[Cosmochronic]

Hello everyone I'm in no way a newbie grower but I'm far from a pro lol, what's your guys preferred method to start plants- I will start under A metal halide 1000 wt light for outdoor planting, but my question is what's your choice way to start seed plants should I use peat pots, greenhouse trays, solo cups or what. I plan to plant 8 plants per site I live in a very rural area and will have to travel with these to garden locations, that's why the question what's the best way to get these plants up 8"-12" and move them securly. I was thinking of using 4.5" round peat pots or using greenhouse tray inserts ( but I'm not sure how well they grow- might stun them???) anyway I'd love to here ideas and even a pic or two wound be so great. In the past I've used 6" square pots filled with pro mix and it did great but I was limited to the number I could carry and if you have a 12" bushy plant in a 9" tall pot it gets bulky, I managed to carry 4 in a milk crate but it along with everything else was a load.......I know you guys got some good ideas please share
Thanks in advance

[brown_thumb]

I'm a newb so take what I write with a grain of salt. I can't directly answer your question but I will state that I thought coco fiber pots would facilitate transplantation and minimize shock due to being able to be buried with the plants without having to remove them. I was wrong. The plants I grew became root bound in the coco pots and the pots don't deteriorate quickly enough to make the plants happy. Peat pots might be better but I don't know.

[Bluto]

Peat pots blow. 1 gallon grow bags might be a good target size. Get the cheap plastic ones. I enjoy sunshine #4, as a medium for fresh clones and seedlings. It has no real nutrient charge so it is easy to control the feeding.

[Bluto]

Contractor bags or plastic totes work well for moving the plants. MH are an excellent choice.

[GNW]

Solo cups are a nice happy medium between the nursery flats and the 6" square pots. The cells in nursery flats are too small to keep seedlings in for more than a week or so without getting rootbound. Stay away from peat or coco pots, they're terrible.

[idiit]

no authority but I've been transplanting guerilla grows for years so I have some experience.


transplanting is the way to go.


promix; yes.
mh white light for starting; yes.


I like the above posts state would stay away from peat and coco pots. gently squeeze the larger containers around the sides, upend and the established root ball comes out super easy from plastic containers. tear the plastic gallon bags to remove. you want to open up the bottom of the root ball to facilitate rooting when transplanting.

the plants need to be tall enough so that you can bury an established root ball down into the ground. 12" imo is the shortest you should go. 18" is ideal imo. you can defoliate the fan leaves some as it makes the plants adjustment easier without the fan leaf weight weighing down frail young branches.1/2 gallon milk type containers would be the smallest I would use. as posted above the gallon bags and plastic containers are ideal. you can put 6 gallon containers sideways in a normal gym bag ( three at each end facing the middle).

critters will dig up the newly planted transplants looking for an easy meal if you don't tamp down the ground around the stems. I use my feet.

['Boogieman']

I agree stay away from peat or coco pots, I tried peat pots years ago thinking I could start them indoors and just plant the peat pot in ground to help avoid transplant shock. It just stunted growth because the peat pots didn't break down fast enough. I use half gallon plastic pots started about mid April and put them outdoors late may.

[Easy7]

Transplanting was a pain for me. They do have protective clone carriers.

I like seed house or seed house jr. Glue some new York wire to the bottom. It is mesh to keep bugs out and drain water and breath. A little pop up green house that is small and great for travel. Just needs small pots with soil and you are up and running.

[idiit]

the first big lesson outdoors is learning that a few big plants yield a lot more than lots of smaller plants.

the second big lesson is that it's better to plant a few that actually survive by doing it right than planting a ton that die. they need to be strong going in the ground outdoors.


my third big lesson was learning to train big plants horizontally to escape detection.

[brown_thumb]

After my bad experience with coco fiber pots, I've switched to trays of tiny starter pots that are each only 1x1x2 inches (25x25x50mm). Then the seedlings will be transplanted to 5" (1.3cm) plastic pots until they're finally transplanted to 5 gallon (19 liter) buckets.