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Should all these be separated before re-potting? UPDATE #1: first 2 transplanted, photo update

Kwest13

Kwest13

Hi all.
 
These plants just came in the mail and i'm about to transplant. The mail order doesn't say anything about splitting each plant up into separate pots or spaces but they look pretty crowded. I'd like to split them but I've never split plants up like this for transplanting and don't want to send the roots into shock when splitting.
 
I believe there are 5 plants in the left pot and 2 each in the others.
 
NdlVn1Y.jpg
 
yes.  
 
 
if you paid for them the vendor should be smacked also. one seed per cell.  im not being a jerk thats just a little crazy to sell that to someone.
 
 
not everyone is skilled in seperating that kind of mess. and for someone to sow that on purpose with intentions of selling seems crazy to me. oh well.
 
 
 
separate and good luck with your grow.
 
Sic, no disrespect, but I've been planting tomatoes, peppers and other veggies the same way for years. Multiple seeds per cell or paper pot and I transfer to bigger pots before transplant out to the garden.
 
Check out this link, originally posted at Tomatoville:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoYgX3y5ptQ
 
Best way to separate that I've seen: First remove the loose dirt then dip them into a bucket of water and swish gently so the roots untangle. 
 
I'm not sure they were grown in the same cell.
I think those were just put side by side to save some space for mailing, those stems do not look like they were grown on the same pot.
Theoretically it should easy to remove them.
 
neoguy said:
Sic, no disrespect, but I've been planting tomatoes, peppers and other veggies the same way for years. Multiple seeds per cell or paper pot and I transfer to bigger pots before transplant out to the garden.
 
Check out this link, originally posted at Tomatoville:
Click to expand...
no disrespect taking. read my post again. you are skilled and know what you are doing.  im talking about doing that and selling to people. not everyone is good at all that seperation thang ;)   
 
my point is:   sowing that way for purposes of selling is crazy. just my opinion? problem is you get customers not knowing what to do.  and they lose there plants they paid for. if you sell a plant, you want the customer to have the best chance of it growing. most people that buy plants dont have green thumbs.  not everyone is all grow nerds like all of us on this forum :rofl:

lucilanga said:
I'm not sure they were grown in the same cell.
I think those were just put side by side to save some space for mailing, those stems do not look like they were grown on the same pot.
Theoretically it should easy to remove them.
Click to expand...
thats even worse :rofl:
 
If the you were only charged for 3 plants. That's OK. Extra seedling. But if you paid for 10 and they put it in 3 pots. Then yes sic is correct. Only place I know that might do this is welll.... hmmm
 
Basil seeds are miniscule.    Of course they're going to plant multiple seeds per cell.    
 
That being said,  In my experience, It's not an issue.    One of the most prolific basil containers i've ever seen had 3 plants growing right on top of each other.
 
smallzi said:
Basil seeds are miniscule.    Of course they're going to plant multiple seeds per cell.    
 
That being said,  In my experience, It's not an issue.    One of the most prolific basil containers i've ever seen had 3 plants growing right on top of each other.
Click to expand...
do what?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
whats going on here? 
 
If you paid for more than 3 plants you should demand some money back.  That is ridiculous, there's no excuse for it unless you were only expecting 3 plants.
 
Only an incompetent moron lets more than one plant grow past sprouting in a starter soil cell that size.  If they have been like that for more than a very small # of days then their roots are highly intertwined and you will damage the root system trying to pry them apart, so you end up with no healthy plants in any cells that are shared, with them needing to recover from a large % of roots torn off.
 
I wouldn't even pay postage to receive something like that for free otherwise unless it was the rarest, hottest, most valuable pepper on earth.
 
Everyone has their own decisions to make about taking a bad situation and making lemonade out of it instead of being pissed, but to me that's hardly better than just receiving seed so I could DIY the right way.
 
They were ordered from Baker's Peppers. Actually they were free since he sent me the wrong plants last year. I was only expecting 3 so I don't see the problem with receiving extra plants. 
 
My only concern is damaging them upon separating. I shall watch and read as much as I can about separating before I attempt to transplant.
 
I (think) they are Trinidad Morugas.
 
Thanks for all the replies.
 
I dont even understand why you'd sow more than one seed in a cell, it's not like pepper seeds are small or anything! Seems a bit daft, do they really have such low germination rates that this is necessary, and if so, how many seeds did they put in there? ten? :D
 
millworkman said:
Say no more.

I'd break them apart. Get a big bucket of water and gently tease the roots apart under water. Repot.
Click to expand...
 
Won't dipping them in water completely bare root each plant? Is it OK to re-pot completely naked roots into new soil?
moosery said:
I dont even understand why you'd sow more than one seed in a cell, it's not like pepper seeds are small or anything! Seems a bit daft, do they really have such low germination rates that this is necessary, and if so, how many seeds did they put in there? ten? :D
Click to expand...
 
I'm not sure exactly how they were seeded. As someone said above, they may have been grown separately and then just mashed together into cells for mailing.
 
I had always thought that for pepper plants, sowing 2 seeds per cell was maximum.
 
I got the same 3 cell situation from that vendor, washing the roots in water will work fine, just be gentle with them.
 
Kwest13 said:
 
Won't dipping them in water completely bare root each plant? Is it OK to re-pot completely naked roots into new soil?
 
Click to expand...
 
 
Yup, and that is what you want with those plants.  It will make them easier to separate IF you want them apart.  If not then no harm, put them in a BIG ASS POT!
 
I do put at least 2 or 3 seeds per cell with older seed that may have lower germination rate but by the time the sprouts are 2" tall all but one has been culled.  I wouldn't even try to separate them, rather leaving the largest per cell and cutting off the others at the soil surface.  I'm doubting they were grown separately then smashed together for shipping... the cost of a little soil and plastic cells isn't much, not worth the labor to re-pot into shared cells especially considering the detriments in doing so, it would require cutting off at least 2/5ths of the roots if not more.
 
You can wash the soil off the roots but they may still be intertwined enough that you have to rip them apart and then you can't get the roots spread out well during replanting.  That doesn't mean they'll die, just that each plant is going to be stunted in growth for a while.
 
When I have a load of seeds, I do sow 3-5 per spot.
 
But I cull all but the strongest within a week or so of first true leaves.
 
When I have a low germination rate, and I REALLY want that particular plant, I will attempt to get any extras out.
 
The younger the better.
 
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