Hardening off...potting on

Does everything coming from the greenhouse into the garden require hardening off?

When pricking out seedlings and potting them on, I've heard its best to go up in stages in terms of size of pot, why is this? Would it not be simpler and perhaps save some work to just prick out into say a 4 inch pot?

Many thanks !

Steve...

 

Hi Steve,

With some plants it is essential to harden them off, and the potting on in steps helps drainage so the plant isn't sat in too wet conditions. The larger the pot, the more soil, the more water retained, the longer beofre it is used etc. I know, I know, it didn't make sense to me either at first till I lost some-after all the planet is a pretty big planter and seedlings have managed a lot longer then we've been around to help them-but that's a natural environment-a pot and our interference is artificial. I think you might be okay to pot on four or five seedlings into a four inch pot, it's worth at try perhaps.

 

Thanks Claire, it makes perfect logical sense now.

Steve...

 

No problem Steve. It is a pain, but I find my solitary hours in the greenhouse a godsend with three kids-and a bigger one for a husband.

 

"Does everything coming from the greenhouse into the garden require hardening off?"

Ah, just anticipated that question and gave a broad answer ("yes") in response to your narrower more specific question ! here:

http://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/showpost.php?p=326385&postcount=8

"When pricking out seedlings and potting them on, I've heard its best to go up in stages in terms of size of pot, why is this? Would it not be simpler and perhaps save some work to just prick out into say a 4 inch pot?"

Now I've answered that one somewhere recently too ... let me have a hunt ... yup, here you go:

http://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/fo...ing-up-science-20876.html?p=325435#post325435

 

I read all the thread and your posted answer Kirsten.......and then I ran out to the greenhouse and moved my cuc seeds which had one root just started (so I hope I get away with it) into tiny pots.....I had started them in a large pot big enough to accomodate them through the summer. Oops!!

Your answers were very clear and made perfect sense. I'll do the pot-on routine.

 

Try to keep the water away from the stem of your Cucumbers when you water them. They hate getting their stem wet (when you pot-on having the original pot's rootball "stick up a bit" (1/2" will do) so that the water runs away from the stem to the rest of the pot's soil would be good.

The one-root you describe is like pricking-out - growing seeds in a single container, and then transferring each one to a separate "space" - either spaced out in a seed tray, or individually in small pots - so I reckon you are good-to-go!

Cucumbers are notoriously fickle to get going though, so you might want to put a few extra seeds in a pot to start them off - just in case you need spares later.

 

I'm so cheap than these are the F1's that are so expensive........tee hee!!

I will go and pot up a couple extra seeds of each type. Thank you.