how to transplant seeds

I planted some lupins, verbascum, and echinacea seeds a couple of weeks ago. I have no greenhouse so had to make do with various windowsills. My little baby seeds have started to poke though and its always at this stage they all die on me. I know tthat I have to wait for the first pair of proper leaves to come before i transplant them but then they always wilt and die. I am using new seed potting compost and nice clean pots for the next bit.can anyone suggest ways of trying to minismize my losses? the verbascum were really tiny seeds and now they have started to appear they are quite close together so when i transplant these can I just cut the seed trays up into little sections and re plant each section till they get bigger?

 

Yes you may batch transplant like that, I often do with small things. Before moving them on, give the tray a really good soaking. Try not to touch the little plants by the stems, even the lightest of touches can damage them. You could also water with Cheshunt compound before transplanting, this is a fungicide against damping off disease.
Also with most plants (though not all) you can leave transplanting until the seedlings are a lot bigger and easier to deal with. In fact some things you should leave until they are in their second season of growth before attempting to move on. Meconopsis are one like that.

 

if using large seed trays you want to aim to get 40 in each tray.
I would leave pricking out for a while until the seedlings are about an inch or so long.
hold seedling at top, then using a pencil, or similar, ease out the seedling, dib a small hole in your prepared tray of compost, place the seedling in the hole ensuring you do not touch the roots with your fingers, once in the hole, lightly firm.
after tray filled, lightly water, and keep watching that the tray does not dry out, but do not keep it to wet..

 

to prepare the seed trays, fill with compost to 1/2" from top, shake to level compost, lightly compress with a flat surface, then use a seive to shake a fine surface on top of compost then wet thoroughly uing a fine rose watering can,i dont know it this will help your transplanting but i find germination results work much better when one spends time getting a good finish and watering lightly but evenly ........

 

Do you know, in all the years I have been growing stuff from seed I have never managed to use a pencil or a small dibber to remove seedlings from the compost without killing more than I transplanted. Maybe I am clumsy,certainly my fingers are not that delicate, I have always used a spatula or even the wrong end of a spoon.

 

The pointy end of a plastic plant label works for me. :D

 

is it worth while using that copper fungicide stuff you can buy to water them and should I always water from the bottom or doesnt it matter?

 

Cheshunt compound is a form of Copper sulphate solution and I always water from above with it since the spores of the fungus live on the surface of the compost and on the lower stems of the plants.

 

Yes, same here Palustris,and I use a bottle top pourer to water from above for small seedlings as its much gentler on the plants. I hate to see plant leaves stick to the compost!

 

I use an old teaspoon to lift up the seedlings - it gets a bundle of root as well. I also like to hold the seedlings (lightly by a leaf) when I water after transplanting. It is all too easy to knock it down flat the first time as the compost settles a lot. I often water small seedlings with a fine spray, from one of these spray bottles you can buy. Even a single drop of water can pole-axe a very small seedling.

I had some mould growing on a seed tray a few days ago and found the Cheshunt compound did indeed kiil it very quickly (there was a thread recently debating whether it worked).

 

I use a pressurised spray/mister set on a fine spray. You have much better control and can stop as soon as stems start to bend with the weight of water.

Don't use the same one for weedkiller though! :eek: