Potting on question

[Dogs and Veg]

Hi all,

I am just about to try and repot (save) my onions and leeks which I potted on last week however I buried them rather than leaving part of the stem above so on advise from snap puss I am going to see if any are still okay - fingers crossed

I wanted to ask advise please about these seedlings as today is my day for potting on so -

My sea of cauliflowers - are they ready to go into 11cm pots with 2 per pot? (i need give some away as I could stock aldi currently if they all make it)

My tomatoes - same as cauli's, I sowed too many seeds, they all kinda made it so far, I've already potted on to try and thin them out and still seem okay so are they ready to go to 11cm pots and can they go two to a pot?

Cucumber - bigger pots?

tiny strawberry seedlings...do I thin them out or leave them just now because so small?

Parsley and Chives - again do i thin them out or keep together in those clumps and put in bigger pots?

Broadbeans - last week I posted a picture asking had I killed this as there were roots poking out at the bottom of the seed pots, nothing coming from the top, you guys told me not to panic, I potted onto the bigger pots and look looky! These bad boys are doing great, my question is, their roots are poking out the bottom of the 11cm pots now...do I transfer to MFB's or leave as is?

Sorry for so many questions, I didn't ask advice before I went ahead with onions and leeks last week and i think i've killed them so just wanted to make sure for these guys

[nickdub]

Hi all,

My sea of cauliflowers - are they ready to go into 11cm pots with 2 per pot? (i need give some away as I could stock aldi currently if they all make it)

My tomatoes - same as cauli's, I sowed too many seeds, they all kinda made it so far, I've already potted on to try and thin them out and still seem okay so are they ready to go to 11cm pots and can they go two to a pot?

Cucumber - bigger pots?

tiny strawberry seedlings...do I thin them out or leave them just now because so small?

Parsley and Chives - again do i thin them out or keep together in those clumps and put in bigger pots?

Broadbeans - last week I posted a picture asking had I killed this as there were roots poking out at the bottom of the seed pots, nothing coming from the top, you guys told me not to panic, I potted onto the bigger pots and look looky! These bad boys are doing great, my question is, their roots are poking out the bottom of the 11cm pots now...do I transfer to MFB's or leave as is?

First off congratulations - you've grown some good looking seedlings there. Secondly I can't be sure of course but leeks are v tough things, so I wouldn't give up hope on them.

as for your other q's :-
My sea of cauliflowers - are they ready to go into 11cm pots with 2 per pot? (i need give some away as I could stock aldi currently if they all make it)

I'd pot some on now, 11cm sounds a little large, but if that's what you have no worries - I wouldn't bother potting up the ones for gifts, just lift however many the other person can handle put them in a tray or ice-cream box and let the recipient sort them out.

My tomatoes - same as cauli's, I sowed too many seeds, they all kinda made it so far, I've already potted on to try and thin them out and still seem okay so are they ready to go to 11cm pots and can they go two to a pot?

Better slightly smaller pots with one in each, 8cm if you have them - no immediate rush but better sooner than later.

Cucumber - bigger pots?

Yes - be a bit careful not to bury them or to leave a "well" in the middle - they're more finicky than tomatoes at this stage and dislike too much wet round their stems.


tiny strawberry seedlings...do I thin them out or leave them just now because so small?

Leave them - plenty of other things on :-) If you do get bored you could lift a few at a time and see if you can untangle them in a small pot of water before replanting.

Parsley and Chives - again do i thin them out or keep together in those clumps and put in bigger pots?

Depends on what your aiming for - if you want large plants move them on to bigger pots, but I'd be inclined just to use some in cooking and salads and see if that thins them down enough.

Broadbeans - looking good :-)
If they are going outside in the ground, now's as good a time as any to plant them out.

[Snoop Puss]

^Good advice there, D&V. Always friendly folk here ready to share. Make the most of us!

[Aberdeenplotter]

To my mind, you should have pricked out some of your caulies earlier leaving one only per cell and then just leave them in there until you are ready to plant out. They also look very "leggie" as if they've been a bit short of light.

As with the caulies, Your tomatoes would also have benefited from pricking out the extra ones earlier but do that now, and when you do so, plant them really deep in the pots. If you have pots smaller than 11cm, use them. Seedlings somehow manage to get themselves lost if too big pots are used, much better results can be obtained by potting on regularly into the next pot size up.

I woudn't move your cucumbers until they have almost filled the pots they are in with roots but I agree with Nick that they can be difficult. I wouldn't leave them in the lowest point of the pot. Better to plant them with a small mound in the centre and this allows any excess moisture to drain away from the stem and helps avoid problems with cucumber wilt. When you come to the final potting on, I plant my cues in a bottomless pot (4" -5" diameter or so with the bottom cut off) on top of a larger pot of compost. Again, this helps keep the stem area dry and problem free.


I'd leave the

[Dogs and Veg]

Thanks guys for the advice - much appreciated

So today been a mega potting on session..I’ve done my best to rescue my onions & leeks after being buried for a week fire crossed a few might come okay

I’ve gone and bought 8cm pots and potted on the cauli’s, tomatoes & cucumbers so fingers crossed I’ve done them right

I wanted to ask, if the cauliflowers are / were leggy, is there anything I can do to rescue? They are in the sunniest place I have in the house, I’ve got a pvc GH but not put it up yet, I wondered if still too cold here since last predicted frost is mid may?

[Snoop Puss]

Brassicas (broadly speaking, the cabbage and cauli family) are quite hardy. If you start hardening them off, you should be alright to leave them out. To harden plants off, gradually acclimatise them to outdoor conditions. Take them outside during the day, then leave them out later and later before bringing them indoors. Eventually, you'll be able to leave them out all night, especially if you've got your greenhouse up.

In my experience, and like Aberdeenplotter says, brassicas quite like being potted on deeper. You can plant as deep as the first leaves. This will give them a sturdier root system and stop them getting blown about so much by wind while hardening off.

Tomato plants will also like being potted on a bit deeper.

Good luck and hope your onions and leeks were OK.

[nickdub]

You're very welcome - glad to try to help.

The caulis are a bit leggy, but I don't think its anything to be too worried about - my guess is it is caused by the little plants being drawn up a bit because they are only getting light from one side. I suppose if you really get in to gardening you might want to think about buying a growlight for another year.

As for planting outside, I think I'd go a bit steady with that, as the weather can change quickly at this time of year. Probably getting your pvc greenhouse setup is the best bet for now. You can use it to give your plants more light while they are in containers and also to help harden them off before they go fully outside. Also if the plants are in the GH and a frost is forecast they can be brought back inside again.

[Aberdeenplotter]

a pic of some of my brassica seedlings taken today.

[nickdub]

Looking really good - stage 1, tick - now on to stage 2 :-)