The time has finally come to move my small chilli plants into their main systems, with the hydroponically grown one bound for a bubbler system (see the set up here) and the soil alternative relocating to an 11 litre square pot.

As always I adopt a methodical approach, initially making sure that all the required equipment is available and ready to use.

For the soil-based plant, I am following the procedure outlined in the soil-transplanting article (found here) by pre soaking the media with a Hygrozyme and Superthrive solution. Most soils come pre fertilised these days and the Canna Professional brand I’m using proves no different. However I have decided to add Hygrozyme because of the numerous beneficial enzymes contained inside that aid plant performance and help bring the soil to life, and Superthrive because of the stress relieving qualities that are invaluable to a plant adjusting to a new environment. Before introducing the plant, pre soak the medium for several hours – maybe even over night – to “wake it up” and avoid the subsidence associated with watering in dry soil.

I let the pre soaked soil stand for a few hours and returned my focus to the hydro grow. The bubbler system has already been set up and tested, so all I need to sort out is the nutrients. Considering that I’ve never demonstrated how to mix up a batch before, the next few steps document this process.

First of all I fill half the bucket with water and leave it standing for a few hours, allowing the chlorine to dissipate.

Then I bring in my choice of nutrients – Vita Link Max. I will start by consulting the guidelines on the bottles to create a half strength feed.

With the bucket about half full – probably equating to 12 litres of water or so – I refer to the bottles guidelines of 2-3ml per litre for young plants and add 25ml of part A and 25ml of part B, stirring thoroughly afterwards.

This is the ideal moment to add some Hygrozyme and Superthrive. Many of the advantages these stimulants bring about in soil also carry over to hydroponic methods.

Following another good stir, I check pH levels – the importance of which must never be overlooked. Optimum pH for feeds usually varies according to the type of plant your growing, but finding out the most effective target figure and hitting it will let you maximise the amount of nutrient absorbed by the plant, obviously leading to improved performance. I definitely suggest equipping yourself with a digital pH pen, one of those essential little items for any hydro grower.

The initial pH reading was 6.9, therefore necessitating a slight adjustment. To reduce the pH I concocted a weakened solution, recommended action given that pH Down comes in a very concentrated form. Protective gear such as vinyl gloves and goggles should also be worn and care taken during handling of the aggressive liquid. If I were to add two drops of neat pH down to my 12 litres of water the level could fall significantly, possibly beyond the pH 3 mark – meaning I’d need to throw everything away and begin again.

I squeezed a couple of drops of pH Down into a litre of water, and then introduced a few ml of this mixture to my nutrient solution. Adding 5ml of the weak solution dropped it to 6.6, and only a tiny amount more allowed me to achieve the desired pH level of 6.5.

Now the nutrient solution is good to go!

Next I fed the air line back through the hole cut at the top of the bucket, attached the airstones and finally placed them into the bucket. Just to double check everything was working I switched the pump back on and watched as the bubbles started.

I left the air pump running to aerate the nutrients before putting the plant in position. With the soil also prepared, everything appeared ready to finally move the plants into the systems, where they will spend the rest of their lives.

I selected the two healthiest looking plants for transplanting. Using my hands I scooped a hole in my pot of nicely watered soil, big enough to accommodate the first plant. I like to gently disturb the soil at the bottom of the hole to prevent it from compacting and give the roots an easier ride as they settle in to a new environment. Then I simply moved the plant from the small pot to a larger one. Carefully squeeze each side of the pot to loosen the soil inside and remove the plant by holding it firmly at the base of the stalk. If you encounter any difficulties, stop and give the pot another squeeze. The roots, as you would expect after a couple of extra weeks, are well developed - appearing white and healthy. You can manipulate the root zone to loosen the roots if desired, but be careful not to damage them. Place the plant into the hole and fill any gaps to secure it in the pot. Since the soil has been watered I prefer not to water the plant in at this point, instead allowing the roots to seek out the water already in the soil. A most, a little water around the outside of the pot is all you need.

The hydroponic plant was placed in a small pot of pebbles to keep the developing roots from suffering. I expected the roots to have grown into the pebbles, but first wanted to prepare the bubbler system. I placed a few well washed pebbles into the net pot and then attempted to remove the plant from its current pot. Again holding the base of the stem, I very carefully eased the plant out. As the roots had grown into the pebbles, I took extra care not to damage them. It came out quite easily, allowing the roots to be examined. They too looked white and healthy, if not as plentiful as those of the soil plant. I held the plant with the tips of the roots just touching the pebbles and poured more pebbles in until the net pot reached maximum capacity. I then adjusted the pebbles until the plant was stable and no obvious gaps showed up. As well as providing stability and space for the roots to grow, the pebbles also prevent any light from penetrating into the root zone.

At last both plants were securely in their new homes and settling in! It is well worth carrying out regular checks when you have transplanted plants into any system. The change of environment can be a shock for them, so keeping alert lets you catch any problems early on.