Transplanting Seedlings

Purchased transplants or baby plants grown from seed indoors need special care when being transplanted.
The first critical step is to ensure the seedlings are ready for the outdoors, or “hardened off.” Most transplants you purchase have lived outside under sunlight and are ready to go into the garden, but seedlings you grew from seed require an extra step.

Just as a mother introduces her baby to solid foods little by little, you want to introduce your seedlings to the outdoors gradually. For 1 to 2 weeks prior to transplanting, take the seedlings outside for increasing amounts of time per day, starting with one hour and working up to a full day and night. At first, place them somewhere shady and protected from wind. Gradually work up to full sun (start with morning sun, then afternoon sun) and more of a breeze. This step is extremely important. Just a few extra hours of afternoon sunlight or one windy day can stunt or kill your seedlings.
When the seedlings are ready to be transplanted, gather your supplies: full watering can, trowel, stool or kneeling pad, gloves, and seedlings.

1. Set the transplants in your garden area or container, on top of the soil, to get a visual idea of the spacing. Measure if necessary.
2. Using a trowel, dig a hole the depth of the planting container. (For tomatoes, dig a deeper hole; see the tomato profile for more information.)
3. Fill the hole halfway with water. If it drains quickly, fill it again.
4. Place the transplant in the planting hole, backfilling with the soil you removed from the hole. Tamp down the soil around the plant gently but firmly, taking care not to damage the stem or compress the soil.
5. Water again from the top until the soil around the transplant is saturated.

 

 When is the proper time to transplant? First, your seedlings must be ready. Ideally, there should be at least three sets of true leaves. Second, check your average  last-frost  date  and  make  sure  you’re planting a particular plant at the correct time relative to that date. Third, even if the calendar says it’s time to plant, observe your local weather conditions and check your long-range forecast. If in doubt, wait.

How to Read a Seed Packet

Whether you start seeds indoors or direct sow, get familiar with the details on seed packets. Although each seed supplier prints slight variations, most packets include the following information:
Kind/variety: what vegetable or herb it is, along with the particular variety.
Description: how the plant grows or what kind of harvest it produces.
Days to maturity: the average number of days the plant needs to grow from the time it is planted in the garden to full maturity. This can vary based on local conditions. Knowing this date helps with succession planting and when you need a plant to harvest before the first fall frost.
Quantity: how many seeds or weight of seeds in ounces or grams per seed pack. This helps you know how many seed packets to purchase.
Planting instructions: directions on proper sowing depth and spacing, as well as optimum planting time relative to frost or soil temperature. Some will include trellis requirements if applicable and harvest instructions.
Date: when the seeds were packaged. Most seeds will last for a few years or longer under the right conditions, but the newer the seeds, the better the germination rate will be.

Resources

Find your average frost date

The Old Farmer’s Almanac, https://www.almanac.com/gardening/frostdates

Find your local cooperative extension service by zip code

Gardening Know How, https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/extension-search

Find soil-testing labs by state

Gardening Products Review, https://gardeningproductsreview.com/state-by-state-list-soil-testing-labscooperative-extension-offices

Garden tools

Gardener’s Supply Company, https://www.gardeners.com

Seed and plant suppliers

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, https://www.rareseeds.com

Seed Savers Exchange, https://www.seedsavers.org

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, https://southernexposure.com

Territorial Seed Company, https://territorialseed.com

References

Bradley, Fern Marshall, Barbara W. Ellis, and Deborah Martin. The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Pest and Disease Control. New York: Rodale, Inc., 2009.

Bradley, Fern Marshall, Barbara W. Ellis, and Ellen Phillips. Rodale’s Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. New York: Rodale, Inc., 2009.

Bradley, Fern Marshall, and Jane Courtier. Vegetable Gardening. White Plains, NY: Toucan Books, 2006.

Cool Springs Press. Gardening Complete. Minneapolis: Cool Springs Press, 2018.

Damrosch, Barbara. The Garden Primer . New York: Workman Publishing, Inc., 2008.

Harrington, J. F. “Soil Temperature Conditions for Vegetable Seed Germination.” University of California at Davis. Accessed October 18, 2019.

https://extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/documents/12281/soiltemps.pdf .

McCrate, Colin, and Brad Halm. High-Yield Vegetable Gardening . North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing, 2015.

Reich, Lee. Weedless Gardening . New York: Workman Publishing Co., Inc., 2001.

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (blog). “The Major Plant Families in a Vegetable Garden.” Accessed October 22, 2019. http://www.southernexposure.com/the-major-plant-families-in-a-vegetable-garden-ezp-190.html .