Seedling Care
Thin seedlings as needed – - Plants in your garden do not like to be crowded. The same is true for your seedlings, which need all the sun and nutrients that they can get. You may want to leave a few extras for a while as mortality rate of seedlings can be high.
Let there be light, and plenty of it – - As soon as the newborn seedling begins to emerge, it seeks light. Your newborn needs as much and as direct a light source as possible. Placing it by a window with a southern exposure is the first step. But this alone may not prove to be enough for the seedling to grow healthy and strong. First, the sun is not up as long in the spring as it is in the summer. Second, there are many rainy spring days with little or no direct sun. You may wish to use a “grow light” and place the seedlings under it on cloudy days and at night.
Let there be water, in just the right amount – - Provide water to your seedling every couple of days. Do not soak the soil each night. Overly wet soil encourages the development of damping off disease. Let the soil dry out a little on the top, then water thoroughly. Watering from the bottom is preferred. If you have a seed tray, add water to the bottom of the tray. The soil will absorb it through the bottom holes in your container…your container does have holes in the bottom, doesn’t it!?!
Transplanting - – If the roots begin to come out the bottom of the pot, it is time to plant your seedling outdoors, weather permitting. If it is still too cool, transplant seedlings to a larger pot. Most plants do not like to be root bound.
Guard against leggy plants – - Seedlings are leggy when their main stem or stalk grows tall and thin and can hardly support the leaf structure. It is caused by insufficient sunlight and a sheltered environment. Indoors, they do not experience the effect of wind, and do not need to develop structure to defend against it. Most seedlings do not even experience a slight breeze. When transplanted outdoors, “leggy” plants can be damaged or broken by the wind.
Tip: Take your hand or a couple sheets of newspaper and fan the plants a few times a day. You can even lightly brush the tops of the plants, brushing back and forth in varying directions. You may notice the plants seem to slow down for a period. What they are really doing is building a stronger stem or stalk.
