Topic: Potting on

[caroline7758]

What determines whether you can "bury" seedlings up to their first leaves when potting on, to get over them being leggy? I know you can do it with tomatoes but not squash. I was wondring about flower seedlings, specifically cosmos and cerinthe.

[theothermarg]

don,t know but will be interested to. I do know that brassicas benifit from it but it will kill a lettuce
marg

[Susiebelle]

I always do it with Cosmos and never experience any problem, but never tried it with Cerinthe.

[Tee Gee]

I do it with everthing as a rule i.e up to the seed leaves (cotyledons)

[caroline7758]

Even squash, TeeGee? Someone here said they would rot under the compost. I've got some pumpkins that could do with shortening!

[1066]

good question Caroline! Which has also got me wondering about Tee Gee's "everything" comment - what including peas and beans?

1066

[goodlife]

I tend to "bury" my seedlings too...regargless what ever they may be..I'm just extra careful with watering untill they have started to put some growth..I normaly water new seedling just around the rim of the pot so  centre is not soggy..or trough bottom using large trays if there is guatity to water in one go..once couple of proper leafs..then they will get their over head watering..

[Tee Gee]

Tee Gee's "everything" comment - what including peas and beans?

Yes with beans, providing they have not got too leggy.

If they have I plant them deeper at planting out time!

No with peas I don't transplant these!

If I grow them in cells I plant the plug just a little deeper than they were in the tray!

Perhaps I was a bit over zealous by sayimg 'everything' but generally speaking yes.

I treat the seed leaves as depth markers i.e. I plant to the underside of these where practical.

[1066]

makes sense to me TeeGee - you've just described pretty much what I do  :)

[lincsyokel2]

Brassicas i always pot on and well bury the kink at the bottom of the stem, in an attempt to get the stupid plant to stand on its own two feet (or in this case, one stalk).

[landimad]

|When growing Pumpkins and Squash plants I remember the adage of if it grows along the ground you never allow the stem to go underground. The reason for this baffles me, but a old timer on the plot we had in Plymouth said that they do not like to have their legs hidden from the sun. I thought it was a bit of a yarn, but it seems to be true.
They do not do well if they have been potted on as we would will more general potting on techniques.

[Eristic]

Why do you all let your seedlings get leggy before potting on? Pot them up as soon as they are ready and you will get shorter but robust plants that quickly outperform anything else.

Simple. My little mere cats.

[caroline7758]

In an ideal world, yes! But I find I can turn my back and with one hot sunny day they shoot up! Also this year they have had to stay on the windowsill for longer and I don't have room on the windowsill for bigger pots!

[goodlife]

If I were only growing less plant... ::)..There would be more room for those little seedlings to grow...more light..etc.. ::) Now I have to shove them here, there and everywhere, and this cold weather we've had haven't made it any easier...
...that's why some of them go leggy...
I wish I would have 30ft. heated greenhouse... ::)