![]() ![]() Seedlings started too late may not transplant well due to a limited root system. It is important for the seedlings to reach the proper level of maturity. This will vary according to different growing conditions and should serve only as a guide. Note the number of weeks from seed to transplant. The following are guidelines for growing vegetable transplants. Starting seeds too soon will result in overgrown transplants of poor quality. An excessively warm greenhouse will cause rapid, spindly growth. When dibbling seed trays, try to avoid compressing the mix gently press to ensure a small indentation for seeds. ![]() This damage cannot be remedied after creating this compaction. Stacking containers causes compacted media with reduced air space. Once filled, avoid nesting or stacking trays on top of one another. To prevent compaction that encourages damping-off diseases and poor root growth, lightly fill containers, including plug trays, and brush the excess media off the top. Over-processed media quickly loses porosity, resulting in stunted transplants. If mixing your own media, thoroughly mix components, but do not over-mix, which will cause particle size to decrease. Most growers work with a moisture content of 45-55% by weight. Satisfactory filling moisture is achieved if the slightest bit of visible water appears when squeezed between the fingers. The major goal is to preserve the air space or porosity to ensure healthy root growth.Īdd water to peat-based mixes before filling plug trays to help create more aeration. How soilless growing media is handled can greatly influence the air space and available water for plant roots. Never store your seeds in the greenhouse because long term storage for their quality can quickly deteriorate due to the high temperatures and relative humidity in the greenhouse. As soon as seedlings develop their first true leaves, they can be transplanted. Seeds can also be grown on greenhouse benches with bottom heat. Germination chambers are available from your greenhouse distributor and provide uniformity of temperature and moisture. ![]() After sowing the seeds, gently mist with tempered, warm water. Seeds can be sown by hand or with mechanical seeders such as vacuum seeders or needle seeders. Larger seeds can be covered with vermiculite. Some seeds, such as lettuce, need light for germination and should not be covered. Seeds can be sown in rows in open flats or in plug trays. Most seeds have optimum temperatures for germination. Plan your seedling schedule for your transplant season and keep good records. Organic growers need to obtain seeds from organic sources whenever possible. Seeds may also be coated, pelleted, primed or treated with fungicides. Request the germination percentage for the seed lots that you purchase. All is not lost if you act quickly, but don't wait for visible signs of trouble, it will be more work in the long run.Always purchase high quality seed from a reputable source that is tested for germination rates, uniform emergence and viability. When a seedling is weakened or damaged after waiting too long to transplant, it will be difficult (and take much longer) to bring it back to good health and begin to thrive again. In this case, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. They will no longer be able to utilize nutrients or oxygen and the plant will deteriorate. This is ok to a point, but once the roots become so heavily coiled and bound in the bottom of the pot, they produce a hard mass and begin to choke themselves out. As the root system grows, it eventually fills the small pot or cell it is in. ![]() I do not recommend trying to feed small seedlings with any type of liquid fertilizer when in a fragile state, there is a high chance you will burn and kill them. Remedy this by planting into a larger size pot with fresh, quality potting soil. The nitrogen in the soil has been depleted. The entire plant might also be changing from a dark green to light or pale green. This is a big sign that your plant has used up all the nutrients available in its tiny cell or pot and it needs some fresh soil with new nutrients. This happens starting from the very bottom leaves and progresses upwards. Leaves on the plant are starting to turn yellow. ![]()
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