root bound or not root bound... advice on potting on plants

[Sarico]

hello to all the grape..
i use to have a my theory.. my plants are ready to be moved to a bigger pots when i realised that the pot were very light at the end of the day... i start to use this metod because i move some already when they were small and end up that the soil was moist for a long time ( i think more wet the moist) that they died..
BUT as usual mine are only theory based on what i think...so i'm asking when is better to potting plants?
i know some of you will tell me when the are almost root bounded, but what that mean exctly?
i ask this because 2 of ly tomatoes plants are getting big and my old metod doeasn't work well anymore... the soil in the pots is still moist and it seem that they don't need to water every day but when i lift them from the pot i've seen quite a lot roots.
now i think they are almost root bound but what you think?

the right one is my tumbler and is already in flower the other one (left) is my garden perle ...
i ask this as well because when you buy a shop plant they always full of roots and they look like a cotton spool thay you can't see the brown color of the soil..
thanks

[zazen999]

As soon as I see roots poking out the bottom they get potted on.

[rustylady]

Neither of those are root bound Enrico. As you said, the ones you get from the shops are rootbound (the pots are so full of root you can't see the compost). I would think that your two plants could stay in their current pots for a while yet. Only water from the bottom, and only when the pots are light. This will encourage the roots to grow down and fill out the pot. As you said, too much compost holds too much water and may kill the plants.

[Sarico]

Neither of those are root bound Enrico. As you said, the ones you get from the shops are rootbound (the pots are so full of root you can't see the compost). I would think that your two plants could stay in their current pots for a while yet. Only water from the bottom, and only when the pots are light. This will encourage the roots to grow down and fill out the pot. As you said, too much compost holds too much water and may kill the plants.

infact that what i'm worrry... i always water them from the bottom and once as soon a basil set the first true leaves i pot it in 3" pot... after 1 week the compost was still wet and the basil leaves became yellow... i lear the lesson but i don't want to do the opposite now... thanks

[zazen999]

Sarico - do you leave the pots in water all the time?

[Sarico]

not i don't this is my routin... in the morning i take my plants and the one that feel light i water them.. i put them in a container wit 1-2" of water and leave them for a minute or 2. ( until the plant feel heavier) them i put them outside in my blowaway ( around 9 am) and go to work... when i come back at 3pm i go check them they are ok... then at 5 pm i bring them back inside until the day after...unless is a very nice day that i close the zip of the blowaway ( after 5 pm there is not direct sun) and put them in at 10 pm when i come back from work....

[zazen999]

Currently I'm watering my indoors seedlings about ever 3-4 days. Greenhouse ones, once a week.

Perhaps you aren't leaving them until they are light enough?

[Sarico]

of course.. infact if they don't feel heavy but not even light i give a quick dive in the water just in case

[zazen999]

of course.. infact if they don't feel heavy but not even light i give a quick dive in the water just in case

And that's why your plants are too wet!

Thinking about it - my sown seeds get watered once - and once only [unless we are having a heatwave]. And if these are put into the heated prop, again only rewatered once a week. I just took some out that were watered when sown at the weekend and not since then.

[Bigmallly]

Likewise, mine are getting watered once, twice max per week.

[Sarico]

Well so then I have to add another questio: when you considered moist the soil? My seed are watered once and then again after a few weeks. My seedling in 3" pots are watered 2or 3time a week ( what I mean like the courgette always 3 times but tomatoes and small plant 1 or 2 a week

[veggiechicken]

I touch the soil at the top of the pot. If any sticks to my finger, its still too moist to need water. So much depends on the weather - if its hot or cold, or indoors or out. Its difficult to say how often plants need water - its just something that you learn from experience. I still overwater!!

[Sarico]

good tip that but when you water from the bottom the top look still dry... i can try a trick that you use in the kitchen to check if the bread is cooked inside.... get a skewer and poke inside and if it feel moist the bread is still raw...
i have one of tha chinese gadget that check the moist of the soil but i think doesn't work... apparently when i test if it work i put the sensor in a glass of water and gave me a 6 ( moist) but when i put in my pots gave me a 8 ( wet soil)... how can water be less wet then compost? i think i will learn with experience as VC says...(at least i don't have green mould on top of compost like one of my plant from thompson and morgan)

[zazen999]

When it starts to wilt or shrivel it needs water. Until then - leave it be!

[Sarico]

When it starts to wilt or shrivel it needs water. Until then - leave it be!

i'm just thinking that before easter i gave to my fiancee a tomato plant ( gardenperle that was in the same seed modul and i decide to split them.. so they are twins) and when she had school holiday nobody water them for 2 weeks ( one of the staff told me that she didn't know that need to water) the tomato was wilt but green and alive... maybe i will not leave for 2 week but i try with the young seedling leave them as long as i can.... thanks.