Don't know what size "small peat pots" you mean without any dimensions given but if they are just starting true leaves and if they can go into the garden in 2 weeks then I'd probably leave them alone as is. But in theory they can be potted up any time after they germinate.

When peat pots are kept properly moist then the roots grow through them rather than getting rootbound. But that makes them hard to remove as needed when planting - one good reason for never using them.

Dave

Yes I will never buy them again... but had some left over from last year.

By small peat pots, I mean the standard tiny 1"x1" or so seed starting trays. They are very small, and from my experience last year the roots got all stuck to the sides and some did not grow through them properly and I would not be able to get them off successfully at planting time. I would like to pot up to the 3"x3" plastic pots I have if possible. Should I wait until the first true leaves finish? The seed starting mix is soft and fluffy and tends to fall apart.

I know the standard recommendation is to transplant only after true leaves. But I do hundreds of cotyledon seedlings each year with no problems since I start all my seeds in full flats, not cells. It is just a matter of being careful and getting comfortable with the process. So yeah I wouldn't hesitate to move them now. Try a couple and see how comfortable you are with doing it.

Dave

I think I will give it a try tomorrow, my wife can help. I will wet them thoroughly to keep the soil ball together. They are getting true leaves.. they are just still very small.

I've never used peat pots but just from looking at them would it be easier to snip them away with scissors rather than trying to get the seedlings out while leaving the pots intact?

Oh yes I definetely plan on trying to snip them away. I'll let you know how it goes :)

All potted up! Glad I did it, the roots were starting to stick to the sides and if I waited longer I would have done a lot more damage. I peeled the peat pots away and transplanted the whole root ball.

Potting mix had to be wet or it would totally fall apart, this miracle gro organic potting mix with water conserve is really fluffy (it was the best thing I could find locally). I only mangled a couple. They were planted 2 weeks ago FYI, and are under a T5 jump start grow light. I transplanted the leggiest ones just a tiny bit deeper. The guys in the back are artichokes sowed 1 month ago and the sprouts in the front are eggplants I planted last week I just moved from a shelf above a radiator to keep them warm for germination (seems to have worked. Only 1 pepper sprout so far though, today.) This is Green Magic Broccoli from Johnny's, the Cabbage (which looks identical, maybe a tiny bit bigger,) is Quick Start from Harris.

Their growth has not been slowed down at all by the transplant. They are growing their 2nd true leaves.

I am seeing on the cabbage only the ends of the first true leaves are a little faded green. Should I start diluted fertilizing? The potting mix is like 0.25/0.25/0.25 or something like that. I feel like they should be good as I just transplanted into fresh mix. Overwatering maybe? Should I let them totally dry out between waterings?

For future reference they should be transplanted much deeper - all that bare stem buried. And would do better in smaller interim containers. The jump from the 1" peat pots into those 3-4" pots is a BIG jump and exposes them to much higher levels of moisture in all that wet cell, maybe too much for them to handle when still that small.

Transplanting (aka potting up) is done in stages and into new containers that are only slightly larger than the existing on. You can do it with larger pots like that if you must but then you only fill the pot about half way, not full like that. You can add more soil as the plant grows. Personally I would take the broccoli and cabbage out of those and if you don't have an interim pot to use, dump half that mix out and transplant them deep into the half pot of mix that remains. JMO

And your lights, even a T5, need to be down much lower/closer to the tops of the plants. Especially those tomato or pepper plants in the front row. Don't let the artichokes dictate the height for everything else or everything else will be leggy. The artichokes can live off the windo light if they must, the others can't.

Dave

They are growing rapidly, they have 2 true leaves already. I will use a smaller in between pot for the tomatoes/eggplants/peppers. Next time I will consider it.

If I bring the lights lower not everything will get light... even if I take the artichokes away. I will try to rework it a little better.

I thought it is a bad idea to bury stems of seedlings (except tomatoes)... I don't want to invite damping off. But your the expert. There is no reason I can't replant them deeper now.

I just googled it and there are differing opinions on it. Maybe I will try replanting half deeper. I have more than enough plants. (Everything you google about seedlings it is all growing pot... just how many people are growing weed in their closets??)

Can't think of any legit reason why bare stems on just about everything cannot and should not be buried. Routinely done all the time by professional growers and when not done the weak stems cannot support the top growth weight so fall over and break.

And damp-off has nothing to do with stem depth. Damp off can affect any plant, stem or no stem and anywhere along the stem, if the fungus and the right growing conditions for it exist. What invites damp off is excess moisture, overly warm air temps, and lack of sufficient air circulation.

(Everything you google about seedlings it is all growing pot... just how many people are growing weed in their closets??)

Maybe you need to refine your Google search terms. :)

Dave

Growing Vegetables from Seed Guides

I did just research it and opinions are divided. Some argue it invites stem rot, whether or not you call it damp off.

Dave, thanks for advising about transplanting deeper. My problem for years has been leggy plants, and most of them die. I was about to give up with sowing seeds indoors. I will now try your suggestions as my basil is starting to die from long legs as I type. Do I wet the new soil before or after repotting?

<I did just research it and opinions are divided. Some argue it invites stem rot, whether or not you call it damp off.>

Could you link to some of the sources that make that claim? Thanks. I'd like to see the context of their comment, see what they base that claim on. The most common cause of stem rot is overly wet soil. But if the soil is overly wet and is kept that way then yes, it can rot the stem regardless of what depth it is planted at. And do keep in mind that we are just talking about stem plants. Plants that do not grow on a stem but instead develop their new growth from the crown such as leafy greens and some flowers, are not transplanted deep.

<Do I wet the new soil before or after repotting?>

As a broad rule of thumb - never fill a container with dry mix. Makes it difficult, if not impossible to get it thoroughly wet and you end up with dry pockets in the container. Especially true with peat-based mixes as they are hydrophobic unless a wetting agent has been added.

Plus it makes transplanting much easier when the mix is already wet.

Dave

I will take a look... I was just reading previous discussions found on Google. For broccoli the consensus seemed to be yes do it, for peppers no.

Soil always has some level of moisture, and will always breed some level of fungal activity..... and once outdoors you can't control the moisture... just my thoughts.

I think Dave would agree that transplanting deeper is not an alternative to giving your seedlings enough light, which sounds to me to be the issue citytransplant.

Hardening off

The brassicas have been out for 2 hours and show no signs of wilting. I
am thinking about trying to transplant some on Sunday, if they seem
hardened off enough. Today was only the first day they've gone outside.
They get some pretty strong sun through the south facing window, but the
lack of air pressure is apparent in their weak stems and many have been blown over. I will definitely
need to try planting some deeper.

The broccoli is doing well.

The cabbage not so much. "Quick start" not really off to a quick start. It is in a less sunny spot.. bigger transplant shock from colder soil as well.

The Jet Star and Bush Delicata I bought from Harris are both having issues as well. I will not buy from them again.

Plant those stems deep! Never had an issue doing it. Peppers? Absolutely plant them deep. I grow over a hundred peppers a season, all of the stems sunk. I cannot see any reason why a person would NOT plant deep when transplanting stemmed plants. For those saying sinking stems causes damp off or root rot, they have other things going on, like overwatering and incorrect soil!