Double Cup Method for Seeds
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ส.ค. 2024
- Using the double cup method for starting seeds and growing seedlings is easy, cheap, and offers flexibility for where your seedlings grow. Gardener Scott discusses and shows how he uses two cups to start seeds. (Video #438)
Click this link to SUBSCRIBE to Gardener Scott: / @gardenerscott
Get special perks and join the Gardener Scott Community. Click the "JOIN" button or link here:
/ @gardenerscott
To support the channel, you can click on these affiliate links:
GreenStalk vertical garden system: lddy.no/kdvq
Use code "GARDENERSCOTT" for a $10 discount.
Forever Garden Beds for metal raised beds.
forevergardenb...
Use code "GARDENERSCOTT" for 10% off
Click this garden planning app link for 25% off the Planter Premium subscription (the code is embedded already): planter.garden...
T-shirts and mugs at the Gardener Scott Store:
gardener-scott...
If you use Amazon and want to buy anything at all, click through with this affiliate link: www.amazon.com/...
For home soil testing: rxsoil.com/nut...
Use code "GARDENERSCOTT" for 10% off
Botanical Interests seeds: shareasale.com...
Harvest Right Freeze Dryers:
affiliates.har...
IV Organic Fertilizer and Plant Guard: ivorganics.com...
Use Promo code "GARDENER" for 10% off
Check out Gardener Scott's Recommended Gardening Books at: bookshop.org/s...
#EnjoyGardening #GardenerScott
Links included in this description and referenced in videos might be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase a product or service with the links I provide, I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you for those affiliate links and your support allows me to provide free content every week on the Gardener Scott channel.
Thank you for your support!
I only fill the cup half way up with soil when planting tomato seeds. Then as the tomato grows, I take off the bottom leaves and add soil. It gives the plant a fantastic root system. I also put a marble in the bottom cup to keep the cups from nesting too tightly. It gives the roots a little more room.
The marble or something in the bottom is brilliant. Great tip! I also like his idea of using a clear bottom cup.
I was just going to say the same thing! Still making a few more cups every day. I'm using clear cups this year so I can keep up on root development and not let them get root bound!❤
A full grown tomato plant in a plastic cup? Not sure that's the goal. You trim the bottom leaves to prevent backsplash and ground contact.
@@joanies6778me too, when close to the top vermiculite on top, stops fungus gnats, great root system
@@jackarnouts7316 Not sure why this wasn't answered previously until now but here it goes. This is a system for seedlings. The gentleman meant that instead of up potting and up potting say for tomatoes the seedling stays here in this cup until it needs to be or can be planted out in the garden. This may work for a mirco dwarf but not an eight foot tomato plant.
SEEDs are magic in a shell.
!
You literally taught me how to grow seeds with this video. I saw you do this in one of your older vids and tried it. I've never done it before because I tend to kill plants, but this is WORKING and I am so happy! Aside from some other learning curves, I used this exact process and have seen success. Your channel is a blessing!
I like to go the other way and put the clear cup on the inside so that I can pull it up and check out the roots. Works well for rooting cuttings
Two clear cups?
That's a good idea too.
Opaque on the outside because roots don't like light
@@jimriley9697 Good point, thanks!
In the years I have struggled with starting seeds and keeping them alive, I have never ever heard any explanations such as this one. I am so excited to get started right away! Thank you!
This is exactly how I've done it for well over a decade (same cups too).
I use painter's tape as a plant tag. I can reuse the cups the next year just by replacing the tape. And tape is super cheap!
I love the double-cup method. I have used it for my cuttings. I use the clear one inside and the red one outside. That way I can peek to see if my cutting is rooted :)
I use my leftover yogurt containers et al. to start seedlings in just this way and it works great! The containers last a fair bit longer than the Solo cup plastic as well, in my experience. Cheers and thanks for taking the time to share so many great tips, Scott!
I do the same with yogurt containers. I don't like the fact that solo cups fall over so easily.
Agree the yogurt cartons last so much longer; I use both... size depending upon what I am up-potting or how big I want the seedling before transplanting.
I have been saving my metalic coffee bags that are flat on the bottom. This year, I plan to use them for holding that solo cup up and for catching excess water.
@@joanies6778 That's a good idea.
I honestly just used a lighter to burn a hole in the center of the bottom of the cup & it makes a nice neat & large hole that’s working just fine for watering. It’s super quick & easy. Just hold it further away from the flame than you think & do it outside because of the smell of melted plastic. The double-cup method works great!
I like the idea of the second cup being a see-through one! Great tip!
This video inspired me to try this system this weekend, and I wanted to add some helpful info here. If you're a Costco member, you can get the red Kirkland cups, which are a bit shorter and wider than the Solo cups (same volume, but stouter size is better for plants), and the clear Hefty cups which are the standard Solo size. If you put the red Kirkland cup in the clear Hefty cup, you get about an inch of space for the water to drain in the bottom. Perfect combo!
Thanks for the video, Scott - super helpful! I didn't want to invest in a whole bunch of trays and multiple sized pots. This was perfect for my needs.
Beer pong... ... those were the days...🍻 Yes, the plant tag issue is real, especially if you're working with kids (but even when you're not, lol). Thank you sooooo much for posting this!!! I am assisting a rural FACE program this week for "Work Together Wednesday" (National Week of the Young Child schedule) and had planned a simple Salad Bowl planting activity, with lettuces. This Double Cup Method will be added to the planting adventures for the tomato seeds. It's perfect. Easy to understand, affordable, seedling-friendly and family-friendly... what's not to like?! Again, thank you!
You're doing these videos the right way. Thank you for showing and explaining each step.
I use plastic spoons from the dollar store as plant tags with a Sharpie art pen from the craft store. With nail polish remover I can reuse the spoons. And as the plants go in larger pots, the spoon tag goes with them.
OMG my video being released tomorrow is all about sowing seeds in a top layer of seed starting mix with potting soil below! It’s like we planned it, GS. 😂
A little late to help this year😭
I think he is telepathic because I was also going OMG! because I just dug out my Solo cups from last year and ordered more😂😂
I'm glad I beat you to the punch this time. You're getting good at developing good video ideas.
I have used this method in previous years. I now start my seeds in a hydroponic unit , and I use the Solo cups to pot up my seedlings.
Thank You for this idea. I already use the cups for some of the seeds I start but never thought to put one into another. i learn so much from your videos.
Really like the clear cup idea.
Doing this this year for my first time starting seed for my garden instead of buying starts. It is a change, usually double cupping is reserved for adult beverages at a bonfire lol.
1st time, worked great, and I have two brown thumbs!
I’m in the uk as getting hold of these for a cheap price was initially rough. However I found them online for cheap. While looking I found two different sizes, one bigger than the other. I put the bigger in the top of the other. Gives natural separation and saves me putting something in the bottom.
Gardner Scott - Another great video. I’m using the double cup method this year for my tomato seedlings. Two things I’m going to use is, the sandwich bags for humidity and the outer clear cup to check water level and drainage. Thanks Gardener Chet
Rather than watering seeds with a watering can, I drip water with a turkey baster so that the seeds will have enough moisture to start but won't float up to the top. Once they sprout I like to water from the bottom unless they've dried on top, then I get out the baster again to moisten the top. I likeSerialSpinner's idea of the marble in the bottom to keep the two cups from nesting too tightly
My turkey baster is my most favorite gardening tool.
Lol
I use a spray bottle. It’s also very gentle on the top of the soil.
I used to just use a spray bottle and spritz the top of the soil.
Old as I am , with all the years of growing, I'm always learning from others.
I grew up on a "real" farm, I keep learning new things. Thank you!
The double cup method I use has small, marble sized rocks to hold some of the run off.
I am on my second year of using solo cups to start my seeds. I love it and it's so easy. I can start earlier and not have to repot before I put them outside in my garden.
What do you mean repot? They stay in the cups or do you transfer them to a garden? I love how much I am learning, this channel is awesome
Excellent .. natural extension of using solo cups. I will incorporate this into my grow station.
Thanks Scott. Your videos always make my day! I appreciate all you do.
The cups can be repurposed after the seedling is transplanted by cutting vertical strips out of the sides to make plant markers.
I will give that a try next January, all my seedlings are up for this season except for direct sow veg. I have done well overwintering basil and peppers for a number of years and so I will sow fewer seeds next year. This sounds like a good method. Thanks for the video.
Great video. Just a suggestion, it's a lot easier to take scissors and just cut on the bottom edge of the top cup in a couple of places for the water to wick up.
it is even easier to stack and drill 6-10 at a time
Scott why couldn’t you have shown me this when I first started? This would have saved me a fortune and I wouldn’t need a second home just to store all my pots and seed trays😂
This is a fab way to do things.
Very informative and GREAT tips! Thank you kindly!
Found Solo cups as to unstable after the plant gets over 8 inches.
I like Solider iron to burn holes in cups
Gardener Scott, lots of good information again on your video.
I'm having 11 Black Krim of the 42 tomato plants im planning this year, so yeah, more Black Krim than any other in my garden, our favorite for all a round based on eating and production.
Thanks.
That double cup is probably a good system. 👍
I use a drill and do a stack at a time. Good point labeling the solo cup. I've done it but I like tags better. I use old baking sheets to hold 12 cups at a time and for bottom watering. It works spectacularly. My starting soil is half peat, a little lime and half perlite.
Hi Scott thanks for sharing stay safe ❤🎉😊
Last year I wrote the names on the cups. When I took them outside to harden off, it rained and washed off the ink. Made for an interesting season 😅
I used the solo cups last year and loved my results. Great advice. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience. 🌱👍
Brilliant! I used solo cups last year but I put them in Roaster pans and they were so hard to move! I just wanted a drip pan though and this solves that!!! 😍🥰
My experience with solo cups has been good except I made the mistake of writing name of plant on the outside cup. I decided I wanted to move plant cups to a tray to bottom water. I removed outside cup but forgot my plant name was on it. I now have about 60 plants that I don't know what species of tomato is in them. Beware.
An informative video on starting seeds, very well presented thank you gardener Scott, I will try this method.
I really like most of your tips, thank you. This one is for people who do not use a heat mat, since the space between the cups will be an insulator. It could be you don't approve of heat mats, haven't seen all your videos yet. I can appreciate that adding the 2nd cup after germination would be a great idea since the heat mat part is done.
Really appreciate this video. Thanks for the helpful information!!
Great Info. I do some of this.. but going to add to it!
All genius tips - I cannot see a downside. Thank you for all you present on your channel - I have learned so much!
Such great tips with this one Scott. A few things to get me thinking
😂How timely! You must have telepathy 😂. I was searching for pots because the dahlias, geraniums and petunias are taking over. I couldn’t find the right size pot as most were no deeper than the 2” pots (3” deep) they are in so I went back to my Solo cups from last year. We had saved them and I gave them a scrub. They aren’t as wide as I would have liked, but they will have to suffice. I could get pots at $.10/ea. Costco cups are about $.09 and Target $.07. If you can catch a sale better yet.
I just order some more cups 2 days ago and that’s why I’m laughing.
This is a great way for those that have discipline on how many seeds to start😅obviously something I haven’t quite mastered yet. I’m particularly impressed you mentioned the clear cups! I have seen some use them and read not all roots can handle light as they will burn. It is nice to see at a glance how the roots are doing and might be ok if they are nestled in a tray and not the sun. They would be great as a drain reservoir though.
Hope no one in our Midwest experiences tornadoes tomorrow. We had 14*F this a.m. and will be 60s tomorrow with the cold blowing in from the west and Gulf air from south and Saturday north winds and snow. Do you think it’s an April Fools joke?
Thanks for the laughs as I needed it with this dreary cold FINALLY 2nd to the Last day of March.
Humm. I might modify this method. Thank you GS!
I love the double cup idea!! Thank you!!
Use a hand held single paper punch. Push it in at base so the bottom edge of the cup just fold a little and slides in to punch out a half circle on the bottom and side. The holes are round so the cup does not crack up the side or on the bottom. Do 3-4 holes around the base. The cup stays stiff and strong without cracking.
Great info. Cheers from Ottawa, Canada🍁
Great method of doing seedlings!
Thank you. Great tips.
I use masking tape and a Sharpie to label every year. So long as both are dry you'll be in good shape.
Like your video thanks for sharing.
GS, I LOVE your gnome's
Thanks. I've been trying to figure out how to sneak them into a video.
I put cuttings that I'm trying to root in clear plastic cups with a sandwich bag on top. Then I can see through the cup when my cutting has finally rooted
Fantastic ideas... thank you!
Thank you for this. Very helpful info
My apologies for this unrelated question, but I don’t know how else to reach out. I am very, very grateful for your superb videos. They have become the mainstay for my initial ventures into gardening. I have followed your tomato seedling and transplanting videos and they are doing wonderfully. I have also started keystone green bell peppers, and see a second set of leaves. I assume they are also true leaves. Do I transplant the same way I do with the tomatoes? Is there any difference or special tips for peppers vs. tomatoes?
I have searched all your videos and see none on pepper plants. Thank you!!!
Other nightshades like peppers and eggplants can in fact grow adventitious roots from their stems, however they tend to grow these more slowly than tomatoes do. Therefore if you bury the pepper stems too deeply upon first planting, you might cause the stems to rot. This is why most pepper growers recommend only planting deep enough to cover the original root ball. If you have larger pepper seedlings that need more support, you can probably go an inch above the root ball. You can always hill up more soil later if the need arises.
Tomatillos on the other hand can readily root from their stems, just like tomatoes, so feel free to plant these just like tomatoes.
@@FrozEnbyWolf150 thank you
The second set of leaves will be true leaves. While tomatoes can be buried deeper in each transplanting, peppers should kept at the same level. The rest of the seedling care should be the same.
@@GardenerScott thank you!
I was planning on those little jiffy pots, cut the bottom out, and place them on top of cardboard. Then, when I plant, I just plant the pot with no bottom. I haven't tried it yet, but it sounds like a great idea, so I don't disturb the plant at all when transplanting.
I usually peel off the peat pot when I plant. I like your idea.
I use a glue gun for the holes. I use masking tape to write on so I can reuse cups.
thank you for this i tried a soil blocker but my hand issues are to extensive for using it do to an auto accident and metal hardware. this is my first garden since my accident
Great video thank you !
if you put clay pebles between the two cups
keep an inch of hydroponic solution in the bottom cup
a 3 inch pot will grow a plant like a 9 inch pot
its bonkers. i do it for tomato and peppers all the time.
Hi Scott, I have been watching your video for a long time. Thank you for all the great tips! I’m wondering if you can show us your plant spacing. For big plants like tomato cucumber squash and beams and etc. I have a new small garden and I would love to plan as much as I can.
I have a number of other videos that show how I plant my garden and discuss it in those videos.
If you use a square bottom cup underneath, you wont need a spacer,
OR - cut slots w a hot knife across the edge of bottom & side so cup
can drink while sitting in a pan of liquid. I am using Ferry Morse 72 cell
tray only to set my solos in.
!
I used the square bottom red Solo cups; they will not fit all the way to the bottom of the round outside cup, leaving a gap of about a half inch. This eliminated the need for any stones or marbles. To be transparent here, this was discovered by accident! 😅
Awesome video! Thank you! :)
Put only 2" of starter mix in the bottom 2" of a cup & plant your seed. Water. Put on a drinking cup lid.
As this start begins to grow, add a bit of soil. As it grows, chase the stem up the cup adding soil as
you go. The tomato start will sprout roots off the stem.
!
All really good, I love the way Scott explains things BUT he created no gap between the two cups, any water draining from the top cup into the bottom one has really nowhere to go so is still keeping the soil at bottom wet. Most people doing the double cup method put a marble or a few pebbles in the bottom of the outer cup to ensure an air gap for water to drain into is maintained.
I talked about adding small rocks to the bottom cup.
I missed that sorry.
Great video😊😊😊😊
Interesting, I only mark Krim, see no no reason to add Black, not sure there is another Krim. I shorthand almost everything as only have a dozen varieties. I use a dibbler to open a hole about 2” deep for starter mix rather than an inch on the whole top. Gets the roots going down quick. I fully agree with your other video which reinforced my opinion what works better and bought more heat mats to support starting almost all tomatoes (and peppers) in 4” pots. They always do better comparatively, if you get the light right no need to hassle with transplanting to up pot.
This is interesting. I will have to give this a try. It's reminiscient of the self-watering double bucket system, but I don't see how the second cup in this case can really hold much water or allow the first cup to drain very much. That is, it seems like you could do pretty much the same thing in just one cup, or place all the cups with the bottoms cut like this into a baking sheet. I've had the problems you mentioned with even the commercial seedling soil being dense and chunky - and a problem for new seeds to endure in. You'd think if they invented this specifically for starting seeds it would work better.
OH, I didn't wait until you did the transparent cup and the stones. How about putting a strip of towel from the inside cup into the reservoir to pull the water up into the soil via capillary action?
You can use a towel or wicking material, but a potting soil mix with coir or peat will usually do it too.
@@GardenerScott
I was thinking about the water stranded below the top cup in the reservoir and thinking a little strip of some kind of wicking material would keep the soil moist even if it was not in physical contact with the water.
Hi Scott, love your work. When using the double cup method, how much nutrients / water should be in the bottom cup? Should the top cup be continuously sitting in water?
I have put a rubber band around the top cup to create that space / reservoir I need. But I don’t know how much water /nutrients to put in the bottom cup? After half an hour should I empty out the water that hasn’t been wicked up, or should I leave it? Thanks
It depends on the growing medium and how long the plant will be in the cup. I use potting mix with compost and fertilizer that feeds the plant. The water in the bottom is excess that drains out and does no feeding. For soil that isn't as rich and the nutrients will come from a fertilizer liquid in the bottom, there should be enough of that liquid to cover the bottom of the inside cup so the soil is always moist and wicking up the nutrients.
Can use Cubumbers the same way
When using the double cup method OR when using a single cup in a pan, how do you know when to water?
Also, I'm finding that watering is quite the chore when you have to remove the bottom cup (mine are clear), put some water in it, replace top cup, repeat over and over. I really like the old baking sheet idea.
Touching the soil can help determine its moisture level. Watering from the top is an option to avoid the chore of removing cups.
Thanks for the response.
If I want to bottom-water to encourage strong roots, how do I know how much water to put in the bottom cup and how often? The soil on top could feel dry to the touch while the bottom half of the soil is the ideal wetness. So do I judge by the weight of the cup? Do I aim to keep a certain amount in the bottom cup at all times? I'm a newbie worried about both over and under watering. Lol
Thanks for the help.
The clear cup should give an idea of the water level. There isn't an easy answer for how much is best. Water, check the level, check the soil moisture, monitor before watering again, and look for dripping saturated soil which shows too much water. In time you'll get an idea of proper levels.
How do you know how much water to add when the seedling is at the top and you are watering from the bottom. I think I killed several this way.
Use clear cup as the 2nd cup
I will put my finger in to test the soil moisture.
If the roots come out the bottom of the cup do you worry about root damage when you take them out to plant?
I do, which is why the larger holes help reduce the damage.
@@GardenerScott Thank you
So how do you handle the hardening off process with this method? I have some tomatoes outside but these double cup tomato plants are huge and a breeze can blow them all over.
They can be put into a cardboard box with sides high enough to support them. This year I'm planning to use my greenhouse for hardening off to avoid the wind problem.
Good morning. Where did you get the blue container you have potting soil in?
It is a plastic bin I got from a local big box store.
Is it ok to put a plastic clear cup upside over the top of the solo cup when you plant your seeds
Sure. That will help keep the soil moist while seeds germinate.
Im using double cup method. Question: I’m bottom watering and there are lots of roots in the open space at bottom. The cup feels heavy so there is damp soil but the roots at bottom are dry. Do I add more water to dampen the dry roots?
You should add water to keep the roots moist, but try to avoid saturating the soil.
How do you get the plant out of the cup when there are tons of roots in the clear cup & not damage the roots? My friends tomatoes are nearly 2 feet tall and they're still in those cups.
Thanks
You can cut away the cup to minimize damage but there will be some roots lost.
Thank you I'll relay the message :)@@GardenerScott
How much water should I add to the second cup or is it the first cup and let it drain
I just let the first cup drain into the second and don't add extra.
I’ve been looking for ur video about soil test results. But can’t seam to find it. Can you help mr.
I have a couple of them:
th-cam.com/video/t2Z4hSLh3MQ/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/jM5rnCmqIQU/w-d-xo.html
What about the forever plastics coating these cups?
If you're concerned about that as a possibility you can use a container that's not made from plastic.
What paste tomato are you trying this year?
I have Amish Paste, San Marzano, Roma, and Salvaterra's Select.
IS IT ORGANIC? or does the plastic contain bisphenol that dissolves into water?
I don't know.
Sharpie ink comes off with a little alcohol.
Hi, how many liters are the red cups?
They are a little less than .5 liter.
Sense seed starting mix is sterile wouldnt the nutrients in the recycled water increase the chances of dampening off?
It's not the nutrients, but the moisture that promotes the fungus that causes damping off disease..
13 seconds in there's a chupacabra in the background by the doorway
I'll tell her you noticed.
I do not see any advantage over just growing in a pot sitting in a saucer apart from the hydroponics, which most people do not use. I thought from looking at other videos, the point of the double cup method was to prevent arrested growth when the roots hit bottom. By leaving space, say with a stone, the reservoir will fill with roots and the plant will grow stronger for longer.