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I Spy Seedlings

June 12th, 2013

This is the eigth installment in the 5×5 Garden Challenge Series. Every Wednesday I’ll be posting about the challenge, covering topics that will help all the new gardeners get started. If you haven’t heard about the challenge head on over to the 5×5 Challenge Website, we’ll also be putting up a page here that pulls in all the 5×5 Challenge posts.
5x5 garden challenge
Last week I planted my 5×5 Challenge Garden and I’ve been watching patiently for the seeds to germinate. After losing a few bean seedlings to those pesky chickens, I finally spied almost every seedling emerging. Today, I’ll be showing you a parade of seedlings so you know what to look for after planting your garden.
new seedlings
In this post I’ll be showing you the first leaves not the second set or the first set of true leaves. When your seedlings first emerge they will have a leaf shape that shows what type of seed they are, so brassicas all have the same shape of first leaves (brassicas include: cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, mustard).
Seedlings 3
We’ll start off with a zucchini seedling (pictured above). Zucchini seedlings are HUGE, you’ll definitely be able to spot them. No need to get out the magnifying glass for these guys.
Seedlings 5
The lettuce on other other has fairly small seedlings that look like this. They generally fairly small and can different colored leaves depending on the type of lettuce. Some of my have a reddish tint to them.
Seedlings 1
Basil seedlings are also small, you’ll notice that they have a different leaf shape than the lettuce seedlings.
Seedlings 2
Tomato seedlings are also fairly small, they have beautiful long slender leaves and often they will have a purple color to their stems.
Seedlings 4
Finally you can see the beans. Bean seedlings are big and tall, often you can see the bean itself pushing up through the soil if you catch them at the right time.
onion_seedlings
As of yesterday, none of my scallions had germinated yet, luckily I had a few in my photo files. Onion seedlings look like tiny onions. The marigolds hadn’t germinated yet either and I have none of them in my archives. As your seedling start to emerge, pay close attention. One of the most magical things about garden is watching the tiny seeds germinate and grow into giant plants. Just like children, they’ll be huge in the blink of an eye, so enjoy the intricacies of this seedling stage.

Which kind of plant has your favorite seedling? Do you like big, bold seedlings like beans and zucchini or do you prefer dainty seedling like lettuce and basil?

8 Comments to “I Spy Seedlings”
  1. kristin @ going country on June 12, 2013 at 5:40 am

    Big ones–easier to weed around when they’re still small. With the lettuce and carrots and so on, I have to wait until I’m not going to mistakenly yank up the seedlings with the weeds of the same size, which means a weedy mess for awhile.

    Reply to kristin @ going country's comment

  2. Jennifer Fisk on June 12, 2013 at 7:42 am

    I love big burly squash, broccoli, kale, and tomato seedlings. Instant garden thus instant gratification from my bathroom window.

    Reply to Jennifer Fisk's comment

  3. Adriana on June 12, 2013 at 7:47 am

    I love how onion seedlings unfold and look like they’re stretching and waking up from a nap. I also love bean seedlings. You first see cracks in the soil and then suddenly there they are, already so big.

    Reply to Adriana's comment

  4. Nebraska Dave on June 12, 2013 at 8:17 am

    Susy, I like the big seeds. The smaller ones are just too difficult for me to manage. However, I still muddle through to get them planted.

    Have a great day in the garden.

    Reply to Nebraska Dave's comment

  5. Val on June 12, 2013 at 10:12 am

    I don’t think I’ve seen any posts like this–and it is going to be a huge help to the new gardener! I hope you’ll also do a post on thinning. That is something I still struggle with, whether it is for time reasons or just hating to “waste” anything.
    Oh, and spinach is one of my favorite seedlings. It has those long thin seed leaves that are so nice to recognize.

    Reply to Val's comment

    • Caroline on June 12, 2013 at 1:25 pm

      I have trouble bringing myself to thin as well, Val!!! When I started my tomato seeds in the little containers I had a couple seedlings popping up in the same little slot for a few of them… my neighbor said “Pick the healthiest one and just slip off the runt” and I said “I CAN’T DO IT! I CAN’T KILL IT!” I worked so hard to bring it to life! In the end, I just transplanted it to another container and they both did just fine :) In the garden itself would be a little trickier!

      Reply to Caroline's comment

  6. Caroline on June 12, 2013 at 1:22 pm

    I think the seeds that were most fun for me were the beans when they finally emerged, and the cantaloupe!

    To me, the tomato seedlings (and jalapeno pepper seedlings) look like weeds to me! It’s a good thing I started my seeds in pots because no way would I have thought those were tomato plants!!!

    Reply to Caroline's comment

  7. The Groundskeeper @ See You In The Garden on June 14, 2013 at 8:18 am

    I like the sturdy seedlings of the cukes and squashes. They just seem so sure of themselves.

    Reply to The Groundskeeper @ See You In The Garden's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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