![]() ![]() Fertilizer produces strong, fast growth, which is not wanted at this early stage. This is a good reason to not fertilize seedlings prior to transplant. But plants continue to grow beneath the soil just as quickly as they do above. So lots of light and a cool environment will help. The gardener’s strategy here is to prevent unnecessary competition between seedlings. As seedlings grow, they begin to compete with their neighbours for light, and if they are planted together, for nutrients and moisture. There are numerous reasons for encouraging compact growth while waiting to transplant seedlings outdoors. A very basic table fan is all that is needed to improve air movement for the benefit of seedlings. If seedlings were started under domes, it’s a good idea to remove the domes after germination so that air can move freely and excess moisture can evaporate from the soil and trays. If their leaves and stems are subject to even slight movement, seedlings will develop stronger cell walls and be better prepared for the harsh elements of the great outdoors. This will help reduce excess moisture buildup and the possible mould and mildew problems that result from it. Seedlings will nearly always benefit from some movement of air indoors. Given ample light and a cool environment of around 18☌ (64☏), the plants should grow slowly, but steadily, producing the healthiest transplants. Otherwise, they will continue to encourage fast growth, and the seedlings may become too large for their containers, or take up too much space indoors.Įven for heat-loving tomatoes and peppers, a warm growing space is not required during this nursery stage. But the gardener’s strategy is to keep the seedlings small and compact during this early indoor stage, so the mats should be removed or unplugged once germination occurs. This stimulates growth and really helps get plants started. They work with “bottom heat” which gently heats the soil above the ambient room temperature. Seedling Warmers do an amazing job of speeding up germination. A superb, super-low energy alternative to T5 tubes is the recently developed LED light strips that fit most grow light fixtures. The Growlight Garden is a self-watering kit with an adjustable hood that can be raised as the seedlings grow. ![]() That may seem very bright, but one cannot over-apply light in this setting. Even with a good double (or multiple) tube set up, it’s recommended that the tubes be kept 10cm (4″) above the tops of the seedlings. They produce full spectrum light in the frequency plants need for foliar growth. Inexpensive T5 fluorescent tubes are available in several sizes. A heated greenhouse would be perfect for most seedlings, but these are expensive and few of us have access to them. How does one provide sufficient light? Well, every grower has access to different tools. If sufficient light is supplied, the seedlings have no need to strain and stretch, and they will remain stout and compact, with good colour and overall health. All seedlings do this, from tomatoes to palm trees. The seedlings are stretching their stem tissues, literally straining to get their leaves higher and closer to any light source so they can begin to photosynthesize and produce food for themselves. With insufficiently strong light, seedlings will begin to grow tall and leggy from the very start. Just about from the time the seeds are first placed into (or onto) the soil, bright overhead ligh t is essential. But that’s a long time for plants to grow, so here are some strategies to consider while you are waiting to transplant outdoors. Tomatoes, peppers, and many perennial flowers require a good six to eight weeks of indoor growing before even considering peeking outside. So the gardener’s strategy is to make an educated guess about when it will be warm enough to transplant them outdoors, and work backwards from that date according to which crop is involved. These tender, tropical plants will be killed outright by frost, and will show immediate signs of distress if exposed to cold spring weather. For a few crops, notably peppers and tomatoes, this indoor start is an absolute requirement if growing from seed. Many plants benefit from a head start by sowing indoors during late winter and early spring. ![]()
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