Grow guides › How to Pot Up Plug Plants
How to Pot Up Plug Plants
Plug plants are tiny. Treat them gently for the first few weeks and they'll reward you.
What you need
- Small pots, 6–7cm across. No bigger to begin with.
- Good-quality compost, sieved through a 10mm sieve to remove lumps.
- Perlite or sharp sand: mix about 1 part to 4 parts compost (around 20%) for drainage.
Potting up, step by step
- Half fill the pot with your compost mix.
- Sit the plug in the middle. Don't pull at or tease the roots.
- If the plug has a fine net around it, leave it on. Taking it off damages the roots; it rots away on its own.
- Fill in around the sides with compost and firm gently, keeping the plant at the same depth it was in the plug.
- Water once, then leave it until the compost has started to dry out before watering again.
Why not a bigger pot straight away?
A big pot of compost stays wet for a long time, and tiny roots sitting in wet compost rot. Small steps up are the secret.
The next few weeks
- Start a weak liquid feed once a week about two weeks after potting.
- When roots show through the drainage holes, move the plant up to a pot one size bigger, such as a 1 litre pot. Keep stepping up gradually until it's ready for its final pot or the garden.
- Keep young plants somewhere light and frost-free. In cold weather a windowsill, conservatory or greenhouse is ideal.
- In summer they can go outside out of the wind. Watch out for strong midday sun, which can dry small pots out quickly and scorch young leaves.
Before planting outside: harden off
Plants raised under cover need about a week to get used to outdoor conditions. Put them outside during the day and bring them in at night, then plant out once the risk of frost has passed.