As we continue to live through social distancing guidelines in the wake of COVID-19, one of my challenges is not being able to get my seedlings planted in the ground. I started seedlings in Florida with a plan to transplant them into my garden in New Jersey. Due to COVID-19, it will be at least another 3-4 weeks until I am able to travel back home. What to do?
Potting-up (transplanting) seedlings is the answer. Transplanting seedlings into larger containers is a normal part of caring for seedlings. This is especially true if you do not plant seeds in individual containers. What is not necessarily normal, is doing this process multiple times for the same seedling. However, to keep the seedlings healthy and growing, I will continue to ‘pot them up’ as they outgrow their containers. Let’s look at the process of potting-up seedlings beginning with the materials needed.
Materials needed
Gather your materials.
Containers. Ensure the container(s) has drainage holes. A wide variety of containers can be used including large 18 oz plastic cups with holes drilled in the bottom for drainage. Containers that have been previously used should be sterilized in a mixture of 1-part bleach to 9-parts water.
Shovel or spoon. Depending upon the size of the container, use either a shovel or spoon to fill the new container with soil.
Garden gloves. It’s always nice to keep your hands and fingernails clean of soil.
Plant markers to identify the name and variety of what was potted up. I use painters tape to mark my containers. Masking tape could also be used.
Good quality potting mix. The potting mix you choose should contain some combination of peat moss, compost, perlite, sand, lime, and organic fertilizer (nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium). Since I prefer an organic potting mix, I look for the OMRI label. In addition, read the ingredients on the package of soil for two important reasons. One, to know what is contained within your mix. Second, to know whether you need to add fertilizer. Further, some packaged soil mixes contain ‘moisture beads’ which will impact how much you need to water. Remember, never use outside garden soil.
Potting-up process
From a timing perspective, potting-up seedlings can happen after the first two sets of true leaves appear. For information on the difference between cotyledon (seed leaves) and true leaves, read my post titled ‘Understanding the difference between cotyledon and true leaves’. I continue to be amazed at the germination and development of seedlings. Follow these steps to pot up your seedlings.
Step 1
Fill the new container a third to half full of fresh potting mix. This will ensure the roots have space to grow down.
Step 2
Gently remove the seedlings to be transplanted from their original container. I find it easier to work with the seedlings if the soil from the old container is dry. Therefore, I don’t moisten the soil prior to removing the seedlings. Either squeeze the bottom of the container or use a knife (slide along the perimeter) to remove the seedling.
Step 3
If there are multiple seedlings in the old container, gently untangle and separate the roots of the seedlings. If the soil is relatively dry, it should be easy to pull apart the seedlings. In the picture to the left, you can see that the roots are entangled between the two seedlings. That’s ok, gently pull apart.
Step 4
Place the seedling in the new container and fill the remaining third or half with fresh potting mix. Handle the seedling from the leaves as opposed to the stems. Remember the stems are the transport mechanism for water and nutrients and we don’t want to damage. It’s ok to fill the soil above the cotyledon leaves or right to the bottom of the first set of true leaves (in the picture on the left, the cotyledon leaves have already fallen off). Therefore, I filled the soil up to the first set of true leaves.
Label the container with the name and variety of the seedling. In this case, Westlander Kale.
Water the seedling.
Place the seedling in a place where it will receive 12-16 hours of light per day.
Potted up Seedlings
That’s it! Good luck with potting-up your seedlings. If you have any questions, leave a comment below.
