I usually don't water them for awhile then gently lift them by a leaf and the come out ok. Or, if they are stubborn, I turn them upside down and push them out from the bottom.

Greg

I have found that a baby spoon works great for those little cells.

just curious ... why is it a good idea to let them dry out before transplanting? thanks, phyl

The drying is only to shrink the potting mix to make them slip out easier.

Greg

If you're not planning on using the cell packs again you can cut/rip the side of the cell and it'll give you more access to remove the plant without disturbing the roots or the soil. Less transplant shock. Good luck!

dbags-
I'm new to this and had the same issue. Here is what I did. I got two cheap, light-gauge spoons at the dollar store. Then I flattened them out some by pounding on them with a hammer. They still have a curve that matches the curve of my cell packes.but they are straight along the length (I hope that's clear). Then I take a thin blade steak knife, and work it around the edge of the cell to loosen the edges; then I take the two spoons and push them down the sides and sort of force them together a little as I pull up. 99% of the time I get almost the entire chunk of mix and the plant, which I then carefully deposit into a 4" pot.

I have a plain ol' fork I use. It was in a "free" bin of flatware at a tag sale. Works like a charm! :-)

I just turn the 6 pack over in my hand and pinch the bottom of the cell of the plant I want and it comes right out in my hand.

Lime

Pinch...flip...and fork as last resort......is what I learned for the past 29 years from my mother and grandmother!