I have some questions on same topic if I may; new to this forum, I spent last 4 days reading Al's extremely interesting/educational posts on container growing/soil/water retention etc. I will ask questions about 1 plant at the time (it may take forever since I have about 58 right now inside & they all need help). I just realized that I have tortured my potted plants & am very grateful that so many have survived for so long. I have 2 olive trees, do not have name since they were given to me (1.5yr ago)potted in 6"pots by friend who just divided/chopped off shoots from their original olive (brought abt.45yrs ago from Italy!). they keep it potted in regular potting soil&only advise I got is "do not water too often". I would think that they would do much better in Al's mixes-not sure if 511 or gritty. Do not know anything about olives.(They may be candidates for bonsai? I do not know anything about bonsai). They are growing in spite of present conditions(heavy soil). Planted in 7&8"pots respectively, 53&55"tall.(Don't know how to post pics). If Al or anyone else can give suggestions, will greatly appreciate. I am in Toronto & they are overwintering inside(warm&sunny-65-70*,south window-during day, abt.55*nights). Thank you. Rina

If you only have one plant per container, you should be all right for the short life of the plants you are growing. If you think they are getting pot bound, you can slip it out of the pot and take a look. Al

70 miles away is far. If it must be pots, your plants can be OK in pots. Most gardeners have a more or less permanent pot ghetto in any case! I would keep the pots in part shade whenever that is possible. If they have to be in full sun for awhile, do check them every morning - as you head off for work, for example, or when you get home, if you usually get home before dark. Plant in a mix of potting soil and bagged topsoil. This would be my personal preference for water conservation, even though potted plants generally don't want heavy topsoil. I think any pots that give your plants some room to grow without being the size of Kansas should be fine. Trays or water-catcher things under the pots may help save you some watering work. In zone 5, if you can't get everything into a permanent planting spot by October, use the holding bed idea but just drop the plants (in their pots), into the soil. Plants in pots are vulnerable to freezing. Some people are able to overwinter stuff in pots in an unheated garage but from back when I lived in z5 I know for a fact that, when it was -12 outside, it was -12 in my garage. That's too cold for most potted plants, even if they're hardy in the ground.

There are any number of discussions on the various forums that the search will pull up for you about 'potting up' and the many advantages it provides the plants. "Staged transplanting" is another good search term. I linked just a few of them below. Some include links to the studies done and include photos as well. The primary benefit is root development as the act of re-potting is the actual trigger needed by many plants to begin developing fibrous roots (the important feeder roots). Secondary benefits for the plants include slowing top growth so that root development can keep up with it and preventing the most common error all those who grow from seed do - over watering the seedlings. Third benefit is that most home growers end up with leggy seedlings due to insufficient light and excessively warm air temps. Those plants have weak stems and easily killed. Potting up those seedlings allows planting them deeply, burying most all of that weak stem. Not only is the stem then supported but additional roots develop all along that buried stem making a stronger, healthier plant. A young, just sprouted seedling can easily drown in a 4" pot as the amount soil in that size container will retain far more water than a young seedling can cope with. That same seedling can thrive in a 2" cell simply because the amount of soil in the container will not retain as much water for as long a period of time thereby allowing more pockets of air to exist and the roots to thrive. It would only be counterintuitive from the point of view of someone who doesn't fully understand how young plants grow and so wants to skip steps to make it easy on themselves rather than do what is best for the plant. What is counterintuitive from a plant's point of view would be expecting a newborn baby to wear his 5 year old brothers clothes and run and swim just as fast as his brother can. :) Bottom line - pros do it. The commercial transplants you buy at a nursery have been potted up 2x to get to a 6 pack, 3 times to get to a 6" pot and when you buy them they are very likely already getting rootbound in that container and due for re-potting yet again. But it is your choice. Try both ways with some of your plants and you will clearly see the difference in seedling survival rates, root development, and proportionate top growth. Starting Seeds in larger pots? Why start seedlings in small pots vs straight to 4' pot? Advice needed on potting up Pot up before transplanting? Dave