potting on

[jaimie]

Not being either experienced or knowledgeable in the gardening department I am sure someone here will be able to tell me.

Why are we advised to pot on into a slightly larger pot and keep moving up a pot size as the plant gets bigger. We are told that a plant doesn't like being in a big pot. Why not?

After all seeds grown in open ground manage fine, and we plant out our seedlings into open ground, and take container grown plants out of their containers to plant into the ground.

Just wondering. Is it tradition or science?

[Flummery]

The soil in a garden is different in structure and composition from that which you use in a container, which is fluffier and more open. Moving a plant up a size at a time gives the roots chance to establish in the new pot. If you go straight to a big one you'll more than likely find that the soil not accessed by the roots will go 'sour'. You can wash out the nutrients before your plant gets to use them.

You could try some plants in the next size pot and some in a big one and do a little experimental gardening and report back to us?

[rustylady]

All depends on which plants you are growing. Drainage is obviously better in open ground, so plants which are to stay in pots need to be moved gradually into bigger pots.

[zazen999]

I find [and yes I did a little test like Flum said] that the roots spend SO long filling the big pot that nothing happens on top so you then panic/worry about that...and the one in the big pot needs feeding as it then turns slightly yellow and to be honest - it never recovers.

Whereas in the ground, the roots can dig deep and find their own nutrients.

[jaimie]

Thanks for the info guys - I knew someone would know!

I may try your experiment Flummery. I always like to see things for myself. I have just realised why my seedlings tend to be floppy and fall over. Reasoning that seeds 'au naturel' don't get planted x cms deep according to size, I thought I'll just put them on top and cover them with a bit of compost, and press them down a bit. So they nobley germinate then lie down because they haven't developed enough stem. I assume thats the reason. Could also be that I have a tendency to overwater.