Week 4 – Transplanting Cannabis

It’s been 17 days since the seeds were germinated and put into the soil. For those two weeks, there was plenty of new growth every day. About 15 days in, it started slowing down. This was the plant telling me it needed a little more room. When a sprout has 3-4 sets of leaves (not counting the cotyledon) or it’s leaves are spreading larger than the solo cup, it’s time to transplant. Transplanting is a very easy way to increase the growth of your cannabis plant. By starting your plant in a smaller pot, it will have an easier time developping it’s root system.

How to Transplant a Cannabis Sprout

Transplanting a cannabis sprout can be a little tricky. Make sure you have everything set out for you before you start. This might also get a little messy, I did my work in the bathtub.

First, you will need to mix the soil for the larger planter. I use a simple mix of potting soil, worm casting, perlite, and Reefertilizer Start. You will then add this soil mix to your larger planter. What size planter should you be using? Well, it depends on how big you want your plant to get. A 7-gallon planter is fairly large and could produce a plant that’s about 3 feet high. In my case, I’m growing in a space bucket, so I need something a little smaller. A 2-gallon container fits well and should produce a plant that about 1 foot tall, perfect for my bucket!

When you add your soil mix to the new larger planter. Leave a space for where your transplant will fit. I like to fill in the soil around a solo cup so I have the perfect indent for my sprout.

The easiest time to transplant a sprout is a day after it has been watered. the soil will hold together and will be easier to transplant.
Start by flipping the solo cup onto your hand, careful not to damage the sprout. Carefully squeeze around the solo cup to loosen the dirt from the sides. It may take a little tapping and coaxing, but the root base should release into your palm.

Carefully put your sprout in its new home. Using a small bit of force, pack in the soil around the transplant, Be sure that the level of soil is nice and flat with your sprout.

At this point you will want to give your plant a nice watering.

That’s all it takes to transplant a cannabis plant.

Why Transplant you Cannabis Plant

Transplanting cannabis makes your plants grow faster. By starting in smaller pots, your root zone becomes denser. A dense root zone means your roots have more surface area to absorb nutrients, water, and oxygen. By moving your plant into gradually larger planters you make it possible for your plant to grow large and strong.
What if you transplant your plants too late or not at all? If you plants become too large for their container, they will become “root bound”. What happens with root bound plants is that the new root have nowhere to go. They keep wrapping around themselves choking each other off. The plant will start growing much slower and might show signs of deficiency.

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