Things that I'm thinking...

I've never had a plant stressed and jump gender.

Starting in a small pot and transferring to larger is very common, it also keeps the root ball tighter. If a plant is started in a large container, the roots go straight down and then curl up the sides of the container.

My favorite way of testing the pH of soil is to check the run off. I like using apple cider to get the pH down.

When transferring outside, not a bad idea to bring them in at night at first. You want your plants to climatize. I've seen plants growing great in the shade of a tree, when moved to full sun they got burned.