Small Plant, Big Pot - Bad Idea?

This is more a nursery topic, but I'm sure home container growers will also benefit from the discussion. Traditionally, I up-pot my plants from smaller sized pots or plugs, through intermediately sized pots, and then on to the final pot size. But that can be a lot of work! What about the approach of potting the smaller plant into its final pot size to "grow into it"? There are pros and cons of both methods, and here I'll discuss some of my considerations around labour, space, soil and watering.

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[sldulin]

I'm guilty of both re-potting into oversized pots and then overwatering, so yeah, this is information I need to hear.

[hpibeme]

Up potting never made sense to me but now I understand.
Thank you for this information.

[marmaladesunrise]

Well done, Jason. You answered the questions I've had for years on this subject.

[nothingmuch]

One reason I've been given for smaller pot increments is, the roots will head out till they hit the wall and then divide, which you can definitely see in root-bound plants. They aren't root-bound all the way through, just closest to the edge. Thus, if you pot the plants up one size at a time, you will get a good strong root stock that permeates more of the soil, rather than just rushing for the edge and then going round and round... in other words, more stable and uniform root growth with the one-size up steps than mini-huge leap. From my own experience in the five years since I learned this, it seems to hold true.

[naysneedle]

I often pot tiny plants in huge pots and they do great BUT I use a coarse bark-based mix with plenty of pumice and no peat or coir AND I'm a lazy waterer. It's ideal for me but not for heavy-handed waterers or for moisture-retentive mixes. I do appreciate the nuance offered in this video, so much gardening advice is of the 'always/never do this' type.

[randomness]

Honestly as a new gardener who doesn't understand why pots dont come with holes I thought it was an industry thing. Thank you for explaining!!! You are a great teacher!!

[pln]

I feel enlightened,
never made sense before, especially when you compare planting in the ground.
ty Jason

[savvydirtfarmer]

I grow most of my plants in the smallest pots I can get away with, usually bumping them up once or twice before selling them. It saves space. That's the only reason I do it. I've never really considered the watering aspect of it. thanks for the video!

[gwbuilder]

Another great topic Jason.👍
I agree.😁
Now that I said that, here are a few reasons why someone might want to go big.
I have over 200 plants in pots from quart/1litre to 35 gallon/132.5 litre.
I transferred all of my quart size grapes to 15 gallon pots as well as all of my 2 gallon bag citrus, avocado, mango, lychee, cocoa, macadamia, kukui, coffee, pomegranate, bay laurel, tamarind, banana, and several other trees to 15, 25, and 35 gallon pots.
The reason for such a drastic jump in size is multi-fold.
The number one reason is the rate of root growth, especially the tropicals.
The majority of trees have already tripled in size because their roots were able to spread out like they would in a natural in ground setting. This burst of growth will slow down over this next year and stabilize to a more regulated pattern after that. Some like the pomegranate, cocoa, tamarind, and lychee will be slow and steady, but their root systems will mature more fully in the process.
Any time you are considering faster growing plants, over potting by a few sizes or even to a giant pot might be a good thing.
It must be said that if you do, you need to understand that additional soil and nutrients will be needed over time and sometimes much quicker than you anticipate.
Using larger pots requires a different composition of soil components.
For example:
If you are planning to keep your plant in that particular pot, like entryway or walkway displays you will probably want a permanent aggregate like river rock/rounded stone and multi mix soil combinations appropriate for those plants to provide adequate drainage.
Always be mindful of too much moisture in the bottom of the pot. The top soil will dry out with the sunlight and wind blowing, but that lower middle soil will tend to stay more wet. The river or rounded stone will help to provide a more aggressive drainage for those bigger pots.
Growing in larger pots has a higher level of difficulty when it comes to learning how much water, nutrients, and added soil will be needed over time.
The best way I've found is to follow the same formula you started with and only adjust things as the plants begin to indicate those additional needs. As the soil settles, fluff it up as much as you can without damaging the roots, then add more of the same mixture, as much as needed, mixing them together. Be careful not to change the soil composition or brand of soil without first making sure the ingredients and ratios are the same.
One of the biggest mistakes in long term potted plant care is changing soils. Once you find the right mix for that plant, do your best to maintain that same mixture.
If you do have to change brands of soil or sources, try to mix it in to the other soil as much as possible to blend it in, this will reduce the amount of change and adjustment the plant will go through.
Another reason for going big is potted gardens.
If you want to grow potatoes, onions, tomatoes, chili peppers, bell peppers, squash, corn, beets and other tubers, you will need a deeper and wider space.
I typically use 25 gallon pots for gardening because they provide a good surface space as well as the depth that many plants need.
I know a few people have mentioned planting out in the ground.
If you do not properly prepare the soil for what you are planting, those plants will struggle and many times die. The outside space should be tilled and fortified to a depth of at least 24 inches or approximately 2/3rds of a meter.
If the soil beneath the plant is not broken up enough the plant will suffocate, also the moisture level will be inconsistent, too dry in the heat and too wet in the cool.
Natural ground compaction is much too heavy for young plants, they need a gentle surrounding buffer to help them grow strong enough to survive in their new environment.
I hope this was helpful.
Happy growing.🤙

[fia]

Thanks, I recently had to bring in my plants twice. I took them out of my garage to get them ready for my garden and my daughter tells me of a freezing storm is coming. I had to drag them all back in and then another one coming lol thanks for your help always !!!

[johnman]

Can you read our minds? How do you know what we need Jason hahaha I'm done with pots! I've just finished sum 12 cm high ..1.2.meter Square trays... no drain holes with mostly perlite with A Scattering of pimped compost kelp, Bone M, ewc, etc and VItax low N pellets.... when I need to remove plants I'll just rip them out ... the paradigm shift for me this season was learning how easy it is to create high humidity for large areas of small plants using BUILDERS PLASTIC SHEETS .. you know the stuff £1 or $1 for a pack of 5 it's piss weak, but it's about 6 by 4 m once you have it pegged where you need it and people oh my god ! The speed of growth was incredible... you can adjust humidity by one or two points just by lifting up a corner or Edge, it's incredibly accurate. Young ones will thank you for the extra protection and higher humidity.. it's very slightly opaque so provides protection from direct light and diffuses it instead reduces transplant shock and retains warmth.

[FireflyOnTheMoon]

Thanks for answering my question, Jason. xx

[giovanipugliese]

Thanks a lot mate. It was very usefull info. This is what happened to my tomato plants. I put them directly to a large pot from a small one and they stoped growing till they eventually died.

[laurelsayer]

Thank you for this video! As a result of watching your videos, and your recent comments about overpotting, and especially focussing on the soil, I've already started changing my method of potting my roses and camellias.

[LuffyDsan]

The underrated issue explained very well. Love from India 🇮🇳 ❤️

[CONCERTMANchicago]

Wow I love learning something new especially when it's proven true. Here's a tip for exchange
When it comes to trees, up-potted stock's root systems are suspect at best. And why best practice presently is Bare root transplanting by removing soil which most likely otherwise can hide circling and stem girdling roots needing to be removed by pruning. Really it's is simple nature, by promoting roots to extend radially outbound.

[leslienichols]

Thanks FVRF. I hope you have a record spring!

[LOVEsobrLOVE]

Once again, very interesting! When it comes to space, I like the idea of rearranging pots in staggered rows instead of straight. Mathematically takes less space as a pattern.

[mikedan]

The plant's growth rate in spring and summer can also be a reason for choosing the size of the pot. Some types of trees can fill the pot quickly and require increasing the size of the pot each year.

[KeanKennedy]

Thanks!
I'm mounting a planter on a wall and I don't want to change the fittings each time it grows, so I'm thinking I might start with a somewhat bigger pot and fill in some space with polystyrene blocks or similar, which I can later remove.