How you care for your seedlings can mean the future for your garden. So what do you do when they pop through the soil and show their faces? The key is to keep them growing and growing fast.
The first obstacle is to maintain a steady moisture for your seedlings. Letting the tender roots dry out can stunt their growth and even kill them. Just beware to not to drown them. The roots also need oxygen and if the roots sit in water it is hard for them to breathe. So to check the soil, stick your finger down in the soil just below the surface, and if it is still moist, then wait to water, if not, water it.
Watering from the bottom is a great way to encourage root growth. Pull out a few of the plants and add the water then replace the plants. The soil will pull up the water as it needs it. Watering this way will also help to stop the top of the soil from growing mold.
A few weeks after the seeds come through the soil, you should fertilize them with a watered down even fertilizer. Choose organic if you plan on growing fully organic vegetables. Fertilize every few weeks until it is time to plant outdoors to keep them growing quickly.
Lastly, you should transplant them into a bigger pot when the roots fill up their pot, but don't start wrapping around the out side. If they start to do that, their growth might be set back permanently. So transplant as soon as they need, it.
Move the lights up often, and keep them about 2 inches above the plants so that they get enough lights.
One last thing that might help is to gently stroke the plants daily to help them develop strength and keep transplant shock at bay.
Here is a picture of our tomatoes growing this year. Happy Gardening!
The first obstacle is to maintain a steady moisture for your seedlings. Letting the tender roots dry out can stunt their growth and even kill them. Just beware to not to drown them. The roots also need oxygen and if the roots sit in water it is hard for them to breathe. So to check the soil, stick your finger down in the soil just below the surface, and if it is still moist, then wait to water, if not, water it.
Watering from the bottom is a great way to encourage root growth. Pull out a few of the plants and add the water then replace the plants. The soil will pull up the water as it needs it. Watering this way will also help to stop the top of the soil from growing mold.
A few weeks after the seeds come through the soil, you should fertilize them with a watered down even fertilizer. Choose organic if you plan on growing fully organic vegetables. Fertilize every few weeks until it is time to plant outdoors to keep them growing quickly.
Lastly, you should transplant them into a bigger pot when the roots fill up their pot, but don't start wrapping around the out side. If they start to do that, their growth might be set back permanently. So transplant as soon as they need, it.
Move the lights up often, and keep them about 2 inches above the plants so that they get enough lights.
One last thing that might help is to gently stroke the plants daily to help them develop strength and keep transplant shock at bay.
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