Question for folks who transplant to cups - - Page 2

jsvand5 · March 31, 2009

One thing that helped me a lot this year is when I found that the 16 oz styro cups fit almost perfecty into a 36qt sterilite storage tub. It makes it a lot easier to carry everything around without worrying about them tipping over. I drilled a hole about 1" up from the bottom on the side of the tub so any water not sucked up by the plant is easy to spill out without having to move any plants.

GIZZARDFARM · March 31, 2009

I have 5 holes in the bottom of my cups and rotate them every couple of days I have found that bottom watering is much faster and works great..(Ive got lots and lots of plants)....... Gizzard

**nctomatoman** · March 31, 2009

When I used Dixie cups in the good old days for my seedlings (before switching to plastic pots), and used a sharp pencil to make the holes, quite a few cups would have their holes clog, leading to drowned seedlings! Ah, the good ol' days...

Vince · April 1, 2009

I have quite a few seedlings in Styrofoam cups. I use a pen or pencil, like Craig just said, and poke many holes from the bottom to half way up the cup, the more the better. You can tell when they don't drain good right when you wet the soil(a lake forms). In this case I just take a butter knife and ram it all the way through the side of the cup near the bottom. This does the trick.

robin303 · April 1, 2009

I fill my trays with about a 1" of water every morning and when I get back from work it's gone. On weekends I let them dry out a little bit. They are sitting outside all day in the sun.

stormymater · April 1, 2009

You folks will laugh - I potted up my first seedlings today into the aforementioned beer cups - right up to their scrawny little necks. They looked pitiful separated & alone from their siblings. Carried them all back inside b/c we're supposed to get heavy rain by early am - had left them out this weekend in the wind & the rain & they looked kind of beat up. It's supposed to be overcast here for the next few days so back out they all go - I'll keep transplanting but will be running out of room to store cuppa maters inside very shortly so they'll have to brave it soon enough. I didn't realize just how many seeds came up of the Cuor di Bue - 38/45 were potted up - had a few losses along the way (sniff). Can you say Craig's List if these actually make it?
Looking at the extreme expansion from cells to cups I suspect these will either be bottom watering by dunking in my plastic Gorilla cart bin or likely be overhead watered with well water. Actually this is such an awesome problem to have - I credit Tomatovillian advice & recs totally!
BTW - looking my other trays - the potato leafed seedlings are so cool looking!

sirtanon · April 5, 2009

I buy my 8-oz styrofoam cups in packs of 34 from Walmart for about 80 cents a pack. They're plenty big to use as one-time-only transplant cups until I put them out - usually about 3 or 4 weeks or so.

I find the best way to make drainage holes in them is to stack them about 6 deep upside-down and drill 2 or 3 holes in the bottom of all 6 at once using a 3/8" drill bit. It's quick, easy, and makes for nice round holes.

If I plan to do any bottom watering, which I usually don't, I will drill another hole in the side right at the bottom. Most of the time, I just top water.

Even with tax, they work out to only about 3 cents apiece.

March 31, 2009	#18
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	When I used Dixie cups in the good old days for my seedlings (before switching to plastic pots), and used a sharp pencil to make the holes, quite a few cups would have their holes clog, leading to drowned seedlings! Ah, the good ol' days... __________________ Craig

April 1, 2009	#19
Vince Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Riverside, CA Posts: 942	I have quite a few seedlings in Styrofoam cups. I use a pen or pencil, like Craig just said, and poke many holes from the bottom to half way up the cup, the more the better. You can tell when they don't drain good right when you wet the soil(a lake forms). In this case I just take a butter knife and ram it all the way through the side of the cup near the bottom. This does the trick. __________________ Vince

April 5, 2009	#22
sirtanon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Phoenix, AZ (zone 9b) Posts: 796	I buy my 8-oz styrofoam cups in packs of 34 from Walmart for about 80 cents a pack. They're plenty big to use as one-time-only transplant cups until I put them out - usually about 3 or 4 weeks or so. I find the best way to make drainage holes in them is to stack them about 6 deep upside-down and drill 2 or 3 holes in the bottom of all 6 at once using a 3/8" drill bit. It's quick, easy, and makes for nice round holes. If I plan to do any bottom watering, which I usually don't, I will drill another hole in the side right at the bottom. Most of the time, I just top water. Even with tax, they work out to only about 3 cents apiece. __________________ I could sail by on the winds of silence, and maybe they won't notice... but this time I think it would be better if I swim..

March 31, 2009	#16
jsvand5 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: FL Posts: 47	One thing that helped me a lot this year is when I found that the 16 oz styro cups fit almost perfecty into a 36qt sterilite storage tub. It makes it a lot easier to carry everything around without worrying about them tipping over. I drilled a hole about 1" up from the bottom on the side of the tub so any water not sucked up by the plant is easy to spill out without having to move any plants.

March 31, 2009	#17
GIZZARDFARM Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: COMFORT TENNESSEE Posts: 300	I have 5 holes in the bottom of my cups and rotate them every couple of days I have found that bottom watering is much faster and works great..(Ive got lots and lots of plants)....... Gizzard

April 1, 2009	#20
robin303 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Austin, TX Zone 8b Posts: 531	I fill my trays with about a 1" of water every morning and when I get back from work it's gone. On weekends I let them dry out a little bit. They are sitting outside all day in the sun.

April 1, 2009	#21
stormymater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pleasure Island, NC 8a Posts: 1,162	You folks will laugh - I potted up my first seedlings today into the aforementioned beer cups - right up to their scrawny little necks. They looked pitiful separated & alone from their siblings. Carried them all back inside b/c we're supposed to get heavy rain by early am - had left them out this weekend in the wind & the rain & they looked kind of beat up. It's supposed to be overcast here for the next few days so back out they all go - I'll keep transplanting but will be running out of room to store cuppa maters inside very shortly so they'll have to brave it soon enough. I didn't realize just how many seeds came up of the Cuor di Bue - 38/45 were potted up - had a few losses along the way (sniff). Can you say Craig's List if these actually make it? Looking at the extreme expansion from cells to cups I suspect these will either be bottom watering by dunking in my plastic Gorilla cart bin or likely be overhead watered with well water. Actually this is such an awesome problem to have - I credit Tomatovillian advice & recs totally! BTW - looking my other trays - the potato leafed seedlings are so cool looking!