Repotting
United Kingdom 
I am told that generally you plant into a small pot then transfer to a larger and possibly to a larger stil. WHY?
I have always wondered this, Does the plant know it is a small pot?
3 Jan, 2010
Answers
let me put it like this as a child your feet got bigger as you got older and you had to have bigger shoes,that is how it is with the roots,they grow and if you do not pot on then the plant becomes pot bound,hope this helps.
3 Jan, 2010
It is said a large plant grows better in a small pot than a small plant in a big pot. After a while the pot can get full of roots and there is no food left in the soil. It can be fed with liquid fertiliser. But repotting is better in the long run as many plants get top heavy.
3 Jan, 2010
Ooops have I misunderstood the question? I thought it was asking why you don't just re-pot into a much larger pot and cut out the middleman, no??
3 Jan, 2010
Thanks everyone,
Bornagain, yes - that is what I am saying why not just start in a big pot.
I tried to find the ref to "Oxygen in the compost" not found as yet.
So why can I not just start off with the final big sized pot.
3 Jan, 2010
Because the compost stays fresher after each potting and controls even growth. It used to be 3" to 5" to 12"
3 Jan, 2010
what I was trying to convay was the pot has to grow with the plant, without going in to therie,
3 Jan, 2010
On an Anna Pavord programme called Flowering Passions years ago a champion fuchsia grower said he didn't bother with potting on, just put his rooted cuttings straight into a 12" pot. His fuchsias grew HUGE! and a mass of flowers.
3 Jan, 2010
I agree with Wagger...... for fuchsias and perlargoniums. Whack it into a nice roomy pot and watch it go! I can't say for other plants though. Only speaking from my own experience
4 Jan, 2010
Previous question
« If I plant lavandula seeds this spring, will they flower by July?
They did answer this question on GQT a while ago, and I understood the answer perfectly...just can't remember the details properly:-( but it's something to do with the oxygen in the compost and ....it's no good erm the soil goes sour. Well whatever the answer is, it's certainly true that it is better for the plant to go in a slightly larger pot than to be given a much larger one. Hope that was of some help 'though I don't suppose it was. Someone more enlightened will answer shortly I've no doubt:-) Oh and welcome to Goy, they're not all like me, in fact there's lots of experts on here too:-)
3 Jan, 2010