Ok, I abused my plants with temp swings, and they stunted. There a lot smaller than they should be for 3 weeks (look more like they should at 1 1/2 weeks) I got the temp/humidity sorted out, and transplanted them in to 1/2 gal posts, but I'm wondering, since their already stunted, should I transplant them in to the 5 gal buckets I plan on growing them in? or should I wait? I've read that they stress when you transplant them a bit no matter what. Would it be better to let them recover and then transplant them? or just get it over with? They are in a lot better condition now then they were, just smaller than they should be. My main concern is that they are in straight potting soil, and I don't think it has the drainage it should. When I let them dry out before watering, the water runs out the bottom before the soil gets soaked, and the potting soil gets hard. I want to get them in a potting soil/pearlite/sand mix. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.
You'll get the optimum root growth if you work your way up to the 5gal size. let the roots fill the smaller pot first before transplanting to a slightly larger one. When done properly the plant doesn't stress much at all and the results are definitely better than planting straight into the end pot size. Your biggest issue is that you need to add perlite and vermiculite and perhaps a bit of peat/coco to that mix. Your soil should be light and fluffy and not compact down when you water. Keep a notebook and record every change you make. Make small changes to only one aspect at a time. You'll definitely figure things out.