Transplanting twice vs transplanting once?

[DWSmith]

I've been watching some videos on starting seeds.

Some people plant seeds in open flats, transplant seedlings into individual pots, and then transplant again into the plot. While others begin seeds into individual pots and transplant into the plot.

I would think that the latter way would save the shock from one of the transplantings.

To each his/her own. And everything has pros and cons but I can't think of a good reason to use the method whereby one transplants twice. Are there any good reasons to do it that way?

Thanks!

[happyhumph]

Space.........

[Penellype]

I think the biggest reason to start seeds in trays (or in my case a small number of seeds in one pot) and then transplant into individual pots is space. If you are growing plants like lettuces where you may have quite a lot of plants, you will need a lot of bench space, which may be propagator and grow light space early in the season, if you start everything off in pots.

In addition, if you use seed compost (I don't), this contains fewer nutrients, so the seedlings may use up all the feed in the compost before they are ready to be planted into the garden. Transplanting them into new compost gives them a feed as well as more space.

Many seedlings don't seem to mind this double transplanting at all, recovering very quickly. Some don't much like it - I wouldn't use this method for root vegetables, and pak choi has a very shallow root system and dislikes being transplanted. I'd sow these in individual paper rolls (or you could use jiffy 7s) and pot them up when they needed it.

[Penellype]

Space.........

You beat me to it

[happyhumph]

I was going to write pretty much what you wrote as you've covered it, but went for the short option

[lottie dolly]

what you could do is put 2 or 3 lettuce seeds into the smaller modual trays then plant out,or cut loo roll tubes in half,i find things like beans,are just fine set 2" in apart in trays,then plant out as to required spacings,no matter if not all soil they fine,personaly,i have no bother tranceplanting,as long as they have plenty off water in the planting hole,i find this good,but your in the USA,so have no experiance of other climates,as for any plant getting stressed from replanting,i believe it is only some things,most vegg is fine as long as it gets enough water,same with onion sets,start em off in trays,dig a shallow shake out the sets and plant.

[burnie]

I like potting on, some stuff doesn't like it, but those that need starting early need bringing on bit by bit in my experience and some stuff doesn't seem to mind roots binding a bit either.

[Greenleaves]

Sweetcorn is said to dislike being potted on but I do mine twice and touch wood never had an issue. As mentioned above, space can be an issue but I have the luxury of three greenhouses

[Snadger]

If you sow a seed into a module/pot of seed compost which is too big for plants initial growth, the compost will be devoid of nutrients before the roots fill the module/pot.

Likewise if you put a plant in too big a pot of potting compost, the compost that isn't filled with roots will become sour. Far better to transplant in stages as the plant needs the extra room.

Brassicas, if sown direct will form a tap root. If transplanted in stages they will form a mass of roots which fill each successive pot. When transplanted out the roots will spread anchoring them better to the soil with less chance of wind rock causing blown sprouts, blown caulis and calabrese has less chance of running to seed prematurely.

[Alison]

What Snadger said

[Rudi13]

I also find some seedlings will benefit from transplanting as you can plant them much deeper in the new pot, up to the first seedling leaves. Helps with leggy seedlings. I do this for example with tomatoes, kale, kohlrabi, celeriac, pepper and other seedlings which quickly develop a long stem.

[ESBkevin]

Space.........

The final frontier. (James T Kirk)







I'll get me coat.

[DWSmith]

Thanks All!