This is my first year starting plants indoors, so of course I'm working out a lot of wrinkles and keeping my expectations relatively low.
I bought a 72 slot planter, the biodegradeable cardboard type with like 1"x1" squares. It was cheaper than the black plastic planter, and seemed more enviro friendly and effective since the material would help hold moisture. After only a week and a half and a few waterings (I am watering from the bottom up) I have noticed that the material is very weak and even with light handling begins to slightly fall apart. I haven't decided yet whether I will up-pot these plants or plant them in the ground from this planter. That decision will likely depend on how much the weather improves over the next month or so.
My concern is that if these plants were ready to transplant into the ground today, it would be a nightmare with the container tearing and the soil not coming out with the plant. My only hope is that when the root system begins to grow, it will "grab" more soil and make it easier to transplant/up-pot the plants.
Am I panicking for no reason or should I try to make a move before these seeds sprout?
I just don't want to do more than a month of work and end up scrapping everything.
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jordanleereynols
- Full Member
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2011 2:33 pm
- Location: Sussex County, Delaware
The cardboard thing you bought is probably intended to be a liner for a standard plastic nursery flat or some other type of rigid tray. I've never seen a cardboard unit like you describe, but I haven't gone shopping for such a thing in years. I just use 2" plastic pots, which I put in standard nursery flats. I reuse them year after year. Many of them I've had for 20 years, I'm sure. 
If your container hasn't deteriorated to the point that it can no longer be moved at all, I would find some kind of tray to support it. Otherwise, you can wait until the seeds sprout and grow large enough to transplant. That would be the point at which they have at least one set of true leaves, but I usually wait longer than that. The exception would be if I've broadcast the seed in a flat, rather than using individual pots. Then, I move the seedlings to individual pots as soon as I can.
As the root system grows, it will form a support for the soil and create what is referred to as the root ball. That makes plants easier to transplant, IMO, and is why I generally wait for more than just 2 true leaves to develop.
If your container hasn't deteriorated to the point that it can no longer be moved at all, I would find some kind of tray to support it. Otherwise, you can wait until the seeds sprout and grow large enough to transplant. That would be the point at which they have at least one set of true leaves, but I usually wait longer than that. The exception would be if I've broadcast the seed in a flat, rather than using individual pots. Then, I move the seedlings to individual pots as soon as I can.
As the root system grows, it will form a support for the soil and create what is referred to as the root ball. That makes plants easier to transplant, IMO, and is why I generally wait for more than just 2 true leaves to develop.