Potting On Too Early?

[vikkib]

Another newbie question, I'm afraid! (I'm trying to restrict myself to one every 48 hours but I have a list of them now!!! )

I potted on my courgette seedlings a couple of days ago. They were in the modules (1 in each) that I had sown them in but their seed leaves were huge (8cm each on one of them) and I could see some root through the hole in the bottom of the module.

When I popped them out though there wasn't a huge amount of root on them; there was some but not a big tight mass of them. They seem to be doing fine and there first true leaves are beginning to grow but I don't know whether I risked hurting them by potting on too early.

In general, would it be better to wait until I get the first true leaves on all my seedlings before potting on from their modules?

Thanks again in advance!

[tamsin]

For big things you only want a couple of you can sow straight into 3" pots to save potting up so quickly

[lynda66]

they look fine and healthy, and thje roots will get bigger the more room they have

[vikkib]

Thank you Tamsin and Lynda66! I feel suitably re-assured!

I've just had some tomatoes germinate - should I wait for their first set proper leaves before potting on? (I'm sneaking a second question in! )

[tamsin]

Yep, the first (and second) tomato leaves won't be nearly so giant so you will have more time before they look like they are getting to big for their pots

[Two_Sheds]

The size of the roots is more important than the size of the leaves (after all, the leaves aren't in the pot).

You should pot on when the roots are starting to show out of the bottom of the pot, as a general rule of thumb.

[Alice]

Don't pot on too soon Vicki. When the seed leaves appear the plant may have very little root. Wait until plants have 1 or 2 pairs of true leaves before potting on. And as Two sheds says, look at the bottom of the pot. The plants are fine til you can see the roots appearing at the bottom.

[Snadger]

They look fine. The pots you have them in are the pots I would have sowed them in. If they aren't F1's where you don't get many seeds, I would usually sow two in each pot and thin out the weakest if both germinate.

[vikkib]

They are F1 (Astia, I think) but I have no idea what that means! I planted 6 seeds and they have all germinated. I don't think I'll need more than 2 so I've given 2 to my Nan and Grandad for their retirement communities greenhouse and I'll probably freecycle the others!

[greenfingers007]

are they B and W speakers? I know it is not related but I had some that look very similar, If they are very good speakers. OH plants look fine to me as well.

[vikkib]

No, they are MS10i Classics. Lovely little speakers!

My other half's a bit of a hi-fi enthusiast so I get to use these little lovelies in my study as he's got something else in the living room. They do seem a little wasted on my cheap Marantz set-up but we've recently moved so I'm saving up for a decent hi-fi...

... that's if I don't spend all my money on gardening in the meantime!

[MrsC]

The size of the roots is more important than the size of the leaves (after all, the leaves aren't in the pot).

You should pot on when the roots are starting to show out of the bottom of the pot, as a general rule of thumb.

Agree with Two Sheds on this one