Dense Planting Illustrated - WARNING - Pic Heavy! Latest video 3/17 - transplanting

zabby17 · April 15, 2012

Hey, Craig, just saw this---great pix, and thanks for the clear explanations!

I garden on a much smaller scale---about 80 plants for my own use---but I can vouch that the "mass seeding" before transplanting works fine. I start the seeds in nine-pack seedling cell packs, usually 4 to 6 seeds per cell to be sure I end up with at least two that germinate even if my seed is oldish.

But with a few varieties where I want lots of extra plants---some that are popular with my friends and family to give away to, or if I want a whole bunch of something for sauce, I found that I could put a dozen seeds into a nine-pack cell (prob. about 1/4 the size of your cells) and have no problem separating out the roots when I pot up.

I pot up to 3-inch pots or styrofoam cups using President's Choice Supersoil (giant bag is about $5) and almost exactly the method you describe, though I do wet it first. Maybe I'll try dry filling and then soaking---less messy!

(I really can't put them right outside as early as you in my zone---not unusual to have snow in April and hard frosts well into mid-May, but I do put them in a semi-insulated mudroom under shop lights, where temps may go down to just above freezing at night; I hang a shower curtain in front of the shelves at night to hold in a few degrees more heat during cold snaps, as it has occasionally gone below freezing in the mudroom. I agree that growing the seedlings in cool does help produce hardy plants! When I'm ready to plant I don't have any trouble hardening off---I try to put 'em out for a half-day then bring them in overnight before putting em right out, but sometimes don't have a chance and have never had a problem.)

Kurt, can you explain more about this? I don't picture what you mean:

>> I bought the barbecue (longest)and the tobacco pipe cleaning straws for a circular free moving wrap to stop them from intertwining to each other.

Thanks!

Zabby

April 15, 2012	#11
zabby17 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Ontario Posts: 211	Hey, Craig, just saw this---great pix, and thanks for the clear explanations! I garden on a much smaller scale---about 80 plants for my own use---but I can vouch that the "mass seeding" before transplanting works fine. I start the seeds in nine-pack seedling cell packs, usually 4 to 6 seeds per cell to be sure I end up with at least two that germinate even if my seed is oldish. But with a few varieties where I want lots of extra plants---some that are popular with my friends and family to give away to, or if I want a whole bunch of something for sauce, I found that I could put a dozen seeds into a nine-pack cell (prob. about 1/4 the size of your cells) and have no problem separating out the roots when I pot up. I pot up to 3-inch pots or styrofoam cups using President's Choice Supersoil (giant bag is about $5) and almost exactly the method you describe, though I do wet it first. Maybe I'll try dry filling and then soaking---less messy! (I really can't put them right outside as early as you in my zone---not unusual to have snow in April and hard frosts well into mid-May, but I do put them in a semi-insulated mudroom under shop lights, where temps may go down to just above freezing at night; I hang a shower curtain in front of the shelves at night to hold in a few degrees more heat during cold snaps, as it has occasionally gone below freezing in the mudroom. I agree that growing the seedlings in cool does help produce hardy plants! When I'm ready to plant I don't have any trouble hardening off---I try to put 'em out for a half-day then bring them in overnight before putting em right out, but sometimes don't have a chance and have never had a problem.) Kurt, can you explain more about this? I don't picture what you mean: >> I bought the barbecue (longest)and the tobacco pipe cleaning straws for a circular free moving wrap to stop them from intertwining to each other. Thanks! Zabby