shopping Growing, selling, buying plugs?

[AJ Drew]

Have very little experience growing plugs.  Most of what I do is starting in pots I twist up from newspaper.  Doing the same for my own plants this year, but think people who buy plants would like something more conventional.  Going with the standard four packs, maybe six packs in sheets for larger plants.  Want to do plugs also.  Mainly for farmers market.  Have some questions for folk who have used the plug trays.

Is 72 the standard count for the standard tray common or is there a more common number?

Timing?  I transplant when the roots break threw the newspaper pot.  How old are plants usually sold as plugs?  Maybe I should ask how tall?

 

[juanitos]

to fit them in SFRB about 4" tall + rootball
 
72 cell is what i like for standard trays. duffy contracts and gets really huge trays from some nursery see youtube

 

[AJ Drew]

Juanitos, can you tell me how old they are at that height?  My normal grow is already started, but want dollar plants right before last frost so I can bring them to market without worry about the cold.  Loading truck for farmers market is very early.

 

[juanitos]

Juanitos, can you tell me how old they are at that height?  My normal grow is already started, but want dollar plants right before last frost so I can bring them to market without worry about the cold.  Loading truck for farmers market is very early.

3 months for me (from initial sow)

 

[AJ Drew]

Wait: Three months and they stay in the plug tray?  Seriously?  I would think they would be frigging screaming for more room.

 

[juanitos]

take progress pics with your setup every year and you will know...
mine do take 3 months to get about 4 inches tall with about 5-6 nodes.
will depend on your setup. i run different lights than most people.

 

[AJ Drew]

I am fairly tuned into growth rate.  What I am amazed at is that plants can survive in a 72 cell plug tray that long.  My first thought was damn that is not a lot of soil for something that large.  My second thought is that the plants are so very close I would not think they would get enough light for shading each other.  At three months, I am in a solo cup if it is for myself or a 3" x 3" if it is going to market.  Always figured they needed that.  But looking at the plants in that video, well damn I guess they dont.

 

[juanitos]

ah yes, the certainly aren't as healthy as a plant that gets potted up and has more room. but they still survive.