Eventually, with nowhere for the roots to go, the seedlings will stop growing. This keeps them from getting as big and strong as they can before transplanting them. True leaves are leaves that will photosynthesize not all cotelydons have this ability and will grow and mature with the plant. This is an important part of learning how to repot seedlings—you want to make sure your little seedling is up and running in terms of photosynthesis with a set of true leaves before you move it to a bigger pot.
It can feel a little scary to uproot a seedling from its cozy little cell it was started in. So here are my tips for how to repot seedlings in a way that helps make sure they stay healthy. As young as the plant is, it takes a fair amount of energy to regrow them. So you will likely see little to no growth happening in that first week or so after repotting. Just make sure the soil stays moist but not completely saturated to encourage rooting. When I Googled Wisconsin, I was surprised to see how far north it was.
Almost on the same line of latitude as Germany. Looks like a truly beautiful part of the world. The cities have lovely names, Madison for example…. Edit, just to keep things educational, We had light rain last night. I too really enjoy learning from you. I would take our conversation to email if you wish. It got nice enough yesterday that I was able to open my windows and get some fresh air into my house- Wooo hooo.
Tonight they are warning that some of the tender not native to this climate plants that came up with the warm days, may suffer frost damage as the temps go back down near freezing again…then we will be back up to 60F by the afternoon. That is pretty typical spring here as our sun angle changes. I decided that was a waste of a month of my life and I would just buy established plants and try to keep them alive all year.
I have one that is doing well grow lights in the basement and one that was in my south facing window that was dying so is now also under the grow lights. Some plants have to wait until the soil warms into the 50s F, which can take another couple weeks. Have a great weekend and if you wish, give me your email address and we can leave this poor site some relief from us.
Thanks, yes we can certainly email direct, that way we can also share photos. Nevertheless, I get the feeling our Garden Betty is a very savvy lady, and like the good gardener she is, would probably transplant us to a more appropriate spot:.
No doubt it will help stimulate interesting discussions beneficial to both Linda and the public. Linda, what do you say? Can we ramble on right here? I never did finish my rosemary story :. And I did feel bad. And you know what? The damn thing died! Permanently this time. The community of people here is what makes the blog so fun and rewarding for me.
And I especially love the fact that one person in Wisconsin can connect with another all the way in South Africa — two different cultures and climate zones, bonding over a shared interest! Hi, I need to transplant my tomato seedlings into bigger pots because right now I have multiple growing in very little pots. If so, how far apart should I plant them in one container? A few inches? Thanks for the help! No, each tomato seedling needs its own pot to do its best.
If ever you buy tomato seedlings from a garden center, you want short and stalky plants… never tall and spindly. The shorter ones are healthier and have the strong root systems you want, which occurs when you transplant your seedlings in the manner described. You also want to plant them to within an inch of their lowest leaves when you put them in their permanent homes in the ground or in large containers outside, too—they will continue growing stronger and stronger roots if planted that way.
FYI- my tomatoes were the healthiest ever last year… no black-winged aphids at all, and all I did differently was interplant basil with them and use old coffee grounds as a fertilizer. This is the stuff that our grandfathers took for granted. Seems like the old ways are still the best when it comes to gardening. Nothing like the pressure of actually going hungry to motivate you to get it right eh?
Re the toms, yes I see that now, now I know why I felt like I ran out of time with my first toms last year. Weak roots that took way too long to get established. I generate about 1 liter by volume of grounds every week. I noticed the grass seems to grow particularly well in this area.
Could you elaborate on how much you use and how often? What would happen if you simply planted the seeds in the end pots biggest to start with? Or is it the repeated deepening when repotting that boosts the root system? I might try a comparison next year! I guess I just find it a bit fiddly re-potting all the time. Big fingers and small seedlings huh! Planting your tomatoes in a gallon pot initially would make no difference than if you were to plant them in a smaller pot, other than giving you more time to plant them outside before they get rootbound.
I have to tomato seedlings in one pot. What is the best way to separate them from one another? My friend told me to take the soil ball and irrigate it until the soil disappear. Then untangle them gently.
I just gently pull the roots apart with my hands; never had a problem with any of my seedlings this way. I found that I would put off the transplanting too long if I put them in new pots. Then as they get larger I start adding soil to progressively cover the stem.
This works well for me. I started some of my tomatoes in eggshells- can I just bury the shell in the potting soil or should I try to get the plant out? Just crack the eggshell slightly to allow the roots room to move around, and plant in the ground as-is. Tomatoes love the added calcium from eggshells.
Very interesting viewpoint. I have always waited until the true leaves appeared before transplanting. This way the seedlings can draw more energy from a larger source than the cotyledons, thus increasing their chances of survival. All my plants have done well this way. But I agree that the sooner and smaller the plant, the better. About a week or 10 days before the ones shown. Couple of questions: What size pots do you use to re-pot your seedlings? And just to clarify, you recommend continuing to use a seed starting mix when repotting rather than switching to potting soil?
Hi Jamie, great questions. I use either a potting mix or seed starting mix, once the seedlings are 4 weeks old I boost with seaweed water if they are seedlings such as tomatoes that I keep inside for 8 weeks.
Tomatoes, peppers and melons dislike root disturbance. I use 3. Certain plants like lettuce or the broccoli family I keep in the deeper 6 pack seed starting pots.
In general, the deeper the better for root expansion. Hope that helps, happy gardening. Great question Cathy — take off the plastic cover as soon as the seedlings germinate. You want to ensure good air circulation around them.
The plastic will help hold moisture and humidity to encourage quick germination, but once the seed sprout, remove it. A grow-light is best but mine are simple 4-foot fluorescent shop lights, so if you have a florescent bulb in your house, you can put your plants close to it. But ideally, a florescent bulb should be just inches away from the plants. You can also buy a simple spot light grow bulb that screws into a normal mixture.
Or, find a sunny, south-facing window to give them as much natural light as possible. Hope that helps! Helpful info! I started my tomato seedlings in a germination soil. They are in need of a bigger container before they are ready for outside. Should I still use the same soil or a potting mix for veggies? Great question Liza! If you already have it, that soil is perfect. No need to buy another bag.
If you need more, you could get some veggie potting mix. I usually use Pro-Mix, but there are many good quality potting soils. Can I continue to use seed starting mix for the soil when I re-pot? I also give my seedlings a dose of a liquid organic fertilizer after I repot.
When I repot can I use a larger container and repot a few seedlings at a time? For tomatoes I will use smaller pots and only 1 seedling per pot but for peppers can I repot multiples? You can transplant multiples into one larger pot. Tomatoes grow so quick so I like to give them their own pot, going from a cell pack to a 4 inch pot for example. Any advice on how to transplant from one peat pot to another? Should I break away the original peat pot from the roots first? I would definitely break away the original peat pot and repot into the larger one.
You should remove them before you move your seedings into the garden. I prefer plastic, reusing for as many years as I can before recycling. Good luck!! The spectrum in them is necessary for promoting blooms, fruit, etc.
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