Grow Stronger Tomato Seedlings using the Double Cup Method!

[@goatwhsprr]

Last year on feb 28 i planted 50 cups with 3 seeds ea. I found it was good for the outside cup to be clear therefore i could see when to water. Naturall all seeds took and i had 150 tomatoe plants 😂 and i still had 2 other types of tomatoe plants to go. In the end i had 450 plants and was guving away as many as possble 😊

[@Lovelyhandz]

Wow! I hope to have your success for my tomato plants

[@gioknows]

That razor blade method is just great. You cut enough to let the roots out but not too much to lose the structural integrity of the cup. Cheers from Ottawa, Canada🍁

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

It's perfect. When I used to drill holes in the bottom of the cup the roots would break off when I removed the plants from the cups. Plus, in my opinion, I think it's better to have the drainage slots near the outside of the cup, rather than in the middle.

[@LinkProFacil]

My seedlings look better each year from YT advice. This method is a game changer for tomatoes.

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

Totally agree!

[@williammramsey5907]

Hi. I use the double cup method, this is my second year, and I have an extra tip for you. Red cups are top heavy when full and especially so with 6" of plant standing above. They like to fall over and dump your dirt with just a bump. SOLVED. Take a third cup, measure 1/2 way down the side, cut around, lose the bottom. Turn the top half of the cup upside down and insert your double cup. Keep it there with a bit of tape. Cups are now VERY STABLE. 😊

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

Sounds like a good idea. Mine never fall over because I never let them stand alone, they're always in some kind of plastic box of some kind that I recycle. Thanks for your tip!

[@denisetaylor2673]

Adding the 1/2 cup to the top with tape will extend to remove some lower branches & bury the stem for more roots. Thanks to all for the great ideas. Brilliant!

[@brandonpriest3604]

Wow bruhda. Thank you for all these tips an tricks. My tomatoes, cannabis, corn, squash, an zucchini, are way ahead this year thanks to your method hear. Thanks for all your time. Our soil in Ohio is great anyway. But the head start you have showed hear has enhanced my garden 10 fold this year. Have a great season!!! My friend

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

WOW! Thanks!

[@susanlarsen9261]

I put my suckers in water and they all grew. I was shocked, so easy.

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

Amazing, isn't it?

[@denisetaylor2673]

Start your seeds in the 18oz cups with square bottom & slip that into an 18oz clear cup with standard round bottom to see the water level . The square bottom does not drop to the bottom of the round bottom & leaves 1/2" plus open for bottom watering at the level needed. Happy gardening to all!

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

Thanks!

[@CinnamonBear-xv4eq]

Also the rock will add minerals to the water, an added bonus

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

@@CinnamonBear-xv4eq One of the subscribers recommended putting a chunk of biochar in there, so that's what I use now!

[@CinnamonBear-xv4eq]

I love this method it’s so simple!

[@kbjerke]

This will be my third season using the "double cup" method. *AWESOME* results! Mostly for tomatoes, but other seedlings as well. 👍

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

Thanks for posting. So it's not just me that's getting these awesome results!

[@gabec2494]

Use a bulb planting tool for when you go to plant them in the garden. It bores a perfect hole.

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

Great idea!

[@KorahLeeann-fk7mb]

I use a soldering gun to put 4 holes in the bottom on the side its pretty sweet

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

Thanks. it works!

[@denislosieroutdoors]

I like the double cup idea I will try it thanks for sharing

[@Hutzjohn]

Anyone with just 1 working brain cell can see👀 the root system of the seedling can grow much LARGER in the big 18 ounce cups instead of a tiny seedling tray that tries to fit 36 or 40 plants in a small 10 x 20 inch space. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know a stronger root system will give you better plants and 'fruits". So yes this is a very good system of growing tomatoes from seed. I personally like to use the clear (see-thru) kind for the seeds and then the Red cups to hold them. I like to be able to see how wet they are, all the way up the cup, and the progress of the roots growing. Having VERY GOOD success with this method.

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

Thanks!

[@illzwillzwatuz963]

Thank you

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

You're welcome

[@colow70]

Should I keep water in the outside cup or let it stay dry in between watering?

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

Yes, keep water in the outside cup as the roots will be growing it!

[@ourv9603]

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. !

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

Thanks

[@Bling874]

Excellent video thanks 😊

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

You're welcome!

[@ladyela9283]

Good morning, Mr. John! I'm curious why you used plain water to soak them in. With the potato chits, you used that water-soluble fertilizer (1/4 tsp, but Ms Ann(e) said one drop in one of her videos). Thank you!

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

Yes and yes. We don't always do things exactly the same way, but in the end everything comes out fine they all get fertilizer, but we start out with a really weak solution when they're small.

[@funfitwithAnna]

What type of soil are you using when you are potting up? Is it the seed starting soil or a different mix?

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

I use Coast of Maine Lobster Compost. You can see it here: amzn.to/4aQwnsF

[@nel6211]

This system seems to work. Many videos show the double cups. The only thing I would do different is to use a clear cup for the outside. This way you can see if you have enough or too much water in the cup.

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

That is a fantastic idea for the outer cups. But as you know I get my cups for free because I gather them up from our family's annual picnic, (and I try not to buy ANYTHING.) I'll have to convince the organizer to buy clear cups this year for the drinks!

[@ibster57]

What kinds of potting soil you using when potting up the tomatoes ?

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

I use Coast of Maine Lobster Compost

[@valjalava1951]

Great video what do you use for fertilizer

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

I use this liquid fertilizer I get on Amazon. I also use it for charging my biochar: amzn.to/3Zbpb4Y

[@LinkProFacil]

Love your videos! Do you ever make your own seed starting mix at home?

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

Yes we do, but not always. It always depends on whether or not I have two year old finished compost ready and stored away over the winter.

[@oliveedwards7628]

How do you take the plant out of Top pot to plant it in to the garden

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

Separate the cups. Make sure the soil is moist so it will hold together. Cover the top of the cup with your hand, (to keep the soil from falling out), with the plant between your fingers and massage the cup a bit with your other hand to loosen it up and flip it over to let it slide out. The roots extending out of the bottom of the cup will slide through the slits you made without any damage.

[@theobillios6453]

Thanks

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

You do get stronger seedlings this way. It's really worth it!

[@RoseJuarez-b8w]

Hi. I have learned so much from watching your videos. Thank you! I am getting ready to start plants for the winter planting. I live in the Arizona desert. I am wondering what kind of soil are you using for starting your seeds? I have bought biochar, till I learn how to make it, plus Mykos, bone meal, Burpee seed starting mix and worm castings. I don't know how much or when to use each of these items. I saw them on your recommendations. I also don't know what is meant by innoculating? My soil is sand. We have very little organic matter in the soil so I've been adding homemade compost from my chickens and goats that have been sitting on a pile for a few years into my garden. I don't have access to fall leaves or even grass clippings but I do have hay that falls on the ground from the goats' sloppy eating habits. I know I can direct seed most of my winter seeds but I need to practice the double cup method and seed starting because after watching your wife's tomato canning video I need to start my tomato seeds in dec/jan to make sure they are big enough to produce fruit before June when the tomato flowers stop producing fruit because of the intense heat. So the more I know now the better chance of getting delicious tomatoes next summer. I'm so glad I found your videos which led me to your website. thank you so much! Rose

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

Hi Rose, I don’t live in your kind of climate, or have your kind of soil at all, so I can only talk about what I’ve heard or learned from others. However, there are some things universal to all soils. The first is that you need microbiology, that is, life in the soil. The biology can create the aggregation that can help your soil bind together. Otherwise, anything you put into your soil will wash away! But before you can have that you need to provide the proper environment, food, etc. for the biology! I’m working on a video that should be out in a few days on this topic. My suggestion is to make as much compost as possible, using whatever you can find. You’re going to need a lot. I use about 6 tons a year for my property. Go to barber shops and dog salons and get all that hair, use rotten wood, coffee grounds from coffee shops, anything you can find. Find _someone_ with a lawn and ask them for their clippings. Be creative! Biochar is a good thing, and so is a humic acid product like leonardite, but they must be inoculated before you can use them. Inoculation means they must absorb organic nutrients for a few months so when you put them in your soil they don’t absorb all the nutrients _from_ your soil. You can watch this video to learn how I make and activate mine: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mH-tXoClo5mHgpo You may have to grow in pots because anything you put into your garden will just disappear until you can find a way to get LOTS of organic matter and biology. Biochar and Leonardite will do that and also help with water retention. I would also suggest that you study Elaine Ingham’s channel in the Recommended Channels for Study in the links on this channel. She is someone I trust, and talks a lot about turning desert areas into valuable soil! As for your seed-starting and growing mixes. The starting mix can be used right out of the bag just the way it is. Or you can add a little, maybe a cup or two, of activated biochar or worm castings, to the bag. If growing in pots, we would add enough to equal about 10% of each to the mix. Make sure you’re subscribed and hit the ALL Notifications Bell so you’ll get a reminder whenever new content comes out! It’s not going to be easy to grow in your situation, but it won’t be that hard either, if you learn all you can from Dr. Elaine’s channel, and if you can find a dependable source of compostable materials. We hope this helps and we're glad we could be here for you. Please let us know about your progress! John & Anne

[@RoseJuarez-b8w]

@@LiveOnWhatYouGrow hi John & Anne, Sorry it took so long to answer you. I lost your email in my thousands of email. Finally found it! I thought I'd update a little. Over the winter I planted a mix of winter cover crops. It included winter rye, buckwheat and some other seeds plus I planted Groundhog daikon radish. It's supposed to grow deep into the ground to break up the hard soil. The rye has already died because of the heat. Some kind of grass looking is just now starting to grow but not sure what it is. the Groundhog daikon radish is flowering now. I haven't pulled one out yet to see how deep it's gone. I am leaving it all just lay on top of the soil as a mulch for now. I'll do it again next fall. Turn everything under and replant again. I'm going to grow melons and squash for this summer. I tried growing tomato seedlings this winter but didn't have luck once I put into the cups. I did add Mykos to the potting soil and that may have been the wrong thing to do. Little mushrooms grew but my seedlings were very scrawny. I will start more in a couple of months to plant late summer. It's too late now for the spring/summer to produce any fruit. once it gets a certain temp the flowers will still come out but it's too hot to produce fruit. If I can get some new starts ready to plant in sept then I can get a fall harvest. It's very different here. Some people can get a great garden here though and year round but I'm just starting out gardening and I'm a slow learner. Now that I know my email is here on the video I will know where to look. I will have to search for grass clippings. thank you, Rose

[@garthwunsch]

What do you use for potting mix? Is your seeding mix same as potting up mix?

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

IT IS basically the same, but the seeding mix is a bit lighter on the cow manure.

[@garthwunsch]

@@LiveOnWhatYouGrow can you elaborate on the composition of your potting mix please? Maybe subject of a video if you haven’t created one? I’ve been developing a mix free of peat moss and cocoa coir. I’ve used coarse perlite to aid drainage, but intend to replace that with biochar screened to about 1/4”. I have Johnson-Su compost (fungally dominant), thermophilic compost (bacterially dominant) and composted shredded wood chips (takes about two years). I supplement with blood meal, kelp and rock dust.

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

@@garthwunschWhen I make potting soil I usually add two parts of bagged organic potting soil that has pearlite in it, two parts composted cow manure, and one part biochar, all screened to 1/4". The biochar is activated for about three months with lots of different things like cow manure, leaf mold, kelp meal, fish emulsion, greensand, rock dust, and worm castings. In the past, I've just used leaf mold in place of the potting mix and that works just as well. What you're doing sounds great! I think the activated biochar, and especially, what you activate it with, is going to be the key to your potting mix's success!

[@martingreenborgh5637]

@@LiveOnWhatYouGrow Hi. Wouldn't composted cow manure be too much nutrients for young seedlings ? Wouldn't be a danger of inhibiting nutrient uptake by the young roots ?

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

@@martingreenborgh5637 Hello, thanks for your question. This is definitely a situation where it's what you read in a book vs. experience, by actually doing it! I've been making my potting mix at the ratio of about 2/5 of the total mix, and not only do I not have any problem that in theory I should have, but my plants are quite vigorous and healthy! But of course, the manure is aged well. If you used fresh manure, it could be a different story. So you have to do what works for you through trial and error!

[@JohnThomas-nf1lv]

get some fox farm ocean forest soul mix with what you have it will be great just add epsom salts

[@bonniep.5165]

***is there a step one of this video?*** thanks so much!

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

Sorry there isn't but let me know what you want to know and I could make one!

[@bonniep.5165]

@@LiveOnWhatYouGrow well I’ve got my cups ~ now what 🤣

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

@@bonniep.5165 Just multi-sow your plants in a flat, or in a single cup like I did with the tomatoes, and then transplant them singly into a double cup the same way as in the video.

[@bobvbk2802]

Clear cup ,, bottom water.

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

I'll be doing that whenever I have clear cups. At least one in every group of plants will be an indicator for the rest in the group.

[@chadvollrath1760]

If you dont have a green house? What do we do? Cover them with something? Heat matts. Not everyone has a greenhouse.

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

Bring them in the house at night.

[@JRNurse2013]

I started some cherry tomatoes this week in solo cups with clear cups on the bottom, but I made 3 holes in the bottom. I wish I had seen this video before I planted the seeds. I buy gallons of bottled water so I’m experimenting with placing each of the cups in a bottled water container like I make when I winter sow. Last year I WS tomatoes on March 6 and they did great. This year I made these on 3/11. I love WS since I don’t have a good spot indoors and no supplies for indoors either.

[@AmsNl2BcnEs]

Soil shouldn’t sit in water. Search double cup method with wicking as this keeps the soil out of the water whilst still delivering needed moisture to the growing plant.

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

The soil doesn't sit in the water. The water occupies the spaces between the two cups and the roots grow into the water just like in hydroponics.

[@AmsNl2BcnEs]

@@LiveOnWhatYouGrow how is the water getting into the soil before the roots grow out like in kratky? Top watering? That would remove most of the benefits of the double cup method and mean checks would need to happen to detect overwatering. The double cup method isn’t suppose to be about the outer cup being a drip tray pending extensive root growth. If that’s what you intended then there are simpler ways of achieving it.

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

There are three checks I use to prevent overwatering. One is to check the moisture level of the soil itself. If you can detect the lack of moisture in using the single cup method, you can do it with the double cup method. The second is by observing the plants. The third is that I use a clear cup for the outside cup on one the plants in the tray so I can see the water level in the cups.

[@02121978able]

Love plant🌱🚀⛺ from🇮🇳👍 india 🙏