used to get the results we want.
Transplanting autos is not taboo, it's fine, if we are careful. If the grower cannot transplant carefully than planting in the final pot may be the best option.
 
Jay233 said:
Yeah I used to do the same thing, start autos in their final pots (because i heard that was the right thing to do) but I've since changed my method and have much better results.
I start in solo cups and transplant them to 2 or three gal, depending on the seedling vigor. I used to start them in 5 gal.
On the transplant I am very careful not to transplant too early, before the roots have made their way through the whole cup. I have my media all ready to gently set the small root ball in. I get the same rate of growth the day before and the day after a transplant. No slowing. Careful is the key. What many people don't realize is that each root has microscopic root hairs on them. Those tiny thin roots hairs are what creates a symbiotic relationship between the roots and the media. Those root hairs are responsible for the uptake of water and nutrients. If the root ball is disturbed, those tiny root hairs are separated from the roots and new root hairs will need to grow back before water and nutrients can be taken up into the plant. If a transplant is done and the leaves weep at all the transplant was not done careful enough. Yes they will perk back up but at the expense of a tiny bit of growth. Careful is the key.
I also am a firm believer in not going too big for the final pot. The plant will try to fill out whatever pot it is put in as the roots search for water. That is fine with photos where time is ultimately not a factor but if we are forcing autos to grow roots by putting them in too big of a pot we are taking energy and resources away from the plant that can better be used to get the results we want.
Transplanting autos is not taboo, it's fine, if we are careful. If the grower cannot transplant carefully than planting in the final pot may be the best option.
Click to expand...
Wicked tutorial Jay.....all good info there!
 
Hey Jay, thanks for the great information!! Apparently I was careful with the transplant. I did the deed at day 18 above ground. There was good root development, but not root bound. Thank you for relating to my experience and validating it.
 

Similar threads

J
Autoflowers in Solo cups?
2
Replies
22
Views
3K
BarnacleBill
BarnacleBill
J
When to transplant an auto seedling in a Solo cup?
Replies
5
Views
486
Emilya Green
Emilya Green
S
Transplanting Question - After solo cups should I transplant too 1 gal or 3 gal?
Replies
11
Views
11K
skwauk12
S
RookieJuana
Do These Flowering Northern Lights Autos Look Alright?
Replies
14
Views
1K
CO Finest
CO Finest
spleef farmer
Auto flowering grow
Replies
2
Views
948
spleef farmer
spleef farmer
Back
Top Bottom