Ornamental seedling treatment …influences on subsequent plant growth

Seedlings and small plants are often maintained in small pots under reduced or low nutritional levels to prevent rapid growth. The rationale for this practice is to prolong marketability of the small plants. The argument goes that too rapid growth results in the plants becoming excessively pot bound or “overgrown” quickly, thus reducing the market life of the plants. It is further argued that reduced nutrition does not influence subsequent growth rate.