What next?

ZBQ · April 19, 2006

Hi all!
I need the help of the collective wisdom of the board since I am a newbie with an inexperienced and unproven green thumb. 8)

My seedlings are about 2 1/2 inches tall and I have them in the 2 inch peat pots filled with Ferrymorse seed starting mix. I have had a small flourescent light on them since they sprouted the cotyledons. It only covers about 30% of the seedlings so I am rotating it back and forth to try to cover as much as possible. I am at 15 days since sowing the seed. The real leaves are starting to show in the axils.The cotyledons are a nice dark green and getting thicker, the stems are looking healthy as well. I have been hardening them for the last several days a few hours at a time. Today they have been out side for about 8 hours. Low 70's, light breezes and temps falling to 60 right now. I am going to take them in after I post this because it is supposed to get down to 49 tonight and I also have a ton of basil seedlings as well. I have been misting them at night after I bring them in. Last night a decent soaking because the tray started feeling light and I didn't want them to dry out. Most of the tomatoes are 4 seedlings to a 2 inch peat pot. Some less. Basil the same.

When should I transplant them to larger peat pots or newspaper pots? Any hints on how to separate them without damaging them? Is there anything I need to be doing that I am not, or something I am doing that I need to stop?

My grow list:

Red Brandywine
Omar's Lebonese
Green Giant
Redfeild Beauty
Lampa Alladina
Stupice
Kasachstan Kleine
Marianna's Peace
German Pink (SS)
Jelly Bean (hyb.) (wife wants grape tomatoes and I don't know of any sweet, heirloom grape size as of yet, still learning)
Cherry Roma (SS)

4 types of Basil:
Genovese
Lettuce Leaf
Green Bouquet (small, compact)
Dwarf Bush Fineleaf (small,compact)
Last 2 I am going to try growing in Rubbermaid storage tub, self watering container (from another thread here) on our Southwest facing, covered deck.

Thanks guys!!!

Neil

geol · April 20, 2006

For all practical purposes, they're already outdoor plants. 30% fl. lt. is of no further benefit. Sunlight is better. Don't know your date for last frost, but guessing 2" pot will get you there no problem. If you have all the plants you need, snip out the weaker seedlings without disturbing the most vigorous plant. If you need to separate any, it's best to do so before their roots become too entangled. Just gently divide, and re-pot. Good luck, and let us know how things go.

barkeater · April 20, 2006

And if you do need to divide some, make sure the soil is saturated . It will make it much easier to pull them apart with the roots intact.

Also, stop with the misting. It does no good at all. Water thoroughly when the soil is almost dry without wetting the leaves, if possible.

bcday · April 20, 2006

The usual advice is to transplant when the seedlings have their first leaves, but some folks transplant sooner and some later. If your plants are looking crowded, try separating just one pot and see how it goes.

Misting the leaves is a bad idea unless the plants are wilted, and you especially want the foliage to be dry at night. Wet leaves at night fosters foliage diseases, and water droplets on the leaves of young seedlings in hot sun causes burned spots in the leaves (voice of bad experience here!).

You want the soil moist before separating the seedlings, but I find that soil that is soggy wet does not hold together well, it falls off in big chunks and takes big pieces of broken-off roots with it.

If you want to pot all the seedlings up separately, you will first have to use scissors, a utility knife, or maybe an old steak knife to cut through the wall of the peat pot between plants. Then use your fingers or a fork or two to pry the root ball apart.

Be careful about pulling on leaves or stems, they can take some handling but they will break off if you pull too hard.

It only takes a few seconds of exposure to dry air to damage the most important parts of the roots, so I cover the exposed roots of separated seedlings with some moist soil to keep them from getting too dried out while they are waiting to go into their new pots. That helps reduce transplant shock. I also water the new transplants after doing just a few at a time, rather than waiting until all of them are done.

Peat pots can be so difficult to manage that after one try, many people swear they will never use them again. Plastic or styrofoam cups with holes poked in the bottom don't dry out so fast, don't get moldy, and overall are much easier to work with. And after planting out in the garden, roots don't grow through the peat pots as easily as the ads would have you believe.

April 19, 2006	#1
ZBQ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Southern Ohio Posts: 170	What next? Hi all! I need the help of the collective wisdom of the board since I am a newbie with an inexperienced and unproven green thumb. 8) My seedlings are about 2 1/2 inches tall and I have them in the 2 inch peat pots filled with Ferrymorse seed starting mix. I have had a small flourescent light on them since they sprouted the cotyledons. It only covers about 30% of the seedlings so I am rotating it back and forth to try to cover as much as possible. I am at 15 days since sowing the seed. The real leaves are starting to show in the axils.The cotyledons are a nice dark green and getting thicker, the stems are looking healthy as well. I have been hardening them for the last several days a few hours at a time. Today they have been out side for about 8 hours. Low 70's, light breezes and temps falling to 60 right now. I am going to take them in after I post this because it is supposed to get down to 49 tonight and I also have a ton of basil seedlings as well. I have been misting them at night after I bring them in. Last night a decent soaking because the tray started feeling light and I didn't want them to dry out. Most of the tomatoes are 4 seedlings to a 2 inch peat pot. Some less. Basil the same. When should I transplant them to larger peat pots or newspaper pots? Any hints on how to separate them without damaging them? Is there anything I need to be doing that I am not, or something I am doing that I need to stop? My grow list: Red Brandywine Omar's Lebonese Green Giant Redfeild Beauty Lampa Alladina Stupice Kasachstan Kleine Marianna's Peace German Pink (SS) Jelly Bean (hyb.) (wife wants grape tomatoes and I don't know of any sweet, heirloom grape size as of yet, still learning) Cherry Roma (SS) 4 types of Basil: Genovese Lettuce Leaf Green Bouquet (small, compact) Dwarf Bush Fineleaf (small,compact) Last 2 I am going to try growing in Rubbermaid storage tub, self watering container (from another thread here) on our Southwest facing, covered deck. Thanks guys!!! Neil __________________ "To wander this country and this world looking for the best barbecue — and never actually finding it would be a life well spent, a delicious journey in which enlightenment comes with the search — not the arrival." - Anthony Bourdain

April 20, 2006	#2
geol Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: NJ - 6/7 Posts: 109	For all practical purposes, they're already outdoor plants. 30% fl. lt. is of no further benefit. Sunlight is better. Don't know your date for last frost, but guessing 2" pot will get you there no problem. If you have all the plants you need, snip out the weaker seedlings without disturbing the most vigorous plant. If you need to separate any, it's best to do so before their roots become too entangled. Just gently divide, and re-pot. Good luck, and let us know how things go.

April 20, 2006	#3
barkeater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NE Kingdom, VT - Zone 3b Posts: 1,439	And if you do need to divide some, make sure the soil is saturated . It will make it much easier to pull them apart with the roots intact. Also, stop with the misting. It does no good at all. Water thoroughly when the soil is almost dry without wetting the leaves, if possible.

April 20, 2006	#4
bcday Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NY z5 Posts: 1,205	The usual advice is to transplant when the seedlings have their first leaves, but some folks transplant sooner and some later. If your plants are looking crowded, try separating just one pot and see how it goes. Misting the leaves is a bad idea unless the plants are wilted, and you especially want the foliage to be dry at night. Wet leaves at night fosters foliage diseases, and water droplets on the leaves of young seedlings in hot sun causes burned spots in the leaves (voice of bad experience here!). You want the soil moist before separating the seedlings, but I find that soil that is soggy wet does not hold together well, it falls off in big chunks and takes big pieces of broken-off roots with it. If you want to pot all the seedlings up separately, you will first have to use scissors, a utility knife, or maybe an old steak knife to cut through the wall of the peat pot between plants. Then use your fingers or a fork or two to pry the root ball apart. Be careful about pulling on leaves or stems, they can take some handling but they will break off if you pull too hard. It only takes a few seconds of exposure to dry air to damage the most important parts of the roots, so I cover the exposed roots of separated seedlings with some moist soil to keep them from getting too dried out while they are waiting to go into their new pots. That helps reduce transplant shock. I also water the new transplants after doing just a few at a time, rather than waiting until all of them are done. Peat pots can be so difficult to manage that after one try, many people swear they will never use them again. Plastic or styrofoam cups with holes poked in the bottom don't dry out so fast, don't get moldy, and overall are much easier to work with. And after planting out in the garden, roots don't grow through the peat pots as easily as the ads would have you believe.