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If you haven't transplanted seedings below I really think I can help as I have been doing this for many years. When you grow your plants yourself, you save money you would have spent buying the plants at the local nursery or store and you also know that care has been given to the plants from the moment they were planted.
First of all I wait till the little seedlings have their first pair of true leaves, and I can also handle them, in other words I won't break them apart if I handle them. Some people call this waiting until the seedlings are ready to be "pricked out", a term used for the transplanting of the seedling, I just say I am going to transplant, simple enough for me. Now I use an old kitchen fork, I have bought other tools over the years but still have this old fork and it works, so I use it consistently in transplanting seedlings. I insert it into the soil in a vertical position beside the seedling, then press back the handle of the fork, by doing this I have loosened and raised the seedling without breaking many roots and this is very important. If you break too many roots the plant will not grow as it should,if at all, so please be very cautious.
As I lift each seedling I usually take it and put it in a flat where it will be spaced about two inches apart from other plants. This will give each plant the space to develop and form a good mass of fibrous roots. Now there are exceptions to this practice as in the case of transplanting tap root plants that don't like to be moved such as the Larkspur, Poppy, or Wallflowers or Lupines, in this case I will put them in individual 2 inch or 2 l/2 inch pots. Now remember all of the seedlings will not be the same size and don't think well some of these will
make pretty plants and others won't as most times
this has nothing to do with their future growth.
When you put the seedlings into either the pots or on the flat you must water daily and thorough but don't flood, just use caution and I usually use a very light mist till I feel they are wet enough as you do this over the years you'll adjust the spray or the water to your own satisfaction.
Oh you will need to keep the little transplanted
seedlings out of direct sunlight until the plants are well established. If you will soak the plants before or after the transplant this tends to prevent wilting. On the individual packs of seeds you will find information about transplanting the seedings also in regard to water, sunlight, etc. Be sure to read and follow these directions.
In time the transplanted seedlings will outgrown the pots or the flats and then they are ready for another transplanting. I always make sure for each transplant that I make my soil at little richer also. Sometimes if the sun is very hot during the day I will make a little inverted tent of newspapers or even berry boxes from the grocery or even flower pots so that they will not get the direct sunlight. I also use a garden soil that can be used for most plantings and if I use a sandy soil I always add some cow manure or peat moss or even coal cinders.
It will take a little practice with transplanting but in time you will just transplant without worrying of injurying the plants, as with most everything it just takes a little practice.
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