[Aunt Sally]

I'd say ....  compost 

[richyrich7]

I'd say ....  compost 

and water   

[Trillium]

Another reason to plant first into seedling trays is that not all the seeds will germinate. To seed directly into pots can waste a lot of valuable space for those with little to spare. To transplant into pots ensures you have all growing plants. BTW - cucurbit plants (courgettes, melons, squash) do not like transplanting at all so they are best direct seeded into large enough pots.
As for possibly manky pot soil, I've never believed that. At a certain point you must water with a bit of diluted fertilizer to continue feeding the growing plant. The dilution is a third to a quarter of normal strength so the plant isn't stressed with rapid growth but it's feeding needs are met.
As for Dr Hessayon's 4 sized pot recommendation, that's simply too much work for me, and my plants do just fine with whatever I can manage. Sorry, but you can overthink and overwork simple things quite easily if you've got too much time on your hands. 

[alfman]

 Yes, but is that compost and water in the correct sized pot?

[Trillium]

Yes. Or it can be actual soil and compost blend or potting mix in the pot, or all potting mix, with regular watering and occasional watering with reduced fertilizer or diluted manure tea. Most of us use what we have but using straight soil is not recommended as its too heavy for delicate roots to penetrate and contains organisms the plants aren't strong enough to tolerate yet. Seeds planted directly in the soil won't have 100% germination either...only the tough will germinate and survive.

[Kagganz]

Alfman, it was only just the right size pot for the compost and water 

......oh and I squeezed a couple of cucumber seeds in there too,

see, I REMEMBERED yeah 

Courgettes are now in 5 inch pots, courtesy of B & Q

but after all the mauling about they've had today they'll probably be in an even  bigger pot tomorrow..................................













THE BIN !!!

xx

[strangerachael]

According to Toby Buckland on GW last Friday, it's because if the pot's too big there's a danger of over watering. That's what he said about the pepper seedlings he was demonstrating with anyway. I'm a bit sceptical - it's easy to go easy on watering and I've never bothered much with the in-between sizes - far too much hassle, and I haven't got that many different sized pots.

[DD.]

You've got courgettes? Couple of weeks before I sow mine. You're going to have to keep them inside for a while. Even my far later ones bit the dust last year with the late frosts. Good job one of my lottie buddies had spares!

[richyrich7]

Mine are just popping their heads through, DD. but then mine will not be out of the heated greenhouse until June 

[Kagganz]

Yup D.D,  mine are in an un-heated greenhouse but I tuck them in  ...... er fleece them every night whether frost is forcased or not.

B & Q were selling courgette plants yesterday and they are bigger than mine.

Still a big new learning curve for me, but I'm enjoynig having a go.

I don't know how I would have gone on if it wasn't for this brill site though!   

xx

[Aunt Sally]

B & Q were selling courgette plants yesterday and they are bigger than mine.

Unfortunately that is quite true 

The garden centres sell all their tender plants too early in order to be first in the market place and make more profit.  They do it for money not because it's the right time for the plants.  They make extra money too from people having to go and buy more plants later on when theirs have died from the shock of cold conditions 

[HLS]

According to Toby Buckland on GW last Friday, it's because if the pot's too big there's a danger of over watering. That's what he said about the pepper seedlings he was demonstrating with anyway. I'm a bit sceptical - it's easy to go easy on watering and I've never bothered much with the in-between sizes - far too much hassle, and I haven't got that many different sized pots.

Last year I had two chilli plants on my kitchen windowsill.  I had one spare larger pot, so I repotted one of them.  I could have sworn I didn't overwater it but that one died and the other one is still going.  This year I've moved the survivor into a slightly larger pot and it's fine so far.  I don't know whether it was overwatering or the extra space that did for the first one but it does seem to be safer to move them up a bit at a time.

[Aunt Sally]

That's why gardeners through the ages have taken the trouble to do it