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Just like you outgrow your old trainers as you get older, seedlings also outgrow their pots. The best practice for growing cannabis at home is switching the growing pot during the growing cycle to keep up with the needs of the plant. It’s a test of timing to transplant the seedling at the right time. Transplant it too early, and the larger pot can overwhelm the seedling with too many nutrients and overwatering. Transplant it too late, and the smaller pot will stunt its growth due to insufficient growing space. Seedlings do an excellent job of providing visual cues that it’s time to transplant them into a new pot. Keep an eye out for these signs to relocate your seedling.

When the seeds have germinated

The seedling stage begins when the taproot breaks through the shell. If you’re germinating seeds using the paper towel method or glass water method, it’s time to move those young seedlings to a better growing medium. The tap root can sprout inside a paper towel or a water glass, but it will need a proper growing medium to continue growing.

Seedlings are delicate, so pick them out one by one with tweezers and replant them with the taproot down. For hydroponics, move them to the main hydroponic system with the taproot submerged in water.

The roots are growing too long

The seedling stage establishes the plant’s first roots. Promoting strong root growth lays a solid foundation for a healthy plant. It’s time to transplant your seedling when the roots begin to outgrow the current pot.

Roots begin to spread throughout the soil as the seedling ages. Exposed roots indicate that the roots have reached the edge of the current growing location and are ready for a bigger pot. Transplanting it too late prevents the roots from continuing to grow and from “rooting” the plant more effectively to support its weight during the vegetative stage. Common locations to see visible roots are in the drainage holes of your cup of soil or emerging from the sides of your seedling starter plugs.

Germinating next to other seeds

Are you germinating multiple cannabis seeds at once? If multiple seeds germinate, it’s a sign that it’s time to break up the family and send them on their own growing journey in separate pots. The paper towel or glass water methods are great for germinating multiple seeds. Each medium can hold an entire pack of seeds!

Germinating multiple seeds improves your germination rate in case some seeds don’t germinate. Germinated seeds grow entangled, compete for resources, and take up space from each other from growing to their max potential. Once the taproot sprouts, transplant the seedling into its own pot.

The seedling leaves reach the edge of the pot

If the roots don’t signal they’re ready for a new growing pot, the seedling leaves will be the telltale. Seedling leaves can begin rapid growth during this stage—especially if you’re planting autoflower seeds. A good rule-of-thumb to follow is that when the leaves reach the edge of the pot, it’s ready for an upgrade.

Keep in mind that the type of strain you’re growing affects how the leaves will grow. Indica seeds grow with shorter, broader leaves compared to sativa seeds with longer leaves. Sativa seedlings may need to be transplanted sooner, even if you planted them at the same time.

Moving from indoor to outdoor

Time your seed germination right, and your seedlings will pop just in time for the start of the growing season. Many outdoor growers germinate their seeds indoors. It’s a more controlled environment for yielding better germination rates. Seeds that germinate indoors can be transplanted outdoors once they’re ready for a larger growing medium.

If you’re taking your seeds from the indoors to an outdoor growing environment, we recommend gradually exposing them to the elements. Changes in the environment, such as different soil, natural sunlight hours, and wind, affect your plant. Exposing the plant to the elements for increasing hours each day will better acclimate it for permanent outdoor transplanting.

It outgrows the propagator

A propagator is a popular method for germinating seeds. It encloses the seeds in a humidity dome to create a self-contained environment with the perfect conditions for germination. Seedlings also prefer warm, humid conditions, so leaving them in the propagator provides the ideal environment. A downside is that the seedling can grow too tall for the humidity dome. The dome restricts a growing seedling. Transplanting it to your grow tent gives it more headroom to grow.

Fast-growing autoflower seeds

The advantage of planting autoflower seeds is the faster growth time. Prepare your next growing pot with soil ahead of time because it will be ready for it sooner than you think! For fast-growing auto flowers, you’ll notice many of the above signs to transplant the seedling faster than seedlings from regular cannabis seeds.

Checklist to successfully transfer your seedling

Make sure your seedling transplants successfully with this checklist for relocating them:

• Handle it with care?
• Using a new, or cleaned, growing pot
• Using fresh soil with little to no nutrients
• Plant it with the roots facing down
• Avoided planting the seedling too deeply
• Moist soil, but not soggy?
• Seedling placed back in the grow tent
• Adjust the climate for the seedling

Ready to sprout your next seedling? Browse our best-selling cannabis seeds.