I've been hearing a lot about the pros and cons of potting up plants, but I'm curious: is there a solid reason not to just use a larger pot from the get-go? I'm not talking about the kind of potting up that leads to planting in the ground, but simply for container gardening. Sure, it means more soil and filler initially, but eventually, you'd use all that anyway. Wouldn't it be easier to skip all the hassle of transferring plants between pots and just plant them in their final size upfront?
3 Answers
That's a great question! One reason many gardeners prefer potting up is that small seedlings can be more vulnerable to overwatering and root rot in larger pots. If there's a lot of wet soil without roots to absorb the moisture, the young plants can really struggle. Plus, like you mentioned, sometimes seedlings don’t make it, so why waste the effort on a big pot if you’re not sure they'll survive? It's about giving them the best start without risking rot!
Honestly, I’ve been growing for years and I often skip the whole potting up thing. I directly place smaller plants into larger pots without problems. My biggest success has been with stuff like peppers and tomatoes by going straight into bigger containers. Everybody has their own approach, I guess!
I totally get that! I’m mostly indoor growing myself now and just use small pots to start seedlings, then go to final size. It’s worked fine for me so far, just wondering why people recommend potting up in the first place.
I hear you! But keep in mind that if you start with a small plant in a big pot, they might not be able to utilize the water properly. For instance, I had some lettuce that didn’t do well because the soil was soggy for weeks while their roots were still tiny. I’m actually going back to starting seeds in smaller trays for better moisture control.
That makes sense, but isn't adding perlite for drainage a solution? It feels like too much water does starve roots of oxygen, so better drainage could help, right?
Good points! I usually germinate seeds and put them in small pots before moving them to their final size, but sometimes I wonder if there's an easier way. How can you tell if soil is rotting? Is it about being too wet or going anaerobic? Maybe good drainage would help?