transplanting seedlings from garden

16 years ago

Looking for folks with experience in transplanting - not from pots.

For the past few years, i've hoe'd a trench, put seeds in using the recommended spacing - which is too close and requires thinning.

In my row of seeds, let's say on one side (50% of row) the seeds came up, and for whatever reason, on the other side of the row, practically nothing came up. My thoughts would be that instead of "thinning", i try to replant from the "full" side of the row to the "empty" side of the row.

But when is the best time to do this (do i do it very soon, so that roots don't develop, or wait a bit until roots have time and the size gets bigger?), and what approach (do i use a certain tool to get some soil around it? or do i not worry about getting soil? how do i gently replant with most success for regrowing?)

For warm weather plantings, this probably isn't a big issue because i could just reseed where seeds didn't germinate. But now, for example, i have a small window to plant lettuce. If it doesn't come up, and i replant, the replantings may not have time to make it to maturity.

Thanks!

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Comments (5)

josie23
16 years ago
I have done this for Onions(direct seeded), Okra, & Corn. And for all I did it when they were very small, the onions were not larger than a pencil lead, the okra did not have its first true leaves and the corn was about 3" tall. They all did fine. I would think you could do this with other plants as long as they are small and you are careful not to damage them or their neighbors you are leaving behind.

Since you need to thin the row anyway you should experiment...since you really have nothing to loose.
annie-lee
16 years ago
I had the same question on this two weeks ago, I found out that if I simply pull some of them up and planted somewhere else, it is very hard on the seedling (root shock, and hot weathers, bugs and other woes), so what I did, I put the small seedling onto the empty seedling packs left over from the Spring and fill with some potting soil and water them very good and put them under some shade. I waited for one to two weeks before planting them onto the soil. By then they are healthy and hardened and very little root shock will result.
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WOW! Thanks for the quick response everybody!! Didn't expect that. Anyway, I have attached some pictures and explanations. These plants are all 8-16 weeks old (bhuts started early february). I have really tried not to overwater them, generally waiting until they are either starting to droop/wilt a tiny bit or at least until the container feels super light and looks dry on the bottom vents. I originally was soaking them at that point pretty good but when some of them started yellowing I started being more careful and only watering with the spray bottle which takes forever with all these plants (yes I have way too many peppers, underestimated my success with the first try from seed). I have been using something called BioRoot from General Organics pretty much every watering but only a tsp per gallon so very light - this is what the grow shop suggested I do, is that too much nutrients? I have been hardening as much as weather allows over the past couple of weeks, keeping them inside when too windy (which is often) or too cold or too rainy. I think they are ready to go outside but I was going to wait until around Memorial Day as that seems to be recommended in zone 5a (Chicago suburbs). Anyway, on to the pictures.... In the below image see the wilting dried up leaves on the tomato plant. I have already yanked off the bottom branches on my tomato plants because they have all either yellowed and sagged or just completely dried out http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/153/img20110519131645.jpg/ In the below image see the lower leaves are yellowing... http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/7/img20110519131710.jpg/ In the below you can see my bunch of bhut jolakia plants...almost all of them are either yellowing or have brown nasty spots either on the tips or somewhere on the leaves http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/715/img20110519131721.jpg/ In the below image you can see a sweet pepper and a habanero that are both starting to curl up - I just watered the sweet pepper last night - the container is pretty light now like most of the water has evaporated but there is still a little bit of moisture! http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/580/img20110519132743.jpg/
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gardenwolverine
16 years ago
I've actually done it several times successfully these last couple of years, using two different methods.

Its best if you can remove a plug of earth WITH the plant. The plant will recover very quickly if it even goes into shock at all. I used this method to transplant a broccoli and three marigolds from different areas of the garden this year.

If there's not enough room between plants to get a plug of dirt with the one you're taking out, dig the little guy out gently with your fingers, then make a hole deep enough to accomodate its longest roots then close it up around them and water. This is a less successful method than the first, but I did do it with a couple of carrots last year. They grew to maturity, but turned out to be 'Thumbelinas' instead of full size Chatenays! ;) On the other hand the two kale seedlings I used this method with this year have become nice and huge.

Hope it helps!
--GW
laceyvail 6A, WV
16 years ago
I do it all the time, though not with root crops. It works even with corn or kale, both notoriously hard to transplant. Dig a good plug of dirt with the very little plant and put it immediately into its new spot. Water well.
flora_uk
16 years ago
It's a common technique over here with brassicas. They are sown in a seed bed in March/April and transplanted into their permanent positions in June/July after some of the bean and pea crops have been harvested. It saves space and provides the brassicas with nitrogen from the legumes. I also do it with self sown chard, lettuce and kale. I leave a couple of good plants to flower and seed in situ and then transplant the resultant babies to where I want them. Just did a batch of red Russian kale yesterday. I've never found a problem with it. As lacyvail says, dig them out with a good rootball and water in well. Just pulling them out of the row as annie-lee describes will not help the seedlings establish. The idea is not to let them know they've been moved!

transplanting seedlings from garden

Comments (5)

josie23

annie-lee

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