How to Transplant Cannabis Seedlings – Step-by-Step Grower Tips

Our seedlings are two weeks old and ready for an up-pot. We’re going up from the 9 oz Solo cups to 6″ pots. The mix in our new pots is a 50/50 blend of nutrient-dense living organic soil and a high-quality peat-based organic start mix.

Two week old seedlings ready for an up-pot 

Let’s go over the process.

• First, we need to mix our soil. We’ll be transplanting six plants into 6″ pots, so using a 6″ pot for measuring, take 3 pots worth of living soil and 3 pots worth of organic start mix, combine them in a plastic bag, close the top and shake/roll the bag around in your arms until the soils are thoroughly blended. This gives you enough 50/50 soil mix for all six of your new pots.
• Second, we need to fill our pots with the mix. Fill each pot up to about an inch from the top.
• Third, we water the soil. Remember, if you’re using tap water and it contains chlorine or you’re not sure, let your water sit in an open container for 24 hours to allow any chlorine to gas off, prior to adjusting your pH. I’m using water from my private well; I’ve adjusted the pH to 6.5 using Earth Juice Crystal pH Down (organic). Reverse osmosis water requires no preparation.
  I slowly add a couple of 9 oz cups of water to each pot, making sure the soil is evenly moist throughout, but not overly saturated, as I will add more water after placing the plants into the new containers.
• Next, I take the same size 9 oz Solo cup that my cannabis seedlings are growing in and bury it in the soil to create a perfectly sized planting hole for a true “plug-and-play transplant.”

To Remove Your Seedlings from the Cups

• Place your hand over the soil, with the seedling stem between your fingers, allowing you to turn the cup upside down without losing any soil or battering your seedling. Gently squeeze around the cup to loosen the soil plug enough that it releases from the cup.

• Gently place your transplant into the pre-made planting hole in the new pot. With this method, it should be a nearly precise fit. Ensure the transplant is tucked in snugly to the surrounding soil.
• Lightly water around the transplant to eliminate any air pockets at the union and encourage the roots to begin expanding into the new soil mix in search of moisture.

You have a successful cannabis transplant!

Note:
Although transplant shock isn’t usually an issue with this method, it’s best to plan your transplant on a cloudy day or in the evening, as placing a new transplant in direct sun can, in some cases, induce stress or shock.

I follow these steps with every transplant I make—indoors or out—from seedling cups to finish pots.

Stay tuned…
Same Bud Time, Same Bud Channel for the next installment:

 Vegetative Growth.