Immediately after germination?

[windclimber]

Last year I potted up at the plumlar hook stage as they were pushing through the starting medium.
Results were fine, then potted up again at the true leaf stage, and again after cold hardening. Again good results with great root structure.

This year........three days after germination, they are about 1"---- 1 1/2" tall and have moved from atop the piano to south facing window, seed coats still clinging on and cotyldons still to unfold.

I wanted to wait until first leaves appeared to pot them to 6" pots ONCE to go under lights for cold treatment and later to harden off.

Is there a lot of stress on them at the stage they are at, and as they get taller and start sprawling around in the starting medium as I wait for the true leaves?

My research tells me the optimum course of action is to pot up once to 6" pots after true leaf emergence.
I realize I can pot them up to their little necks but am concerned about them getting overly leggy in the starting cells, and not achieving the best start possible.

Tom

[amideutch]

Tom, I grow mine in Jiffy 7's and as soon as they emerge I turn on the grow lights. When they get their first true leaves I cut the heat and let them fatten up a little bit. Then pot up to 4" CowPots and set on racks in front of my south facing window. Ami

[windclimber]

Thanks amy:

thats what I do normally.
Last year was kind of an experiment that worked out well.

I am wondering what types of stresses are the seedlings under as the stems are up so far, and if it is better to repot now .........before the true leaves emerge or .....let them grow taller , perhaps falling over and damageing the stem before true leaf emergance.
At this stage would it be better to repot and under lights for cold treatment , or wait till true leaf and then repot the
really tall seedling for cold treatment?

In search of the strongest plants possible.

[amideutch]

Tom, The first picture was taken 24 mar 08, 2nd was 26 mar and 3rd was 06 April. I don't think you have to worry about stress. I grow in Jiffy 7's and repot to CowPots and then plant the seedling/Cowpot to its final growing place. There is no stress with the way I do mine. But I've seen other members here do it the way you do, and seen them grow them in flats with 30 seedlings to a cell, pop out the 30 and proceed to braek them down and repot each little seeding. They are tough and do survive and grow just as well as mine or yours. Different strokes for different folks, whatever works best for you. Go ahead and experiment and see what happens. Ami