Why are my smaller pots growing better plants

[ronbrew]

I'm trying to figure this out. I label all my tomato seeds by the first one to come up, second, etc. I start with a flat of 3/4 inch cells and add all my seeds etc. So the first seed that comes up within each variety I figure is the strongest plant. So I take it out of my covered flat (so it doesn't get leggy) and transfer it into a 6X6 inch pot. I label it as the first to sprout. then I continue with the second one. Then the third and fourth ones I put them in these six pack containers that are only 2X2 cells. I look at them as my leftovers.

But now I'm now looking at everything and all the 2X2 inch potted plants that have the 3rd and 4th seeds to sprout are 3 times the size of the ones in the larger pots. They seem to be growing like leaps and bounds basking in my lights above. There is only a couple in the large pots that are close to the size of the ones in the smaller sized containers. Is there a reason for this or am I just having an odd year. all my first to sprout plants are kind of small. I thought the first to sprout in a larger pot would yield the best plants. Can anyone explain this?
Thanks,
Ron

[Barryblushes]

Not an expert here ,but I think you put too big of pots for those weaker ones.They will catch up with the other ones probably.Sometimes I repot two or three times with tomatoes,slowing going to a slightly bigger container each time.I wouldnt worry as the weaker ones will catch up.Ive had times where some of my plants are twice as big come putting in ground time,even if they were started the same time.Depends on the tomatoes too.I used to have a neighbor that would buy tomatoes from greenhouses with tomatoes already on them.He thought he would get tomatoes earliar,but he didnt .Good luck tho.

[Granny]

The first to sprout is not necessarily the strongest plant. You definitely do not want to put a tiny seedling into a six inch pot. You'll get roots, roots and more roots, but nothing on top of the soil. Ideally you should wait to repot your seedlings until they have their first true leaves, not the two cotyledons they first appear with. And then they need to go only into a pretty small pot initially - and inch or two diameter.

[ronbrew]

I'm just wondering if there is something to planting in smaller containers first, then go to a larger size down the road. I don't know any theory but last year this happened also. Since the first to sprout ones went into the largest containers, something tells me that size seems to be part of the equation here. I was wondering if anyone else had a theory or noticed the same thing. But I have noticed that the pepper plants seem to grow bigger in the bigger pots so go figure.
Ron

[gardenpaws_VA]

Granny's right, there's really no shortcut to escape transplanting. I grow mine for the garden, rather than for indoor pots, so there's no gain to having a larger pot size prior to transplanting out. For the record, mine start out sown approximately a dozen to each plastic clamshell (small almost-cube, as used for grape tomatoes, blueberries etc) in about an inch of potting soil. I transplant at the 2-true-leaf stage to 8 oz foam cups or equivalent, grow on under lights, and move to the garden when they are about 6 inches high. I've never found any advantage to having them bigger when they go in the garden.

If you're planning to grow them on in pots, then you'll (as you discovered) have better luck if you transplant from 3/4 inch to 2 inch cells, then move to your final size pot when the seedlings are sturdy and have some size on them.

Peppers might need more root run, or they might be thirstier - I don't really know, as I only grow a couple of peppers and haven't noticed them objecting to my treatment.

Good luck - Robin

[maupin]

Read Craig's seed starting post. COnvinced me to do it that way.

[Suze]

Ron, the general principle involved (which some have already alluded to) is occasionally referred to as overpotting -- eg, having a small/young plant in a larger size container than is suitable for the size of the plant. It doesn't just apply to tomatoes, it also frequently applies to other vegetables and also ornamentals.

Roots follow water (and nutrients), and in a larger pot the roots are going to likely have more access and will not need to "stretch" and grow to seek water out. So basically, the plant just sits there, unchallenged and doesn't have do much work to get what it needs. This can be controlled somewhat by going easy on the water and letting the soil dry out almost completely between waterings. However, this is much easier (IME) to manage in a smaller, more suitable sized pot. The seedstarting mix is more likely to have a good chance to dry out between waterings.

Also, I prefer to transplant once to change the root structure to a fibrous one. I usually do this when the seedlings get their second set of leaves or thereabouts. Of course, doing so initially shocks the seedling, but makes for a better plant in the long run.

[the999bbq]

I always thought that keeping plants in too small containers slowed them down - as a witness there are those 'leftover' seedlings that stay in the same tray as long as you want if only you feed them water and light.
It is my experience that repotting them more often seems to do them good, potting them too big would make watermanagement a little bit more difficult is my guess... when you repot at least the first period of repotting is optimal (since nobody uses mud to transplant and very few use dry soil to transplant and water after transplant - most of us try to find the perfect humidity when transplanting, and that perfect overall condition is never repeated in the next period, so that alone is an advantage of repotting). I usually go from about 3cm little containers for germination to 6cm pots, into 8,5cm pots; maybe I could squeeze in one between 3 and 6 (with diy newspaper potmakers you can
make any size you want)