Seed Starting 101: Transplanting
Now that your seedlings are hardened off it’s time to transplant them. You may think that all you have to do it plunk it in the the garden and you’re good to go, but that is not the case. Transplanting is stressful for little plants. We all know that stressed out plants aren’t as healthy and can succumb to diseases and insect problems more quickly than healthy plants. It would be a tragedy to go to all that hassle of starting and nurturing seeds, harden them off and then lose them because of transplant shock. There are a few things that will help your plants make it through transplanting with less stress.
The first thing you want to consider when transplanting is to MAKE SURE IT’S THE RIGHT TIME. You don’t want your seedlings to experience too stressful of weather conditions (depends on the type of plant, cabbages can take colder weather, peppers can’t). Make sure the threat of frost is over and that the night time temperatures aren’t too low. When the weather is right, pick out the spot in the garden for your plants and make sure it’s amended, free of weeds, and ready for your plants.
Of course you want to MAKE SURE YOUR PLANTS ARE PROPERLY HARDENED OFF, this is probably one of the biggest mistakes people make. They put the plants outside for a few days and assume they’re ready for the full-sun garden area. Take your time when hardening off your seedlings, they’ll do so much better if you’ve been patient during the hardening off period.
Pick an OVERCAST DAY to transplant your seedlings, or transplant them in the evening when the sun isn’t as hot. Your little plants will already be stressed from being disturbed during transplanting, don’t exacerbate the stress by planting them out in the morning on a hot sunny day.
Make sure you TREAT YOUR PLANTS GENTLY. Handle your plants by their leaves, they can do without a leaf or two, but breaking the stem can mean the end of the little plant. Disturb the roots as little as possible when you take them out of their pots to plant them in the ground. When you break and disturb the roots the plant loses it’s ability to take up minerals. There are many people that recommend watering with a weak fish emulsion or foliar fertilizer after transplanting. I usually water them in with a weak seaweed fertilizer.
You also should make sure you TRANSPLANT AT THE PROPER DEPTH. Some plants, like tomatoes & peppers can be planted deeper because they’ll grow new roots along the stem wherever they touch the soil. I always transplant my tomato seedling deeply, usually level with the bottom of the first set of leaves. Plants like lettuces like to have their root balls a little higher than the surrounding soil level, but most plants like to be planted at the same depth they were in their pots.
Have you ever lost any transplants due to weather, not hardening off, or improper planting?
The rest of the Seed Starting 101 Series
Why Start from Seed
Getting Started
Containers
Soil Mix
The Needs of Seeds
My Workflow
Diseases and Problems
Hardening Off
Transplanting
Learn More Each Season
Visit my Amazon store to see what seed starting supplies I like.
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Seed Starting 101: Hardening Off
If you’ve grown your seedling inside under lights they’ll need to be hardening off before planting them in the garden. They’re not used to the harsh real sunlight or the changes in temperature that happen in the spring. Since seedlings are still small plants they’re more affected by these changes, especially if they’ve been living the good life inside your climate controlled seed starting area. Now that the danger of frost is over and the night time temps are regularly above 50 you can start hardening off your tender plants.
Hardening off isn’t that difficult, but it can be time consuming. You want to expose your plants to the outdoor elements gradually. Usually you’ll start with 2-3 hours and work your way up to 10-12 hours. If you have a sheltered location that gets morning sun you can put them in this spot and move them around the garden to locations where they’ll get more and more sun each day. I like to harden off seedlings on my front porch, they get afternoon sun and nice breezes, but they’re protected from getting sun all day long. They also stay warmer at night because of the porch roof. Some people use their cold frames to harden off their plants since it keeps the temperatures warmer overnight. You’ll have to use a shade cloth in combination with your cold frame though if your seedlings haven’t been exposed to a lot of real sunlight.
Personally I’d rather have my seedlings exposed to the natural elements for their entire lives, but the weather doesn’t always permit this (especially here in NE Ohio). If it’s a mild spring I’ll carry all my seedlings out and leave them on the front porch, only bringing them inside when the temperature dips into the 40’s. If I’m lucky I’ll only have to carry them in a few evening a week, if it’s a cold spring I spend a lot of time carrying them in and out of the house or garage. It’s worth the effort though because I believe the little plants do much better when grown in their natural conditions. I’m considering investing in a nice shelf with wheels so I can just wheel them out into the sun and back into the garage at night. But for now I’m happy to carry them in and out, it’s good for the biceps.
Any great tips for hardening off seedlings?
The rest of the Seed Starting 101 Series
Why Start from Seed
Getting Started
Containers
Soil Mix
The Needs of Seeds
My Workflow
Diseases and Problems
Hardening Off
Transplanting
Learn More Each Season
Visit my Amazon store to see what seed starting supplies I like.
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Seed Starting 101: Diseases and Problems
Now that you’ve started your seeds and they’ve germinated you may encounter a few problems or diseases. There are all kinds of problems that can plague your little seedlings, dampening off, legginess, nutrient deficiencies, too much watering, not enough light, etc.
Probably the most common problem when it comes to seed starting is legginess, or tall spindly seedlings. This is caused by lack of bright enough light. Make sure you PROVIDE YOUR SEEDLINGS WITH A STRONG LIGHT SOURCE. If you start your seedlings by a window you’ll notice that they grow longer and towards the window, they’re searching for light. When your seedling do this they’re using up energy growing tall and spindly, they won’t be as healthy as if they were given a good strong source of light. If you’re trying to grow seedlings indoors you just about have to provide an artificial light source. I try to start my seeds in flats on the front porch where they’ll get strong real sunlight or under some bright plants lights indoors. If you keep you seedlings under light make sure they’re close, within a few inches. Move the lights up as the seedlings grow taller. If your seedlings are getting enough light they’ll look strong and sturdy. One way to add more light without adding more lights is to add mirrors on the sides of your light table. I have mirrors leaned up against the wall behind my seedling shelf.
Dampening off, is probably the most common disease when starting seeds. It’s a fungus that can attack the seeds as soon as they germinate or after the seedling has emerged. You will know this is what killed your seedlings when you notice dark spots on the stem right at the soil level and the seedling topples over and withers away. There are several ways to help prevent dampening off, the main one being DON’T OVER WATER. This is the most common mistake when people try to grow houseplants and start seeds. Let the soil dry out before you water again, and don’t water too much at once. I have read that watering with chamomile tea helps, but I haven’t tried this personally. Another way to help reduce the risk of dampening off is to PROVIDE AIR MOVEMENT. I have a small fan that I use in my indoor my seed starting area. If I have the plants outside I make sure they’re in a place where they’ll get a breeze.
You may also have issues with nutrient deficiencies depending on the type of starting medium you use. I usually mix in some Dr. Earth Organic Starter Fertilizer in with my seed starting mix. If you notice the leaves on your plants turning purple (with the exception of some tomatoes whose leaves are slightly purple naturally) or if you notice the leaves turning yellow or the seedlings languishing you’ve mostly likely got a case of nutritional deficiency on your hands. If the leaves are purple then you’ll need to add some phosphorus. If you notice the leaves turning yellow and the seedlings not growing much you most likely have a nitrogen deficiency. Seedlings are tiny plants, they won’t be able to handle a full-strength dose of fertilizer otherwise you’ll burn the little plants. Make sure you USE HALF STRENGTH FERTILIZER when feeding your tiny plants. I’d recommend trying a balanced fish/seaweed emulsion that’s easy to mix up at half strength (Organic Neptune’s Harvest Fish & Seaweed Fertilizer comes highly recommended by many I know). Also if you have them outside do not foliar feed in mid afternoon when they’ll be getting sun, that can also burn plants.
There’s a host of things that can cause your seed starting efforts to fail. Starting seeds too early, temperature fluctuations, too much water, too little water, too much fertilizer, not enough fertilizer, all these things can cause poor germination or the death of seedlings. It may take you a while or a few lost trays before you to get it right, but once you do you’ll know exactly what to look for and how to deal with these problems. You’ll know how often to water and when and how to fertilize and pretty soon you’ll be starting flats and flats without any problems!
What diseases and problems have you had problems with when starting seeds?
The rest of the Seed Starting 101 Series
Why Start from Seed
Getting Started
Containers
Soil Mix
The Needs of Seeds
My Workflow
Diseases and Problems
Hardening Off
Transplanting
Learn More Each Season
Visit my Amazon store to see what seed starting supplies I like.
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Seed Starting 101: My Workflow
Now that you’ve chosen your container, your soil mix and determined the needs of your seeds, it’s time to plant them. After starting seeds for a few years you’ll develop a work flow that works for you, but it can be beneficial to see how others do certain tasks. You might learn something interesting, or learn a new way to do something. Today I thought I’d share my system. Usually in January I’ll sit down and figure out a schedule of when all the different kinds of plants need started. (Here’s a nice spring planting calculator thanks to Skippy’s Garden). I do this each year and adjust by my previous year’s experience (for example, I like to start onions about a month early to allow for slow germination that can happen with onion seeds).
The first thing I do when I’m going to start some seeds is to figure out what I’m going to be starting. Since each kind of plant has a schedule for how many weeks before frost they need to be started, you don’t start everything at once. Usually it’s onions/leeks first, then a few weeks later, broccoli/cabbages, then peppers/tomatoes, etc. Knowing what kinds of seeds I’m starting also helps me choose what cell size I plan on using in my flats.
This also helps with seed organization, I organize them by type and by season (so spring brassicas & fall brassicas, etc). I can get out a folder and all of that kind of seed is in there and I don’t have to worry about checking which ones I plant in the spring and which ones get planted in the fall. I also don’t have to sort through my entire seed stash to find all the tomato seeds, they’re all in one folder. For more info on my seed storage/organization system see this post.
Let’s say I decided to start onions first. I fill 2-3 seed flats with 2 inch cells full of my homemade seed starting mix. I add boiling water and wait for the soil to become well moistened. Then I pour out the excess water standing in the bottoms of the trays and set them aside to seed in a day or two. This allows some of the moisture to evaporate, you don’t want to the soil to be too soggy!
The next day I add 3-6 onion seeds per cell (with some vegetables that have a higher germination rate, like tomatoes and cabbage I only use one seed per cell, I’d rather have empty cells than several plants in each cell). Make sure to label well, especially if you’re planting different varieties in the same flat, I usually do one or two rows of each variety (in the case of onions I do entire flats of each variety). I then sprinkle some seed starting mix over the seeds to cover with an eighth of an inch of soil mix (experts say to plant a seed 1 to 1.5 it’s width) and I spray the dry mix with a spray bottle to moisten it. Sometimes I add a clear plastic dome, sometimes I don’t, depends on the type of seed and whether I have one available. If I’m using a heating mat I definitely cover with a dome to conserve heat.
The flats are then put under a grow light or on the front porch if the weather is nice and I watch for the first sign of germination. When I spot the first signs of life, the dome comes off, this helps avoid dampening off and other diseases. If the weather is nice stay on the front porch where they will get sun for most of the day, I only move them inside if it’s supposed to be too cold. This saves me time since I don’t have to harden off the plants come late spring, which can take a lot of time and effort! When the tomatoes get their second set of true leaves I transplant them into larger pots and when the weather turns nice they get planted in the garden. I watch my trays of seedlings and only water when the soil is dry, allowing the soil to dry out helps keep them healthy.
What’s your seed starting routine? Any great tricks you’ve learned?
The rest of the Seed Starting 101 Series
Why Start from Seed
Getting Started
Containers
Soil Mix
The Needs of Seeds
My Workflow
Diseases and Problems
Hardening Off
Transplanting
Learn More Each Season
Visit my Amazon store to see what seed starting supplies I like.
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Seed Starting 101: The Needs of Seeds
The most important thing to pay attention to when you’re starting seeds is the needs of each type of seed. Not all seeds are created equal. Some need light to germinate, others need darkness. Some seeds need warm soil, others need cool soil. Some seeds need a cold spell before being able to germinate, others need some heat. Some seeds do better if they’re scarified, which is the scratching, breaking or softening the tough seed coat. You need to research and figure out the needs of the types of seeds you’re trying to start or you will be disappointed with low or no germination.
Plants are like anything else so the #1 rule for seed starting is to: READ THE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE PLANTING. There’s nothing more frustrating than seeding a tray of alyssum and then remembering that they need light to germinate, and of course you covered them with soil. Most plant packets contain all the information you need, with planting depths, light requirement, stratification or any other special needs. If you bought heirloom seeds, or traded seeds with someone, Google will provide you with a wealth of information about that specific type of seed. This is the best way to ensure proper germination and a happy gardener!
The second most important thing when it comes to good germination is to MAKE SURE YOUR SEEDS ARE FRESH. Since seeds are a living thing, although dormant until given the right conditions, they need to be treated with care and they have a shelf life. Different kinds of seeds have different shelf lives, some last for years and years others for only a year or less. If you save seeds past their normal shelf lives you risk low or no germination, which is frustrating! If seeds are stored properly their shelf life will be normal and if stored in the fridge or freezer you can save them 2-5. I wrote a post about the shelf life of seeds already, you can download this chart from my Flickr account if you’d like a copy.
You’ll also need to DETERMINE IF YOUR SEEDS NEED LIGHT TO GERMINATE. Some seeds need light, others need darkness, some don’t care either way. Hollyhocks need light to germinate, that’s why I floated them in water in my kitchen windowsill. It seems that the smaller seeds need light for germination, so they need to be sown on top of the soil. Tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables don’t really care, these seeds are covered with soil when planting (1-1.5 times as deep as the seed).
FIND OUT IF YOUR SEEDS NEED WARM OR COOL SOIL. Some seeds need warmth to germinate, like tomatoes and peppers. Others prefer cooler soil, like spinach and lettuce. Often the conditions the seeds prefer are just like the conditions the adult plants like, which is nice because it makes it pretty easy to know. When I’m planting cool vegetables I often sow seeds in the flats and put them on the floor of the basement, which keeps the soil about 55 degrees. This is perfect for lettuce and spinach. If I’m seeding warm soil vegetables, I put the flats on a seedling heat mat or in a warm spot, like the top of the fridge. I’ll often put these trays outside on warm sunny spring day, this warms the soil better than anything, especially when using the dark plastic trays with a clear dome. Of course they’ll need carried back indoors when the temperature drops at night. Here’s a great chart that lists different vegetables and the germination rates depending on the soil temperatures. With a little searching on-line you should be able to find specific information for each kind of vegetable. And don’t be afraid to experiment, seeds are cheap. Seed two flats and try putting one outside and one in the house, after a few years you’ll learn what methods work best for what you’re growing.
You’ll need to DETERMINE IF YOUR SEEDS NEED A COLD SPELL TO GERMINATE. If your just starting vegetable seeds you probably won’t have to worry about this. You’ll need to learn once you graduate on to other seeds, especially fruits, and wild plants, they often require a certain length of cold before they will germinate. You will need to mimic the natural conditions for these seeds. It’s not difficult, all you need to do is plant the seeds in a tray, water and put the tray outside in January or February (if you live in a cold climate) and they’ll germinate when the weather is right in the spring. You can also put the in the fridge, but I never have room and the porch is much easier! It’s easiest to germinate these types seeds in their final planting place, especially plants like joe-pye weed and milkweed. Simply gather wild seeds and sprinkle them in your garden in the fall where you’d like them to grow. I’d recommend lightly covering with soil and marking them so you know where you planted them. It would tragic to pull all the seedlings in spring when weeding, then realize they were the seedlings you planted 5 months ago!
SOME SEEDS DO BETTER IF THEY’RE SCARIFIED, which helps the seed break through it’s hard outer coat. Some common vegetables like squashes germinate better if their seeds are scratched or nicked before planting. Others prefer to be soaked for a few hours to soften the hard seed coating, like nasturtium and peas. Some seeds also prefer to travel through the digestive system of a bird or animal before germination, like strawberries, blackberries and other fruits. I don’t always scarify seeds, but I like to ensure the best possible germination so I usually try to remember. With squash seeds I usually rub them on an emery board lightly on the flat side and the edges, and I soak peas, beets, and nasturtiums for a few hours before planting. Scarification isn’t always necessary as a cold spell is for some plants, but you’ll have better germination if you do it.
Lucky for us edible gardeners, most vegetable seeds are ready to germinate. All they need is water and warmth and they’ll spring forth with their tiny green shoots ready to propagate their kind. Once you have great germination rates with vegetables, try moving on do seeds that need stratification and try your hand at those. I enjoy starting vegetables that are easy, but I also enjoy the challenge of starting other more difficult things from seed, like ladies mantle, joe pye weed and soapwort.
Any great tips on the needs of seeds? Have you ever had to stratify, scarify or do anything special for seeds?
The rest of the Seed Starting 101 Series
Why Start from Seed
Getting Started
Containers
Soil Mix
The Needs of Seeds
My Workflow
Diseases and Problems
Hardening Off
Transplanting
Learn More Each Season
Visit my Amazon store to see what seed starting supplies I like.
