John Myers
Between winter and spring, many hobby gardeners prefer to plant their plants on the windowsill or in the mini greenhouse. This is the beginning, but after a short time, the seedlings need attention again.
When seedlings shoot
Seedlings often grow too close together. The bigger they get, the more they compete for light and nutrients. As a result, the tender plants shoot up. They do not develop strong shoots and root growth stagnates. Due to the lack of stability, the stems break easily. To prevent this phenomenon, you should keep the ambient temperature a little cooler and prick out the young plants in good time.
Transplant properly
Use a pricking stick, skewer, or popsicle stick to pierce the substrate right next to the young plant. Carefully lever this out of the ground so that the root ball follows. It is important that the seedlings do not dry out and are quickly placed in the new planting pots. Fill the containers with a nutrient-poor mixture of sand and soil beforehand.
Method
Poke a hole in the soil mixture with the stick. The seedlings are planted deep enough in the fresh substrate so that the cotyledons are in contact with the surface of the soil. To prevent the roots from bending upwards, you should carefully press them into the potting soil with the pricking tool. Fill the planter completely and smooth the surface so that the irrigation water seeps away evenly.
Needs of the seedlings
For healthy growth, it is important that the young plants find optimal environmental conditions. Keep the substrate mixture constantly moist. You can use a hand shower to wash away as little soil as possible. In a bright location, the plants get enough light. The plants do not tolerate direct sunlight because the risk of drying out is too great here.
- Summer bloomers: the ideal temperature at 15 to 18 degrees Celsius
- Vegetables: have similar heat requirements as summer flowers
- Indoor plants: like warm room air with 20 degrees Celsius
- Tropical plants: feel good at at least 22 degrees
