When to pot - re-pot and plant...

Would I be correct in thinking you only need to re-pot when seedlings leaves may be obscruring each other from the light and/or their roots may be entangled...

How big do seedlings/plants need to be before you plant them out? Is the gerneral idea that they are big enough not to get washed away/damaged by rain/stood on? Or do they need to be much bigger and hardier (even in June?)

 

Addressing your first question.

If you have grown from seed in a plant pot or open tray as opposed to individual planting in modules (indoors or a greenhouse)...then you are best to replant them in 3" pots to grow on.

Second question.

All young plants require hardening off. If you haven't got a cold frame, then you take them out in the morning, and bring them back in at night for a few days. After that, they can fend for themselves.

Hope this helps.:thumb:

 

The seed catalogues always state"transplant as soon as large enough to handle". It took me a while to see the truth of this, but finally became convinced. The earlier the better. The first root that the seed produces is straight and simple. If correctly handled it will not be damaged in the transplanting. But if you wait and let the seedling grow,the roots branch out, and then it's difficult to get them up intact,and they get crushed int he new ground. They will recover, but it is a set back for them. I find that with a bit of organization potting on is really easy and fast ( I worked in a nursery for a while... that teaches you to be fast). I usually don't plant out anything until it is large enough that I can at a glance distinguish it from a weed. Sounds silly but I find that that is a very important factor. Almost as important as temperature. ;-)

Of course the sentence "as soon as large enough to handle" is relative. Much depends on your "handling" skills. Model makers have an advantage on the rest of the population. But as a rule I transplant most seedlings as soon as their first leaves are 3-5 mm wide. If the seeds are large I space them more so that I have more "elbow room" for lifting them.

None of this is bible.Only personal experience.

 

Sound advice from the others men8ifr. I like to keep my plants in pots for quite a while - moving the pots up in size. I feel that plants have a better chance of survival in pots, than in the ground in the early days. You can have more control over slugs, watering and feeding etc.

 

Thanks for the good replies !