How big should the seedling be before planting in the garden

16 years ago

Ok I still have a few jugs that I have not planted out since the seedlings are still very tiny. I am mainly talking about the wave/cascading petunia and some of the native columbines. Some have the first true leave and maybe a few of the second set of leaves but the seedlings themselves are still very tiny and I was just wondering if it is wiser to wait a bit until transfer them out into the garden beds and or pots that I have in mind for them? This is my first year ws so I am still learning. I am still waiting for a few more of the wave/cascading petunias to make their appearance but it doesn't seem like that will happen. Thanks

Paula

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Comments (8)

trudi_d
16 years ago
I try to get them all in asap. If you have true leaves then they can be transplanted.

T
cinda66
16 years ago
I planted my tital wave petunias and columbine as tiny little sprouts May 1st. You can see what has happen in just a month. Columbine is next to the planter. Sorry the flowers don't look perky and happy but we are having strong winds today and this photo was taken 5 minutes ago.
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Seedlings should be large enough to have a thickened stem. Too small, and it is just to easy to damage them in the transplanting process. Too lagrge, and they are likely to need some serious root-teasing-out before planting. And you sure don't want a seedling that is developing any blossoms while in a pot. I like to plant my seedlings deep to encourage additional roots from the stems for later help feeding the fruits. So, I like mine at least 12' high, hardened off with very gradual exposure to sun and wind, and I snip off all the stems below the ground level. Having said that, I should also mention that I transplant my seedling several times inside. I move them from flats to individual cells when they have their 2nd leaves (first "true" leaves), deeply into a 3.5" pot that I've saved from some perennial plants I ordered, and then to some deeper pots (some are 8" deep 4" wide PVC tube sections and some 1 or 2 qt cardboard milk containers). I plant those outside in 12" deep and wide holes with a lot of compost and some slow-release organic fertilizer. If they produce blossoms soon after transplanting, I pinch them off. Fewer early fruits mean more plant, and more plant means more tomatoes overall.
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neonposey
16 years ago
get those petunias out as soon as possible. They won't really grow much until you do. Mine started blooming this week.
paulan70
Original Author
16 years ago
Ok I have most all of them planted except for a few of the REALY small ones. And I also still have tons that I am planing on giving away to a few more people. Now I just have to wait for them to blloom. I also planted some more dahlias and a few more cannas that I found on clarence from meijers. So now I just have to learn to have a little bit more patiance and wait until things pop up and bloom. Thanks for the help I really appreciate it.

Paula
alli_gator
16 years ago
I have found that with wintersowing, the plants may not get that big right away, but more than once I have tiny plants that are really root bound. With WS the roots really develop fast, so even if they look small, they will survive if planted out. I tend to let things get root bound and that seems to stunt their growth. I have a couple of more flats to go to get everything out. I do a little every night!

Alli
bonnys
16 years ago
This is my first year winter sowing and I have been trying to follow the advice given here and in the FAQ. I have planted out some pretty tiny plants HOS style. The alyssums that I got planted out about two weeks ago have flower buds on them. The ones in my containers that haven't been planted yet do not have flower buds yet. The poppies and foxglove I planted are growing great. I don't have much planting time but take advantage of every minute possible. I agree that planting out asap is the way to go. Now if I could just have more time to do that.

Bonny
penny1947
16 years ago
I plant mine out as soon as I can. If it is early in the season I wait until they have true leaves. If it is later in the season I try and get them right in the ground. Once I do they seem to take off.

Penny
ornata
16 years ago
I agree completely that planting out while they're still small is the best for their long-term development... However, I can also see a few problems, at least in my garden.

1) I have to be extra vigilent over slug and snail attack (it's much easier to protect containers than plants in the ground, and we have A LOT of slugs and snails).

2) Some areas of the garden are already fairly densely planted. If I put in my tiny WS seedlings, they'll be out-competed, especially for light, by more mature perennials. I don't have room for a nursery bed.

3) Until they're established, I have to remember to water them in dry spells. While it's easy to water a load of containers regularly, I find it harder to remember to spot-water various parts of the garden where seedlings are planted.

How big should the seedling be before planting in the garden

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trudi_d

cinda66

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How big should the seedling be before planting in the garden

Comments (8)

trudi_d

cinda66

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