Cheap medium for up-potting tomatoes

[MichaelC]

I have some tomato and pepper seedlings currently in half-pint-ish pots which will need up-potting into gallon or so size pots before planting. As this will be for only a few weeks, I'm not interested in spending much money. I already have plenty of pots, I just need a medium.

Any suggestions?

[PaulF]

My first question is why to gallon pots before planting? Are they to be planted into the ground or into containers? I start seedlings for both tomatoes and peppers in small six pack sized pots and then up-pot into 2"X2"X 3" deep pots and there they stay until going into the ground. There is no reason for me to up-pot into a very large container. After the seedlings get to around 8-10 inches tall and are hardened off they are then ready for their permanent home, the ground or container or whatever. Just my opinion.

[applestar]

Ha I didn't catch that.

Yeah if you are looking for deep roots, try XL drink cups or cut off 1 qt bottles. That would save on amount of soil mix needed. You could use your gallon size pots to help hold them upright.

Peppers shouldn't need that big a pot at all since their root development is slow except for the really monster varieties. A pint should suffice if absolutely necessary.

For final uppotting, I've used topsoil:compost/vermicompost:sand mix with decent results. A little something chunky like aquarium gravel size would help with drainage. That and compost tea should be enough to carry them until planting.

[MichaelC]

My first question is why to gallon pots before planting? Are they to be planted into the ground or into containers? I start seedlings for both tomatoes and peppers in small six pack sized pots and then up-pot into 2"X2"X 3" deep pots and there they stay until going into the ground. There is no reason for me to up-pot into a very large container. After the seedlings get to around 8-10 inches tall and are hardened off they are then ready for their permanent home, the ground or container or whatever. Just my opinion.

My plant provider, a very well-known organic farm local to me, suggests not planting the tomato seedlings until mid-April in our climate, due to low nighttime temperatures. They instruct to up-pot to gallon containers in the meantime if the plants reach 12" tall, which they are on the verge of, if planting time is more than a week away.

Last year, I planted around this time, and my tomatoes and peppers had problems. So this year I'm going to follow instructions.

While i appreciate the advice, does anyone have a straight forward answer to my question?

[applestar]

Hmm... I thought I did?

[MichaelC]

Thanks applestar - I'm sorry, I somehow missed it!

Cheers!

After another look through their literature, I notice they just say "larger pot" rather than one gallon. The pots they are in now are around 3"x3"x4". I guess something like 4" nursery pots would be ideal. I'm still thinking gallon because I've got tons of that approximate size around the yard. Perhaps I'll just partially fill them.

Or, if night time lows start rising above the low 40's, I might get them in the ground soon enough to skip the up-pot. The peppers will definitely need to be up-potted, as I'm not planting them until May sometime.

[applestar]

TsOK, I thought you might have.

This might help clarify what I was describing --

Subject: Recycled containers for seed starting and uppotting

When I first uppot, I soak each in a pint size tub of water so the water is at least 1/3 of the way up the container for faster absorption. After that I generally bottom water in the tray.

When you use cups that don't sit straight when crowded in the tray, you may need to add more water to the tray. It's a pain, but it's also a good idea to move them around so the ones that sit straight and the ones that are leaning take turns, and really keep an eye on them and "heft test" for ones that are not getting watered enough.

I think the number of holes are enough -- did you put all the holes in the flat-to-the-bottom ring or were some of them in the raised center part that won't touch the bottom?

This year, I realized after watching some blogs (Wintersown is one of them, I have to look up the other but it was a soil blocking blog) that drainage doesnt have to be from circular holes. I have been using a box cutter to make slits on the bottom and sides of the cups and cut-off bottles (slits on the sides go at least 1/2 way up -- for better aeration of the root zone and this prevents circling of the roots according to one blog source).

With these, it's important to water thoroughly. The soil may look moist on the surface and yet the bottom portions could be dry. "Heft Test" is essential. With these, I've found that bottom watering takes forever. I find it better to fill the top of the cup THREE times, letting the water soak in each time.

[MichaelC]

Great idea. I've grown in clear Solo cups before, they worked very well. I'm noticing a lot of starter pots (6 packs, etc) now have slits instead of holes.

[PaulF]

As to cheap potting material, I have priced out soilless mix by purchasing ingredients separately and blending my own and comparing cost to bagged soilless mix sold in the large bags, I think 3 cu. ft. Prebagged like Miracle-Gro, Master Gardener, Hyponex etc. when on sale at a big box store is cheaper by quite a bit than the same amount of home mixed. And usually the proportions are better done than what I mix up myself. And less hassle. A big bag for less than $8 would fill lots of red solo cups.

[Peter1142]

Wow you learn something new all the time. I will try those slits!

You want something cheap go to Home Depot and buy Miracle Gro or whatever is cheap. They have cheap organic too.

[MichaelC]

Since starting this thread, I discovered that good quality potting soil is only around $10 for 2 cubic feet. Problem solved. I haven't bought soil in quite some time, so I was concerned about the expense.

[feldon30]

My concern with the advice to buy "anything cheap" is, they have bags of "potting soil", "compost", and "topsoil" for $2. These are terrible products which in reality are scrapings off of vacant lots and full of trash and sand. I also noticed that Miracle Gro is now getting in on the organic bandwagon and has a whole line called "Nature's Care". It's received mixed reviews to say the least.

My advice to the OP would be if you can find ProMix from a local nursery for a reasonable price to get it. Also looking at your city, I see no reason you couldn't plant tomatoes now and just cover them with row cover for the next 2-3 weeks.

[MichaelC]

Hi feldon, I'm not sure if you noticed the post directly above yours. I bought high quality potting soil. I have not done much container gardening and forgot how cheap soil is. Four of them were potted up to larger size nursery pots.

I'm sure there's lots of other approaches. As I've mentioned a couple times now, my plant seller, one of the most well known organic farms in the area, gave me instructions, and I've decided upon following them.

I'll be planting the tomatoes this Saturday if the weather forecast is accurate.

[Peter1142]

When I said "whatever is cheap", I meant potting mix, not any bag of anything.

I have used Nature's Care and have not had any major issues with it, though it is not the best product out there.