It is fun and exciting to grow your own seedlings. You get to watch them sprout and grow as you baby them in their controlled environment of light, heat and careful watering. They don’t have to deal with all the fun mother nature can through at them. As your seedlings grow it becomes time to transplant your seedlings to your garden. There are a few key things to know including when to plant, how to harden off your seedlings, the act of planting them and preventing transplant shock.
When to Plant
I planted the majority of my seedlings at the end of January with the plans to plant some at the end of February and the rest around mid march. Your seed packets will give you an estimated time for your seedlings to mature and should be ready to transplant.
Mother Nature has had some other ideas for me this year. Southern California weather has been rather unexpected. We have received above average number of rain storms, a cold snap, and even a hail storm. Needless to say this has had an affect on my ability to transplant my seedlings not just due to temperatures but also the ability to get my raised beds prepped for the seedlings.
Your seed packets give you a guide of approximately how many weeks weeks from planting till transplanting. I get the majority of my seeds from High Mowing Organic Seeds, Park Seeds, or San Diego Seed company and they all give me a range of how many weeks from planting till transplanting. Some plants do better on the longer end of the range such as peppers and some do shorter such as cucumbers and pumpkins.
True Leaves
Now that you have an estimated time frame based off the seeds you planted you also need to ensure that your seedlings have grown their true leaves. The first leaves that sprout from a seed after germination are called cotyledons. Most cotyledons look similar from plant to plant.
Next Your seedlings need to grow their first true leaves. These leaves will look like the leaves of the adult plant. Seedlings need to have their first true leaves before you transplant them into your garden.
Weather
Next you need to keep an eye on your weather. Especially if you are trying to plant close to your last frost date. Keep an eye on the 10 day forecast and if the temps are going to dip below freezing or frost point then you need to hold off on planting till you know your young plants won’t be killed off by a late frost. There are ways to protect your young seedlings if you do get a freak frost later than expected but I try to at least ensure it isn’t the night I am planting them.
Hardening Off Seedlings
Seedlings are grown in sheltered environment to help ensure that they sprout and have a good start before dealing with all of the elements outside. Growing seedlings inside or in a greenhouse also allows you to start your seeds weeks before you could plant these seeds outdoors in turn extending your growing season. To ensure that these sheltered plants can survive outside and transition well is to harden off your seedlings.
Hardening off is the processes of slowly taking your seedlings outside to the same general area they will be planted in to allow them to get comfortable with the outdoor environment. You slowly increase the amount of time the seedlings spend outside as they approach when you are ready to plant them in the garden.
Where I live the two important things my seedlings need to get used to is the wind and the sun. I get a pretty steady wind in my yard and can get some pretty good gusts. There are days I cannot even take my seedlings outside because the wind is too strong. The sun is also strong in my area. In the spring, I get a good amount of afternoon shade in my back patio. I will normally bring the seedlings outside for a short time of full sun and some shade time to not overwhelm them.
Transplanting Seedling in the Garden
The day has finally come and your seedlings have come of age and you are ready to transplant your seedlings to your garden. Ensure that your garden has been prepared and is ready for your new seedlings. Not sure what needs to be done you can view my post on How to Prepare Raised Beds for a New Season.
Picking the best day for planting. Ideally you want to plant on an overcast day. The overcast ensures that the new seedlings are not overwhelmed by full sun. Also the temperatures do not fluctuate as much at night when the skies are overcast. You also want to ensure that there hasn’t been a large rain storm that has water logged your soil either.
Steps to planting:
- Ensure that your seedlings have been watered. This will ensure that the soil will stay together when you pull your seedling out of their trays.
- Prepare the hole where you want the seedling to go. Dig it a little deeper and wider than the root ball.
- Gently remove the seedling from the tray or other growing container.
- Place the seedling in the howl and cover the roots completely with soil. I like to do this with my hands so I can be gentle with the seedling.
- Water the new plant.
Transplant Shock
Don’t be surprised if your plants experience some transplant shock. Plants were never meant to move from one place to another. So when we move the baby plants from their seedling containers to their permanent home they can go into transplant shock. Symptoms can include turning white or yellow, wilting, and some cases even dying. Most vegetables will have some form of transplot shock but most will recover.
Utilizing many of the previously discussed preparations for your seedlings will help to prevent or minimize transplant shock including hardening off your seedlings, gentle handing of seedlings during transplant, ensure they are planted on an overcast day and are appropriately watered when planted.
This year my cucumber and pumpkin plants both got transplant shock. They are both plants that do not do well with any impact on their roots. I try to be as careful as I can but this is the second year where my pumpkin seedlings didn’t make it. Last year I just direct sowed some pumpkin seeds after the transplanted ones failed and sadly will do it again this year. My cucumbers were hit with a really sunny day or two and you can see in the picture that the part of the leaves shaded by the raised bed are fine but the areas above it have turned white. Some may pull through but time will tell.
Now you are ready to transplant your seedlings to your garden. I hope you found this information useful. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below. If you enjoyed this post please considering sharing or pinning.
