Many commercial potting soils are quite heavy and can become hard and compacted with regular watering and the small roots of young transplants have a hard time growing through them. Seed starting mixes can become very expensive if you have a lot of plants to pot up. I use a soilless mix containing peat and perlite, Sunshine Professional Growers mix is my favorite (I have no connection with the company other than to admire their product). Plant roots develop well in this lighter mix. It tends to cost more than potting soil, and if you have a lot of transplanting to do, you could mix it half and half with potting soil, or mix a good amount of peat and/or perlite in with your potting soil to make it looser and lighter. I don't like the mixes, soilless or otherwise, that contain fertilizer as that is something I prefer to control myself based on the needs of the plants I am potting up. kms

"seedlings need to be transplanted carefully so as not to disturb roots. Usually if they are in jiffy pots, all you need to do is to plunk them down in a larger pot and fill it up with soilless mix." Please don't. Any seedlings grown in jiffy pots need to have the pot stripped off the plant before transplanting. Many discussions here about the problems and plant stunting that happens with jiffy pots. And most seedlings are quite tolerant of the root disturbance that comes from transplanting assuming you avoid violence. :-) Only tap root crops like carrots and beets and members of the cuke/squash family are "touchy". Dave

Tulipsmiles, usually for tiny plants just bought you need to let them develop some roots before you put them in the ground. There is a very good chance your plants are in a peatmoss mix & roots do not fill the pot. They have hardly any roots right now. They will have a much better start if you put them in a gallon container & let them grow for a good part of the summer & plant them in the ground late summer. On the other hand there is no rule you can't plant in the ground but you will need to take good care of them & don't expect much from them. They will be slow starting out. I have done it both ways. The choice it yours.

I'd say you should get it out of the ground in the spring, before it breaks dormancy. In a pot for the winter you run the risk of it dehydrating, or getting its roots frozen and killed. Good luck! I think they'll survive being moved no problem.