started seeds and can't put them in the ground yet...help!

13 years ago

My daughter and I started sunflower seeds, pole beans, morning glories, and herbs inside a few weeks ago. They are all about 3-6" now and still in their tiny 1" pots. We just unexpectedly sold our home and won't be able to move until June 4th. Do you think the plants will be able to make it that long inside or do I need to plant them somewhere asap? Thanks in advance for any advice you can give!

Comments (4)

oilpainter
13 years ago
You have some mighty big plants to try and keep for another month and then transplant. By that I mean big at maturity. Then you will probably have to prepare a place to put them so it may be longer. They will be large when you go to transplant them. The herbs should be all right but you should get them into bigger pots. Perhaps a large one 18 inch one will hold them all. Then you can transplant the perennials into the ground in the fall.

Another idea is to consult the people you are buying the house from. Perhaps they will let you plant them before you move.

Whatever you do they really need to be in bigger pots right now
sarahbarah27
13 years ago
You could re-pot them as oilpainter said, into 4 inch pots. Then, when they out grow those pots you could put them in larger decorative containers, that way you can move them with you. I'm not sure about the pole beans though.
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nygardener
13 years ago
I'd move them to 4" pots now, then to 6" pots if they outgrow those. Individual pots are better than putting them together in a big planter and then having to untangle their roots. But I like oilpainter's idea of asking the people who are selling you their house.

Keep them outdoors in at least 6 hours of sun daily. The plants will get leggy and be useless if they don't get plenty of sun and cool overnight temps ... but small pots can dry out easily. If you can't be home to water them on warm days, you can bury the pots in a garden bed up to the rim, and lift them every day or two to make sure the roots don't grow through the drainage holes.
percystash
13 years ago
I suppose the big question is whether or not the June 4th move will be to a place where they can go into the ground. What you really want to aim for is to reduce the number of times that you transplant but at the same time get them out of the pots they are in now. The current pots are far to small and will negatively impact future transplants if you leave them much longer. If you are unsure then go for the 6' pots. You can always leave them in there even after you move to a more permanent location until the plants are ready for another transplant. Try to keep them well watered in the meantime to discourage additional root development.

Here is a link that might be useful: Irrigation Equipment