If you’re looking to transplant your Click & Grow plants out of the indoor garden, here’s a guide for how to do it!
this chili pepper plant was showing signs of nutrient deficiency, so i transplanted it from the Click & Grow to a hydroponic pot setup
Why Transplant
You can grow plants from start to finish entirely in the Click & Grow, but in some cases, you may want to remove the plants from the system.
Here’s why:
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Different Plant Types Have Different Growth Cycles
Herbs and lettuces do great in Click & Grow’s smart gardens.
Herbs are compact, relatively small and easy to prune so that they’ll stay neat enough for an indoor garden.
Lettuces have short lifespans so they’ll be able to grow from seed to harvest entirely in the garden.
On average, Click & Grow plants will grow comfortably in the smart garden for 3-6 months.
But large fruiting plants that can last for years will often outgrow Click & Grow’s gardens.
Plants like peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, etc will benefit from being transplanted.
The Click & Grow smart soil pods contain enough nutrients to get the plant going, from seedling to growth phase and through initial flowering and fruit production.
But after several months, fruiting plants will thrive if they’re given additional space and more nutrients.
Transplanting them out of Click & Grow is similar to the concept of up-potting.
You’ll give the plant a bigger ‘pot’ to allow the roots to grow larger and give the plant room to grow.
Grow More Things
Another reason I transplant some plants out of the Click & Grow is simply.. to grow new things!
My main limitation with indoor gardening is space.
Since I’m always itching to grow new things and experiment, I’ll transplant out certain plants to make room for new ones.
Click & Grow has over 60 varieties of plants to choose from, so I have a long wishlist of varieties to try.
Read more: Click & Grow Smart Garden Review
I recommend removing the smart soil if keeping the plant in hydro
Transplanting Out of Click & Grow
You have 2 options when moving a plant out of Click & Grow’s smart gardens:
- transplanting to hydroponic (indoors)
- transplanting to soil (outdoors)
I prefer to keep the plant in a hydroponic environment, but I’ll explain both options!
Transplanting from Click & Grow to Indoor Hydroponic Pot
I find that the success rate is much higher when transplanting from Click & Grow into another water-only environment.
Once plants grow accustomed to a certain growing environment, they often struggle when forced into a new growing medium.
I also prefer to not have soil in my apartment, as it’s cleaner and much less likely to attract bugs.
So I typically move the plant from the small plastic pods into a medium sized container. I recommend these self-watering pots.
They’re roomy for the plant but still compact enough for indoor gardening. They also have a little water indicator to remind you when to re-water.
How to Transplant from Click & Grow to Indoor Pot
- First, remove the plant from the cup. Loosen the bottom roots to stimulate new growth.
- Gently remove the smart soil by running the puck under warm water. It may take 5 to 10 minutes but eventually the smart soil will fall off in pieces. Take care not to break too many roots.
- Cut back 1/3 of the plant leaves and any flowers or fruit. Removing excess growth on top will enable the plant to put all its energy into establishing roots faster.
- Place the plant in your pot and fill the container with clay pebbles. Make sure the plant is potted at the same depth it was originally grown.
- Mix up a nutrient solution by adding hydroponic nutrients to water. I recommend these Aerogarden liquid nutrients.
- Place the plant near a sunny window or underneath a grow light.
Keep checking on the plant the first couple weeks. It will go into mild shock at first, but should bounce back after a week or so.
using clay pebbles to hold the pepper plant in place
Transplanting from Click & Grow to Soil
If you prefer, you can transfer your indoor Click & Grow plants to an outdoor garden.
While the plants are still in the Click & Grow, start conditioning them for the transplant.
Make sure you’re using pro cups, the plastic pods that have slits for the roots to grow larger directly into the reservoir.
Pull back on the watering so that the plants start developing air roots.
whether you’re transplanting to hydroponics or soil, you’ll want to overwater, add nutrients + remove excess foliage, flowers + fruit
How to Transplant from Click & Grow to Outdoor Garden
- Remove the plant from the pro cup and carefully loosen up the roots.
- You can leave the smart soil pod intact. Fill the pot with soil, then make a small hole for the plant. Make sure to place the plant at the same depth it was grown before.
- Cut back ~1/3 of the plant’s leaves. Remove any flowers or fruit.
- Gently press down on the soil and water, to remove any air pockets and ensure the roots are in contact with the soil.
- Water heavily the first couple weeks. The wet environment helps the plant to settle. Add fertilizer as needed
This method works best for younger plants.
The more established the plant is in hydroponics, the more it will suffer from transplant shock by being thrust into soil.
If transitioning the plant from indoors to outdoors, harden it off gradually over the next couple weeks.
Move it outside during the day, in a sunny spot with shade, for a couple hours to start and gradually extend for longer and longer.
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