The Best Way to Transplant, Period.

Ok I know that's a heavy claim, but seriously this IS the best way to transplant, period!

I really wish I had pictures to make this more clear, but it's pretty easy to follow so I'll try anyway.

Say you're plant is due for a transplant, we'll say you're going from a 1 gallon to a 3 gallon pot. For whatever reason this scenario seems to get alot of growers unsettled, no need to be though. Here's what you're going to do...

1)Take your plant in the 1 gallon pot and place it inside your 3 gallon (empty) pot, pot and all.

2)Now, lift the 1 gallon pot so that the tops of both pots are roughly even heightwise.

3)Remembering approximately how much space was left under the 1 gallon pot (when you lifted it) take it out and put it aside. This doesn't have to be exact by any means either.

4)Fill the bottom of the 3 gallon (empty) pot to about where the bottom of the 1 gallon pot was when you lifted it.

5)Now set the plant (the pot is still on at this point) back in the 3 gallon pot, make sure it's not sitting too high or low, and fill any empty spaces (around the 1 gallon pot) in the 3 gallon with your soil (or whatever)

6)Make sure to water the soil (both pots) at this point, enough so that it will stick together a bit better. Now just give your 3 gallon pot a final look-over to make sure the soil didn't all settle, it's draining properly, and etc.

7)Now all you're left to do is remove the 1 gallon pot, slide out the plant, and place it in the well formed, perfectly fitted hole.

I usually like to sprinkle a little extra soil on at this point just to be sure ALL the cracks and holes are filled.

This method has worked great for me every time I've used it, it's a very rare thing for my plants to experience any noticable stress during transplants.

Good Luck, and Happy Growing!

All of the prep is awesome, im sure you have your soil levels down to a T, but what would help all the soil growers out there who have problems with transplant shock, would be to figure out how to explain to them how to get the plant out of their 1 gallon pot and into the 3 gallon without ripping up roots and causing that shock to occur. Transplant shock can take up to a week to recover from, and this is where most people have a problem.

If you want to reduce the risk of this happening, my own personal advice is to use Growbags. Theyre cheap, lightweight, and if you ever need to transplant, then theyre awesome. All you need to do is take your 2gal or 1gal grow bag that your plant is in, set it to the side. Fill up your 3 or 5 gal grow bag up 1/4 of the way, and then set your 2gal bag inside. then you fill the sides with more soil, to where it feels like it's full. Then just take a utility knife and cut the sides of the growbag (just a slit), and then slide the bag out from under all that soil. then fill up the rest of the 3 or 5gal growbag with soil, level it off, and water it in. No shock, no Root breakage, the plant just keeps growing business as usual, as if nothing ever happened. Just have to always be delicate with what your doing, but that goes without saying

+rep though for trying to lend a helping hand to your fellow grower man