Tutorial A low trauma way to transplant using larger size cups....

A few folks have asked about this method, so here it is! It's applicable to most any size cup, styro' or plastic,... personally I like to use 24-32oz styro' because of the good volume size (can stay in a bit longer), good drop depth, and easier to work with... styro' is excellent at insulation too, a plus for outdoor growers who have their seedlings in filtered Sun, preventing potential overheating. A plus to doing a transplant is that you can have some time to assess the seedlings quality before going into final pots... so if you get a mutie, or misfire, etc., it's less hassle to deal with and less wasted resources, space, etc.,....
I moved this seedling early to do this (about 12 days old or so, suffered a little damage from a spray gone foul), since things were already prep'ed for others,.. It could have stayed several days longer... This is an F1 auto/photo cross, just for clarity's sake, but it doesn't matter if it's an auto, or photo,... the point is the get your baby moved without any trauma to the roots!

1] get your next step/final pot prep'ed by filling it up around the exact same seedling pot nested inside....

2] Next, gently roll the cup between your hands on the side, to help free up what's sticking to them on the insides,.... then slice around the base, leaving just a little attachment point,...

.... Then up the side to make halves, again leaving an attachment point,....

3] ...remove the base piece gently,...

4] .... and then slip it into the pocket,... snip the top attachments free,....

5] Now the tricky-ish part! First note the soil level in the final pot, vs. your cup,... it should be a bit higher (1/2" or so) than the final pot, to compensate for the base, and in my case, some perlite that was at the bottom of the cup..... Remove one half at a time, rock it back and forth a bit, tug up a bit, to start dislodging it; place your fingers over the top of soil to keep it from getting knocked around or lifted up,.... then repeat for second half, which usually comes out easier,... Voila'!

6] If you like, apply some root tonic, and foliar too,... like Jump Start or SuperThrive, but there's lots of choices to help with any potential shock, and stimulate more rooting-

...enjoy the happy campers in their new shoes!

 

[Waira]

With bigger, longer growing Auto's, would 2 transplants be pushing it?

Say insta-cup into 2+ quart styro or bottle using your tech, then later into a 5 gal pot or outdoors?

:smoking:....you could, but I'm with @Autoseeds.com on this,... it's just compounding the risk factors,... but in a pinch, it's do-able! IMO, it's that initial tiny pot that's a non-starter; keep in mind auto's seem to work their roots more initially than photo's do, so bottoming out happens fast in such small volumes, plus the lousy drop depth,....

Hi Waira,
This was one of the very posts I looked at before joining and before germinating an auto.
It is excellent but I also anecdoted it to friends in a humorous way to highlight the sensibilities of the little ladies. Your system is so considerate I wonder if you were in bomb disposal at some time.
In blighty we aren't very styrofoamy anymore and the only I could find had a three-week delivery wait. Untenable with seeds in hand! So I used 3 litre pots and were as gentle as an understanding gynecologist and all would be well if some had flowered and some had smelled!
T&B

Oh, well then Cheers to that! .... -- no pyrotechnics skills mates, just a load of stunted plants when I first started! Seedlings can be a hair pulling mystery sometimes,.. certainly I have flubbed a transplant before, and some recovered with surprising aplomb,... others gave me the finger the whole way across the finish line!
Some key things to consider: how well the root mass has developed and can hold the soil together without collapsing when removed.... and having just the right level of moisture in the pot before trying,... too wet makes it heavy and more likely to crumble off... too dry can do he same thing depending on the soil/medium's cohesiveness (coco has none!), plus dry is just plain bad all around,.... this method helps eliminate the troubles in either case,....
damn, the curse of availability! Work with what you can get, and if it's smaller volume, then you just have to transplant sooner is all,... Is styro' banned where you live? I get mine at a sort of restaurant supply/grocery store, only place I see cups of this volume (32oz),..
And of course there's more than one way to work this out! Check out my man @912GreenSkell method for transplanting here, ....though the plants are photo's in the demo, same methods can be applied for auto's in smaller volume, more easily modified cups- --- Check out his grows, Skelly is a champ at tough climate outdoor monster growing!

 

[G.Leave]

gentle as an understanding gynecologist

Hahaha Funny!

 

[G.Leave]

:smoking:....you could, but I'm with @Autoseeds.com on this,... it's just compounding the risk factors,... but in a pinch, it's do-able! IMO, it's that initial tiny pot that's a non-starter; keep in mind auto's seem to work their roots more initially than photo's do, so bottoming out happens fast in such small volumes, plus the lousy drop depth,....



Oh, well then Cheers to that! .... -- no pyrotechnics skills mates, just a load of stunted plants when I first started! Seedlings can be a hair pulling mystery sometimes,.. certainly I have flubbed a transplant before, and some recovered with surprising aplomb,... others gave me the finger the whole way across the finish line!
Some key things to consider: how well the root mass has developed and can hold the soil together without collapsing when removed.... and having just the right level of moisture in the pot before trying,... too wet makes it heavy and more likely to crumble off... too dry can do he same thing depending on the soil/medium's cohesiveness (coco has none!), plus dry is just plain bad all around,.... this method helps eliminate the troubles in either case,....
damn, the curse of availability! Work with what you can get, and if it's smaller volume, then you just have to transplant sooner is all,... Is styro' banned where you live? I get mine at a sort of restaurant supply/grocery store, only place I see cups of this volume (32oz),..
And of course there's more than one way to work this out! Check out my man @912GreenSkell method for transplanting here, ....though the plants are photo's in the demo, same methods can be applied for auto's in smaller volume, more easily modified cups- --- Check out his grows, Skelly is a champ at tough climate outdoor monster growing!

Actually the plant in the pics is an auto (Auto ultimate). I don't insta transplant photo plants. Thanks for the kind words my good friend!!

 

[Waira]

right!,.... what'd I say..? .... oh geez, Auto Ultimate is a lummox , might as well be a photo!

 

[Waira]

:smoking: @smokeyfromau -- here it is,.. hope it's helpful

 

[smokeyfromau]

:smoking: @smokeyfromau -- here it is,.. hope it's helpful

Thanks Waira, will be helpful, if have to transplant or decide to do seedlings in smaller pots