Seedling Care & Nurturing
Phew! Your seedling is emerging from the soil. But now comes the worry of over-nurturing your newborn plant while waiting for the outdoor weather to catch up with your dreams.
Be sure to thin your seedlings as needed. Plants do not like to be crowded because they need all the sun and nutrients they can get. You may want to leave a few extras for a while as the mortality rate of seedlings can be high.
Let there be light, and plenty of it! As soon as seedling emerge they seek light, so offer as much direct sunlight as possible. Placing your plants by a window with southern exposure will help. This may still not be enough light, seeing as there can be a lack of sun in the spring. Consider an artificial glow light and place the seedlings under it on cloudy days and at night.
Water your seedlings every couple of days. Do not soak the soil each day. Overly wet soil encourages the development of damping off disease. Let the soil dry out a little on the top, then water thoroughly. Watering from the bottom is preferred. That’s why it is important to get a container with holes in the bottom.
“Feed me, Seymore”… but not too much. Your seed starter soil comes with a balanced formula of nutrient that seedlings need. But after several days you can add a little liquid fertilizer to the water. Be sure not to give it the full strength. Want to grow more beans & peas? Use a soil inoculant like Burpee Booster which will increase crop yields and improve plant growth. Available at The Rock Pile for only $2.49!
Look for the warning signs. If the roots of the seedling begin to come out the bottom of the pot/tray, it is time to either transplant your seedlings to a larger pot or plant them outdoors, weather permitting. Most plants do not like to be root bound.
There can be a danger of having “leggy” plants. This means that their main stem or stalk grows tall and thin and can hardly support the leaf structure. It is caused by insufficient sunlight and a sheltered environment. Indoors, plants do not experience the effect of wind, and do not need to develop structure to defend against it. Most seedlings do not even experience a slight breeze. When transplanted outdoors, “leggy” plants can be damaged or broken by the wind. But there is good news, you can get them used to these conditions by hand-fanning your seedlings a few times a day. You can even lightly brush the tops of the plants, brushing back and forth in varying directions. You may notice the plants seem to slow down for a period. What they are really doing is building a stronger stem or stalk.
