I have my pepper seeds starting now in coffee filters and there just starting to form hooks. I potted them up last year in 6 oz plastic cups and that worked ok but when trying to harden them off the wind knocked them over really easy and it got anoying picking them up all the time. So this year I got square nursery containers which brings me to my question..... Should I start them in the 2.5 wide x 3" tall then transplant them into the larger 3.25" wide x 3.25" tall containers after they out grow the smaller containers or just start them in the larger containers?
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another pot size question..... :)
- Thread starter DelawareDave
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We have been talking about this for a few days.
Check these threads for basic info and then read on. http://www.thehotpep...-these-peppers/http://www.thehotpepper.com/topic/27853-ok-to-transplant/
I would recommend two things. 1, pot up to something that fits the requirement. What I mean is do not go from coffee filter to #1 pot. You are just asking for a loose root system. 2, wait until you have an established root system before potting up again.
With that being said, when you say that your plants were being blown over, do you mean that the pots were tipping, or the plant in the pot was tipping? You are in DE, which means you probably aren't hardening off until like Apr/May, how long were they in 6 oz cups? That may be a problem. If they were in a 6 oz cup, which you went from filter to cup the same time as this last year you are gonna run into a number of things. First, you are going to be route bound. i.e. the roots will continuously wrap themselves in circles around the inside of the cup and that makes it difficult to spread the roots once you pot up. Also, there can be physical issues that come with that. Second, you are gonna be really, really top heavy. A 6 oz cup with a 3 month plant is gonna look pretty funny, number 1, but you cannot counter the size of the plant with a tiny cup.
I think you should be fine with either a 6 oz, or the 2.5x3 pots from the filter. However sticking them in a seed tray (like a 72 cell or 50 cell) and waiting for a few sets of true leaves and an established root system cant hurt. Then, you need to make another move. 2.5X3 is going to be too small for a 12 week old plant. You are gonna get root bound.
Check these threads for basic info and then read on. http://www.thehotpep...-these-peppers/http://www.thehotpepper.com/topic/27853-ok-to-transplant/
I would recommend two things. 1, pot up to something that fits the requirement. What I mean is do not go from coffee filter to #1 pot. You are just asking for a loose root system. 2, wait until you have an established root system before potting up again.
With that being said, when you say that your plants were being blown over, do you mean that the pots were tipping, or the plant in the pot was tipping? You are in DE, which means you probably aren't hardening off until like Apr/May, how long were they in 6 oz cups? That may be a problem. If they were in a 6 oz cup, which you went from filter to cup the same time as this last year you are gonna run into a number of things. First, you are going to be route bound. i.e. the roots will continuously wrap themselves in circles around the inside of the cup and that makes it difficult to spread the roots once you pot up. Also, there can be physical issues that come with that. Second, you are gonna be really, really top heavy. A 6 oz cup with a 3 month plant is gonna look pretty funny, number 1, but you cannot counter the size of the plant with a tiny cup.
I think you should be fine with either a 6 oz, or the 2.5x3 pots from the filter. However sticking them in a seed tray (like a 72 cell or 50 cell) and waiting for a few sets of true leaves and an established root system cant hurt. Then, you need to make another move. 2.5X3 is going to be too small for a 12 week old plant. You are gonna get root bound.
Last year, I went straight from coffee filters to 2.5 x 3.5 tall containers. I'm pretty sure it is better to start smaller, then pot up. My roots never really formed a proper "ball" in the 2.5s. (Could be other factors.) This year, I'm going with the 72-cell (1.75 x 2 tall), then to 2.5 x 3.5, then to 4" round or party cups, then to 1 gallon. I might skip the 2.5s for some plants.
Here's a visual of my pot management. First is a little jello shot cup for germination on coffe filter, then to the 72-cell size (this one has been cut to 9 cells since I don't like working with all 72-cells at once):
The Maui Purple is in a 2.5 x 3.5 pot. Notice the tray 'holders' to prevent knock down and allow for ease of bottom watering. (This tray holder also has been cut--a full tray has 32 cells per tray.) Then I plan to go to the 4"-round, then to the gallon. That gets me to mid-May.
Sorry if this is more info than you need. To answer your first question, don't skip the small size--get a 72-cell sheet and start there. As AJ says, 'It's all about the root ball....'
Thank u all! MGOLD86, I realized last year that a 6 oz cup is way to small for peppers to stay in for 12 weeks 
. I actually potted a few plants in 16 oz cups and they did way better. My plans this year were to use the smaller pots to start because I can get 32 in a 1020 flat then repot into the larger because I can fit 16 per 1020 flat just kind of works out well. Actually thinking about it do u think going from 2.25" pot to a 3.5" is too small a jump up? I stacked one inside the other and its not much of a jump up.
here is a picture of the two pot sizes if that helps...
. I actually potted a few plants in 16 oz cups and they did way better. My plans this year were to use the smaller pots to start because I can get 32 in a 1020 flat then repot into the larger because I can fit 16 per 1020 flat just kind of works out well. Actually thinking about it do u think going from 2.25" pot to a 3.5" is too small a jump up? I stacked one inside the other and its not much of a jump up.here is a picture of the two pot sizes if that helps...
my opinion is that its too small a jump, i personally try to pot up at least 2 times larger than the original pot. that way you dont overwater( i have dont hsi at the begining trying to go to a too large pot) but you give the roots space to grow out. this year i will go solo cup, to #1 pot, to the final home. ijust dont have the space or the number of pots avail to pot up more slowly.
Superhot: those are some awesome pepper plants!!! And again thank u all for the quick responses I'm definitely going to start my plants in a 72 flat then move to the 3.5 pots.
I went right from the coffee filter to the grow plugs:
Then as soon as I saw the roots growing through the bottom of the plugs they would be transplanted into 3.5 x 3.5 pots:
I will use the same format this season as well.
Man, that's overflowing with goodness!
Greg
