Help a 1st timer with his seedlings

Hi all,


First season growing edible stuff here. I planted seeds rather close to each other so i’m wondering what my next steps should be here to make sure I lose out as little as possible?? Do I thin asap, transplant etc.

 

What are they?
Leave them a bit longer and then prick out.

 

Yes, what are they and what were your intentions as it looks like you put just a few seeds in each cell ?

If the idea is to grow just one plant per cell then you can carefully pull out the unwanted seedlings, though think we would let them grow a little more before doing so.

If you want to save and transplant them all, as @pete says let them grow up until at least the seedling leaves open fully.

 

I would start with: How many plants do you need (i.e. plants that you have space to grow, and will be able to eat before they get too old and woody)?

If you have way more seedlings than that, and where they have come up in a thick clump, and IF you are dexterous and not cack-handed like me ! I would use some pointy-nose scissors to cut off some of the excess (don't pull them up, that will disturb the neighbours you are wanting to keep).

The first leaves a seed produces (so called "seed leaves" or you may remember them as Cotyledons from Skool Days ) are usually nothing like the real leaves that come later, and the general rule is to wait for the the "first true leaves" and then prick them out - which is to say gently levering them out with, e.g., pencil, and then transplanting them into individual small containers (module tray perhaps). Fill that with compost, stick the pencil in and wiggle it around to make a planting hole, gently lower the seedling in holding it only by its seed leaves, never by its stem (too easily crushed) and then use tip of pencil to push the compost back around the seedling. You can bury seedlings up to their seed leaves, but other than that (as a general rule with a few exceptions, such as Tomatoes) no plant should be buried deeper than that (the stem above that point is designed/developed to be in air, not in soil)

Each seedling will then have its own space to develop in. Put it in the smallest container that makes sense. The bigger the container the more water it will hold, and with very little root a small-plant in a a big-container will be very difficult to get the watering right. If you over-water it the plant will take days to drink it all, by which time it may well have drowned. So better to put into a small container, and then when it fills that "pot-on" to a bigger container. Also, at this time of the year, we have far more plants than growing space, so plants in smaller container take up less of our precious growing space.

If these are on a windowsill give them the best light you can. If they are stretching up, and leaning, then they don't have enough light. A sheet of white card behind them (ie. room-side rather than window-side) will reflect the light. Don't use tinfoil - even thought that would seem to be more reflective it is less suitable than just a bit of white card. If they are still "leaning" turn them each day. Don't close the curtains and leave the plants window-side at night, they will get too cold (in that situation take the plants off the windowsill onto a table in the room, close the curtains, admire the plants overnight and open curtain, and put the plants back on the windowsill tomorrow morning).

If they are in a greenhouse make sure it doesn't drop below 10C at any time (you can bring them in each night of course ... they will get better light in greenhouse during the day, than a window inside the house).

Or go and read the cannabis forums, experts in growing high-value-cash-crops under artificial light , and see how Flush you feel and whether you fancy raising some low-value vegetable plants under artificial light.

 

Excellent thank you for the advice.

The pic is of broccoli seeds but it’s pretty indicative of the rest of my seedlings also. I wasn’t sure if it was better to transfer them asap so they compete for nutrients as little time as possible and roots are less established.

I’d like to keep as many of them as possible so will look to transfer some of them to their own pot once true leaves have shown.

Looking into the future, is there a good rule of thumb for knowing when it is time to transfer in to the garden patch?

 

The Seed has nutrients to keep the seedling going for a while, so the compost that seeds are sown in doesn't need much / any nutrients ... that can wait until pricking out time (more or less). So I have no concern there. Crowding and sharing light would be my bigger concern. I sow all my seeds one-by-one, evenly spaced, so that every one gets same amount of light. But its a bit time consuming to do (but avoids any time spent on "thinning" later)

yes definitely worth pricking out before roots are too established, otherwise a lot of root gets lost / broken off in the process, which puts the plant back having to make them again a second time. But very early on all there is is that one, first, root and it is very vulnerable, which is probably where the rule-of-thumb of "wait for first true leaves" comes from.

The whole Brassica family doesn't need / want much heat. They won't like growing indoors as much as being in e.g. an unheated greenhouse. Leave them be for a bit (unless you happen to have that unheated greenhouse ...) but they will be happier outside in a sheltered spot (a Cold Frame would be ideal, not sure about "just chucked outside" though), or "during the day" at least, once they have grown on enough to tolerate that.

There is, but you won't like it

Trousers and pants down, put your bum on the soil. If it doesn't feel cold its ready.

 

Again thank you for the sound advice. I’ll maybe just use the elbow for the soil temperature test

 

Generally with veg , following the instructions on the packet are the best guidelines.

If you are starting them off in the house or greenhouse, you do not want to suddenly put them straight out into the garden, typically putting them in a cold frame first, or if in the ground , covered with a cloche.
Avoiding frost is the key thing for any young plant.

Going back to your original question, do check /research on each type of plant you sow as some hate having their roots disturbed /tranplanted.
Some info here - Transplanting vs. Direct Seeding | Organic Growers School