Always prepare the new container(s) to be used by filling them up with fresh new soil. It is a good idea to "sift" the soil with your hands before placing it in the planters. This loosens the soil and allows air to get trapped in it. Aeration to the roots is critical for high yields and proper plant development.
Secondly, make sure the the soil of the planter you wish to transplant from is semi-dry, especially around the edges. This will allow the container to slide out easily. First, massage the sides of the potted planter to help loosen up the soil mass. Now place your hand directly over the top of the soil in the potted planter and invert the container (the main stem of the plant should be between you fingers). Now gently lift out empty pot and place root mass into new container with pre-moistened soil. Now simply fill in the areas around the roots with soil to secure the plant in it new home. Lightly pack the soil down.
 When the time comes to transplant to a larger container it is a good idea to water the plant with a slow pour directly over the central stem of the plant a week or so before transplant. This has the result of concentrating the moisture around the plants largest roots and allows deeper penetration of the water down into the container. As well, it allows the sides closest to the container to become semi-dry thus allowing extraction of the container with much less stress to the plant. |
WHAT SIZE CONTAINER SHOULD I USE?
A good guidline is 1 foot of plant height for 1 gallon of container size. That means a plant with a finishing height of 5 feet should be in a container no less than a 5 gallon pail. Other factors that play a role in determining pot size are where the plants are in their growth cycle. Below is a guidline for planter size base on the plant's age.
4 inch planter @ first week
8 inch planter between 2 - 3 weeks of age
5 gallon planter @ 4 - 5 weeks of age
CAN I TRANSPLANT A LARGE PLANT?
The best way to transplant a large plant with almost no stress to it is this: Fill the new (larger) container 1/2 way full of your growing medium. Make sure your current planter has lots of holes in the bottom for proper drainage. Then simply place the entire pooted plant with container into the new larger planter so that it sit on top of the new soil. Gently press the potted container so that there is a snug fit between the two planters. The roots of the planter on top will find the soil beneath through the drainage holes.
