When and how to transplant

I see alot of questions being asked about when to transplant.

If your starting off with a seed grow, wait till the seeds get a tap root about 1/8" long and plant them in 16 to 20 oz Red Plastic cups used for picinics and use a good seed/sprout soil (Sold and almost every large chain store like Walmart and Home Depots)

Poke a few holes in the bottom of the cup with a sharp knife or razor blade to allow water to drain thru in case of over watering

In the past I have transplanted from the cups to 1 gallon and then again to 2 gallon pots. I will no longer do that.

Now I transplant from the cups straight to a 5 1/2"x 5 1/2" x 6" (1 1/2 Gallon) Square Top black pot

I was taught that a rule of green thumb is 1 gallon pot for every 12" growth

I have a 2'x4'x6' Grow Box and can get 18 to 21 plants in it.

When its time to transplant (about a week after sprouting or 4" tall plants) all you have to do is make the soil moist in the cup and then let it sit for about an hour. During this time I get the transplant pots ready that the plant will be placed in

Gently tap the bottom of the cup against the counter top or hard surface to pack the soil in the cup a bit.

I place my hand on the cup close to the plant with the stem between two fingers and turn the cup over, then tap the bottom of the cup and the plant should start to slide out easy.

Once I see the whole plant with 99% of the soil comming out I remove the cup.

I then take my free hand and place it on the bottom of the soil and gently place it in the new pot thats ready to accept the transplant.

While holding the plant in its new pot with one hand, I grab regular indoor potting soil thats sitting close by in a 2 gallon bucket and surround the plant with it to fill in the empty gaps.

Gently push down on the new soil till it packs just a bit and also add some new soil aound where the stem and soil come togeather, this helps to keep the plant from drooping or falling over and gives it a little more support.

After doing all this I add water that was mixed with Super Thrive to the freshly placed soil around the transplant to get it moist.

I have had great success with this and only lose maybe 1 in 100 plants.

After transplanting to the new pot you dont need to add neuts for about 2 to 3 weeks

For the 1st week that I have Sprouts I use a T-5 6500K 2 foot single bulb lamp. (This gets them to around 4")

For the 2nd week I use a 100 Watt MH on them. (This gets them to around 6" to 8")

For the 3rd to 5th week I use a 400 Watt MH (this gets them to around 12" +)

When they plants get to 12" + I switch to 12/12 and use 400 Watt HPS

When a male is discovered in the group they get removed and destroyed

Happy Transplanting