Topic: How do I plant seedlings without killing them

[kt.]

Sow seeds in compost without added feed.  The feed can sometimes be too rich for the seed and once it germinates it then dies due to being scorched, (if the seed has not been scorched first).  Then go on to use compost with feed when you transplant the seedlings.  I only found this out this year.  I have hardly lost any seedlings since doing this.

Apart from pricking out too early - are you watering the seedlings from above?  This can sometimes be too much for the plant and rots the stem.  Or it could be the water on the top is not reaching the roots - which will also cause the death of the seedlings.  Try placing the trays of seedlings on a large tray with some water in the bottom for them to soak up.  (This is also a good recovery method for droopy seedlings and plants)

[PurpleHeather]

I think that you are breaking the stems because you have far too many seeds in, then letting then get too big and tangled so can not separate them easily

Practise makes perfect, keep trying:-

Try this with cabbage or cauliflower seeds.

Put some seeds no more than 20 in an ordinary flower pot.

When they are nearly 2 inches tall, lay the flower pot on it's side and slide it off.

Gently separate the contents and plant them up. Use one of those plastic labels instead of your fingers.  See if that works for you

[starting out]

Thats great, I shall try everything that has been suggested.

I agree I am doing it far too early and I am also watering from the top so will have a look for some trays so I can water from the bottom. This may also solve my problem of watering whilst on holiday. If I fill the trays up I will monitor how long the water lasts and see how long my seedlings can be left without need for a neighbour to water them.

[Eristic]

Here's a quick picture guide of the process.

First take a nice potful of seedlings. Some folk advise waiting for two true leaves to grow but my experience is that any time after the cotyledons have fully opened is fine.



Depot the clump and smack it firmly onto the work surface to loosen the soil ball.



Divide the rootball into sucessively smaller portions until you can easily pull individual plants away.



Never hold a plant by the stem. This image shows a murder in progress.



Hold seedling by a cotyledon. Sometimes they break. If plant is expensive, take more care otherwise plant or reject according to how many you want.



Make holes in receiving compost using a cane or similar object.


Guide plant into hole using stick if needed.


The result. Water well and by tomorrow they will all be standing nice and straight.


After about three days I begin to feed mine according to plant requirements. This amounts to scattering chicken manure pellets in the box.

[starting out]

Eristic thank you very much for the images. I have a tray of broccoli that im going to try it with and I will keep well away from the stems. Hopefully ill have more success now I realise where I have been going wrong.

[Hector]

Thanks Hector I will give them a try, need to match the shape of the plugs to the shape of the knife blade,

ok, here's the B&Q ones
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[littlebabybird]

ok i know i'm sad but i love pricking out.
lbb

[Twoflower]

ok i know i'm sad but i love pricking out.
lbb

 me to ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

That's pretty much how I do it except that I'd never use seedlings that size! The only difference is that some plants like toms, which root from buried stems, and sweet corn, which needs to be planted deep to stop it falling over, go into the pot first, and I hold them upright while I add compost around them.