Tomatoville® Gardening Forums


Notices

New to growing your own tomatoes? This is the forum to learn the successful techniques used by seasoned tomato growers. Questions are welcome, too.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old March 29, 2018   #1
greenthumbomaha
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Omaha Zone 5
Posts: 2,514
Default How large is your cell for peppers

About 3 weeks ago I completed my first pot up from dense plant to deep cell 6 packs, but the pepper seedlings will need another round of potting up to avoid being root bound. They're between two and three leaves now.

My standard was the 3 inch square pot, 4 inches deep, which is far smaller than a Bonnie plant. I'm thinking larger for larger peppers. What size seedling pot are your peppers in before transplanting out?

- Lisa
greenthumbomaha is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 30, 2018   #2
ginger2778
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10
Posts: 9,283
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by greenthumbomaha View Post
About 3 weeks ago I completed my first pot up from dense plant to deep cell 6 packs, but the pepper seedlings will need another round of potting up to avoid being root bound. They're between two and three leaves now.

My standard was the 3 inch square pot, 4 inches deep, which is far smaller than a Bonnie plant. I'm thinking larger for larger peppers. What size seedling pot are your peppers in before transplanting out?

- Lisa
I use 3.5" wide and 4"deep square pots.
ginger2778 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 30, 2018   #3
greenthumbomaha
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Omaha Zone 5
Posts: 2,514
Default

I think we use the same size, Marsha.

I unsuccessfully searched for a discussion from some time ago where there was a comparison of different pepper pot sizes, and a large (maybe 5"?) pot made a big difference in seedling size.

It could be that growing in a colder area (especially with the frigid spring we are having) requires a larger pot for a head start.

Wish I was enjoying Florida with you now. We have two more weeks of cold/bleak/hard freezes coming.

- Lisa
greenthumbomaha is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 31, 2018   #4
rhines81
Tomatovillian™
 
rhines81's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Zone 5A, Poconos
Posts: 959
Default

I pot up from a Dixie cup to a 3.5" square x 6" deep, works well. For reference, a large solo cup fits right inside of one so I guess you could use those too. Keeps all types of peppers for 16 weeks in case of late plant out. I have (4) 12 week old jalapenos right now in some of these pots and they are thriving.
rhines81 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 31, 2018   #5
Father'sDaughter
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: MA/NH Border
Posts: 4,917
Default

I decided early on I only wanted to up-pot once. I start peppers and eggplants with individual seeds in 2"x2"x4" pots then go up to 4"x"4"x6" when they have two sets of true leaves. They stay in the larger pots until plant out.
Father'sDaughter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 31, 2018   #6
PaulF
Tomatovillian™
 
PaulF's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Brownville, Ne
Posts: 3,276
Default

I start tomatoes and peppers in 1"X1"X2"-6pak plastics with several seeds per each pocket. Then at the two true leaf stage (or four if I can't get to it soon enough) both peppers and tomatoes get potted-up into individual 2"X2"X4" plastic pots where they stay until outdoor planting time.
__________________
there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.
PaulF is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 31, 2018   #7
TomNJ
Tomatovillian™
 
TomNJ's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Floyd VA
Posts: 767
Default

I start my peppers and tomatoes in 3.5 x 3.5 x 4" plastic pots and do not pot up. In fact I have never "potted up" any seedlings in over 40 years and grow healthy plants that do very well when transplanted outdoors. My tomato seedlings are typically 12-14" tall after only five weeks. From my point of view, potting up is just a lot of extra work for no benefit, in spite of the 1927 study that showed better root balls (but not better productivity).
TomNJ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 31, 2018   #8
FarmerShawn
Tomatovillian™
 
FarmerShawn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Vermont
Posts: 1,001
Default

I'm an outlier, it appears. I start peppers and tomatoes and the like with the dense planting methods, using 50-cell trays into which recycled K-cups fit perfectly. That allows me to move sprouted varieties off the heat mat and into the light, while leaving un-germinated ones on the heat mat. It's space management. When the sprouted ones get big enough to handle they get transplanted into 2" soil blocks, where they stay (and grow quite well) until plant-out.
__________________
"Red meat is NOT bad for you. Now blue-green meat, THAT'S bad for you!"
-- Tommy Smothers
FarmerShawn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 7, 2018   #9
JRinPA
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: SE PA
Posts: 961
Default

That is a great idea with cups in the 50 cell tray. It would make it simpler. Currently I've been having to dig them out with a pair of putty knives and throw in a pot. Recycled k cups, that I don't have, but I may think of something for next year. My sister in law uses them I believe. Maybe I can get my brother to collect them. Peppers, eggplants, tomatoes transplant into 2" soil blocks well for me as well. Also, lettuce, spinach, and chard if timed right.

BTW once in 2" blocks the peppers don't need to be potted up further, though I have potted up some habs to 4" blocks.

Last edited by JRinPA; May 7, 2018 at 12:37 AM.
JRinPA is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 8, 2018   #10
nyrfan
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: NJ
Posts: 123
Default

I sow 2-3 pepper seeds in 3 oz. Solo cups & transplant any extra seedlings to their own 3 oz. cups.

From there they go into 4" pots.
nyrfan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 8, 2018   #11
Cole_Robbie
Tomatovillian™
 
Cole_Robbie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
Default

If the weather is warm, peppers will grow fine when 6-pack size plants are planted in the garden. Mechanical transplanters for large scale use often require a very small plant to fit through the machine.

Pot size for me is more about holding time until being planted. A larger pot gives me another two weeks or so of time. A lot of my plants in my own garden are planted out of 4" pots. I actually think it is the extra Osmocote in that root ball that is the biggest benefit of the 4" pot.
Cole_Robbie is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 07:45 PM.


★ Tomatoville® is a registered trademark of Commerce Holdings, LLC ★ All Content ©2022 Commerce Holdings, LLC ★