![]() ![]() Use a hand trowel, a dibber – or just your fingers – to make holes in the soil. You can use a tape measure or ruler to get the spacing right, but with practice you’ll be able to space them out by eye. Remove the seedlings from their plug trays or pots then lay them out onto the surface, ready to plant. Plant seedlings into prepared soil – that’s soil that has been enriched with well-rotted organic matter such as compost. A cold frame is a useful tool for hardening off plants How to Transplant Seedlings Make sure to shut them down completely before dark. If you’re not able to be around to bring your seedlings back in during the day, another option is to place your seedlings into a cold frame and gradually increase the amount of ventilation by opening vents progressively wider each day. Gradually extend the amount of time that plants are outside over the course of a week or two, until they’re staying out all day. Position plants in a sheltered spot outside during the day for a short time. Tender plants need acclimatizing before planting out – a process called ‘ hardening off’. Place plants outdoors for increasingly long periods each day to harden off Hardening Off Plants Nevertheless, hold back a few spares under cover if you can – just in case. Getting them outside while they’re young will also free up valuable space under cover. Younger seedlings tend to establish quicker than those that have become root bound in their containers. Check out the green bars in your Plant List for a range of recommended dates for your location. ![]() Our Garden Planner can help you work out when is the best time to transplant outdoors. Plant seedlings out while they are still quite young if outdoor conditions allow - sometimes as soon as three to four weeks after sowing. You can help encourage stronger seedlings in preparation for the move by occasionally running your hand gently over the seedlings. This will help keep the air inside moving, and reduce the risk of disease and molds.Ĭool-season crops like lettuce, onions, beets or peas can go straight outside as soon as the ground is ready, meaning that the soil is no longer cold and wet, and has reached around 50✯ (10✬). If you’re growing in a greenhouse, tunnel or cold frame, ventilate it on mild, sunny days. Water seedlings to keep the potting mix moist, but be careful not to overwater. Larger seedlings are best grown on in pots rather than plugs before transplanting Preparing Seedlings for Planting They grow fast and may need to be potted on once again before they are transplanted into their final growing positions. Larger seedlings, or those of tender crops like tomato or pepper that won’t be planted out until after the last frost, are best pricked out into individual pots. They’re also great for other vegetables that benefit from growing on a little before planting, such as onions. Larger plugs suit bigger, hungrier seedlings such as those of the brassica cabbage family. Trays with smaller plugs suit most salad crops, especially if they will be transplanted promptly within three or four weeks of sowing. Gently tease apart clumps of seedlings for potting on Choosing Seedling Containers: Plugs vs Pots Don’t worry too much if the seedlings get a little flattened, they’ll soon recover. Once you’re done, water the seedlings with a watering can or hose fitted with a fine rose. You can bury some of the stem if the seedlings are looking a little leggy and drawn. Carefully feed the roots right down into the hole then gently firm the seedling in. Lift each seedling carefully, only ever handling them by their leaves, never the delicate stems. Make holes in the potting mix with your finger, a pencil or something similar. Work with small batches of seedlings so they don’t dry out while their roots are bare. ![]() Try to retain as much of the original potting mix around the roots as you can. Carefully ease the seedlings out of the tray they were growing in then gently tease them apart. ![]() Start pricking out as soon as the seedlings are big enough to handle.įill plug trays or pots with good quality all-purpose potting mix. ‘Pricking out’ means separating out seedlings growing together and transferring them into their own plugs or pots of potting mix. ![]()
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