[missmoneypenny]

On Gardeners world and other programs they advise not potting from a small pot into the final large pot but staging it. I bought an aubergine plant and it comes in a tidly 6cm pot, should I put in a 15 cm one now, before finally putting it in a big 15L pot when it’s bigger? Does it make any difference? Thanks for any advice.

[Nobbie]

I don’t understand why it matters, but it does seem to benefit plants to pot up in stages. Maybe it’s something to do with having a large volume of compost that can stay wet for a long time after watering, whereas in a smaller pot the compost dries out a bit quicker.

[missmoneypenny]

If I remember correctly it’s to do with the roots. If you put a little plant in a big pot there’s potentially too much water in them and that can rot the roots.

[Christine]

I'm  one of those who pots from small to one size up and then into growing position. Always have. No idea why but it works for me. Sure it makes an extra job but there we go.

[Subversive_plot]

I tend to pot up in stages, but never for a specific reason, other than it seems to be a more practical thing to start the small under the indoor plant lights, but they manage better in terms of enough water if they are in larger pots once they are outside.

I have some seedling Vincas that got (accidentally) started in a large deep tray of soil, so a big pot indeed.  Many of those are ready to be transplanted into the ground now, once I can find the time.

[hasbeans]

I find multiple benefits depending on plant:
Getting multiple chances to check root formation
Reduction of root circling (if timed right)
Chance to spot and remove small slugs hiding in there
Ability to repeatedly plant deeper with plants that root from the stem
Makes succession planting easier
Not washing out/wasting nutrients in the compost before the roots have grown
Not wasting water
Cheaper and space efficient to keep multiple plants as insurance up until it's time to go in the final pot
Easy to shelter multiple plants in smaller pots early in the season if the weather relapses.

I guess it depends on scale.  I have a small plot and only two of us to feed so I can be really careful potting up.  If there's no time to be gentle then limiting the number of times you repot is probably better