Thanks for the reality check. Makes perfect sense. Actually that represents some good news for me. I have a small, healthy-looking Sunset Sherbet who’s just started growing full-size leaves in a 1-gallon plastic pot. That’s the one I was thinking of moving to the 20. Now, I can just move that one to a 5-gallon cloth bag. Should be plenty for the short time remaining. Dunno if any of mine will flower this time around, or if I’ll harvest any flowers before they’re taken out by one of the many threats in my backyard, but I am learning a ton and will be ready to try some autos as the summer cools into autumn. Thank you for all your advice and support. I sincerely appreciate it!
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LOL, I was only off the width of the continent!!!
That is some nice growing weather for summertime! Outdoor grows ought to do awesome!
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I am super-encouraged to hear you say that. When I visited my local hydroponics store, the young man behind the counter told me I was wasting my time. I’m thinking/hoping I just got off to a very late start. I am planning to begin an auto or two outdoors in mid-August, same time as I plant spinach and carrots. Maybe I’ll have more success as the summer moved toward fall.
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Is that a layer of perlite on top of your soil? (I don’t mean to waste your time. If you’ve explained this elsewhere, lemme know, and I’ll dig it up.)
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No, that’s Diatomaceous earth. Pest control. Organic, it’s crushed up fossil shells. It’s like razor blades to bugs.
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July 2
- The two in pots are struggling! Very light color and not putting on any size.
- The sunset sherbet in small pot is growing rapidly and is almost as tall as the Zkittlez in the garden. It has its first set of five-finger leaves. It is slowly getting lighter in color, though. I’m thinking this is just not the right time.
- Zkittlez in garden is still doing ok. Some spots and eaten edges, especially around the bottom, but it’s growing at a good pace still, and all the growth is looking healthy. I am going to build a new support for it.
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July 4
- After watching the two in pots languish, I moved them both out of the pots and into different environments. Moved the Zkittlez into the garden, right next to the other Zkittlez. Maybe the good one will rub off on the bad one! I moved the Auto to a 5-gal cloth pot. I put it on the other side of the garden and made a little hill of soil and straw around it to hopefully keep it cooler.
- After watching the two in pots languish, I moved them both out of the pots and into different environments. Moved the Zkittlez into the garden, right next to the other Zkittlez. Maybe the good one will rub off on the bad one! I moved the Auto to a 5-gal cloth pot. I put it on the other side of the garden and made a little hill of soil and straw around it to hopefully keep it cooler.
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I transplanted the Sunset Sherbet to the garden, down by the pepper plant. Would love to see it darken up again. Really didn’t like seeing its color fade over the couple weeks since I put it in a pot. It slid right out of the pot. Hadn’t really establishing big roots in that pot, but it definitely had established some. There was visible root on the bottom of the pot.
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I definitely disturbed the roots on the Zkittlez plant, because I was too rough with it. I hope it’ll still live. I did better with the auto, so who knows?
The biggest plant, the Zkittlez I direct sowed in the garden about a month ago, is doing well. Something’s nibbling the leaves, though. I’ve applied a little neem oil a couple of times. Saw a roly poly on there yesterday morning, but I’ve never known them to gnaw stems. You?
Hope you all have a great day!
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i am a guerilla grower. repare you some plots in mother earth. dump the pots. will have to water less in the ground. all the space the roots need.
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from the pictures u have a nutrients imbalance; so your plants switch to survivor mode rather than growth. My advice would be is to use some chicken manure along with espon salt to fight the nutrient imbalance that may be cause your plants not to grow as fast.
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Hey Lebalo! Welcome, and thanks for the tip! I agree something weird is up with those two that were in pots. But I am not so sure it’s nutes. They were in pretty good soil, and they were doing right before I transplanted. I think they were getting scorched! Any idea if too much heat would push the plants into survival mode?
Also, sometimes they just don’t thrive. They’re not all winners. Some of them don’t grow good at all. Luck of the draw. I would let the one in the pot dry out more between watering, but it isn’t looking good. The next picture the plant is coming out of whatever problem it had. Nice new green growth in the center of the plant. The bottom pictures with the bright green plants are very happy you’re on the right track there. I don’t know if you have very high temperatures where you’re at I don’t know why you are using straw around your plants.I live in the middle of California where it gets 95-110° all the time and I don’t use anything to cover my dirt. Just water every two or three days. It seems to me that having straw around your plants leaves a very nice environment for insect to live in.
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i don’t think is scorched. i really think is what ever soil u transplant them in cause the nutrient imbalance; plus true you took them from under LED which i sure u had them at a height on 18-20" direct sun light different and humidity is different also so they will take a little shock phase but from the photo’s your soil lack something
one trick i see my neighbor do is, buy an outdoor LED light so at sun down it comes on for a couple of hours and then off and his crop comes great.
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I have two plants outside. Both planted same time. I went to transplant them and on the first shovel in I heard it cut a big root. So I packed the soil back down and within 5 mins all her leaves drooped. She survived. Now she is 5ft tall as her sister next to her is getting close to 9. Roots play a big role.
I think you messed up a few important roots. She is repairing herself and then will take off again. Would be my guess.
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Your note about the straw is well-taken. We get hot, humid conditions here, and I’ve always mulched veggies with wheat straw to keep soil moist, to protect plants’ foliage from catching anything soil-borne, and to keep weed seeds from germinating. I am sure you’re right that critters are hanging out there, too, though. After your last pic, I went and bought diatom. earth. I guess I should swap the straw for some DE! 
Thank you for your encouragement on those other two! I am learning a ton from those two that are thriving, and I think I’m learning even more from the duds. Sincerely appreciate all your support and perspective.
My tent stuff came in the mail, so I’m going to begin an indoor grow in the next week or so. Then, I’ll be able to learn a lot more!
Have a good day, sir!
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I’m wondering if I messed up the roots on the initial transplant from tiny pot to big pot. They never recovered after I moved them out of their teeny germination containers. Or maybe I packed my soil too densely. Anyway, I’m just glad seeds are affordable! Thanks for your support for a new grower. Sincerely appreciate it.
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You see how your baby pics the leaves are super electric… That’s way too much nutes. So the possibility of stunting the growth is a factor too.
Baby food is baby food. Light and digestible. Soil, nutes and lighting all keys in proper development of da babies.
She will pull herself out and grow aok. Just a bit longer than the others.
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So maybe that hot potting soil is what stunted them! That sure would make sense, since the plants were on totally different paths before transplanting, but now they’re nearly identical.
How old/large do you allow your seedlings before you transplant? I certainly didn’t have any five-finger leaves. Guess I jumped the gun.
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A while.back like maybe my 2nd attempt at composting I top dressed like a 2’ tall Diesel and she was wilted the next day after work… yup that was hot soil. LoL I had an old room mate like 25 yrs ago pour straight fish emulsion on 1 of my girls too. That one was brown in like 2 hours …lol it takes me a couple “lessons” but it sticks eventually. I’m telling you - learning is fun!!
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I’m not the best to answer that. I’ll let them get to heavy for solos lol…
Four to six set of leaves are the earliest I believe.
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A good rule of thumb, that goes way back, way back as far as growing anything in pots. Transplant when your canopy reaches the edges of the pot/Cup/container for maximum growth. There is exceptions to this rule but I don’t think we need to get into those. 
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