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If you go your seeds indoors or buy small graft from the nursery you will probably be pot up seedlings before they can be moved to the garden . If you are novel to gardening or even new to seed part have ’s discuss the what , why , when , and how of potting up seedlings .

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Broccoli Seedlings that are ready to be planted in the garden

What is potting up?

pot up seedling is plainly the process of displace your plant or seedling to a bigger pot when they have outgrown their previous pot . normally , when you are set forth plants from seminal fluid you are start in small container . These belittled containers allow the seeds to remain moist in their initial sprouting phase . Once your seeds have spud you should split them into their own larger pot to go on their growing process .

If you commence your seeds in too bombastic of a pot ab initio you are not gear up your seeds up for succeeder . In a tumid pot with a modest seedling , you will have excess land . The excess dirt will hold the water around the plant ’s roots . depriving them of air and killing them . Give the plants a pot that is about an inch wide of the mark than the root clump . This will allow the roots to continue to mature and give up for better urine distribution .

Why you should be potting up seedlings

Too many seedlings in one cell

One common reasonableness you should pot up your seedlings is if you started too many seeds in one container . Most peoplestarting seedswill put multiple seeds in one come electric cell . I do this because not all seeded player will germinate . If I only found one seed per electric cell I may not get as many industrial plant as I take for my garden due to germination rate . When potting up seedlings you could separate the multiple seedling into their container to allow them more room as they produce .

Root Bound

Another reason to pot up your seedlings is so the plant ’s root do n’t get root - bound . As the roots of the industrial plant keep on to grow , they will take up the entire container if you do not continue to move them to a larger batch . The root will keep on to fill the pot so there is not enough room for land , urine , or nutrients . If you have a house plant that does n’t seem to be produce or seems to be having return you might desire to consider potting it up into a larger container . Moving seedling up to a large pot allows them to have the quad needed for their base to continue to grow and become a strong reinforcement system for your works .

Growing Season

If you have a short growing time of year and start your seeds indoors to get a head set out on rise you will be potting up seedling . I typically pot up my tomato plant 2 time before they can be grown outside in my zone . I jump my seedling in a 1 - in by 1 - inch soil block to start . When they have their first set of honest leaves then they are pot up to a 3 - column inch pot . If it is still too frigid for the plants to go out of doors in my geographical zone I set up to a 6 - inchpot .

Needing Nutrients

Typically when you start seeds indoors you are using aseed - startingsoil mixture . The seeded player - starting filth mix does n’t contain any food for your plants . When you are potting up your seedling you should be using apotting soilmix . The potting soil mixing contain more nutrient your plants need to turn . you may also start up fecundate seedlings once they are potted up into a magnanimous dope .

When to pot up seedlings

When to pot up seedlings depend a pile on what eccentric of plant is develop . If you are pot up after set forth your seeds inseed traysor plugs the timing may reckon on the plant . Typically you will wait until your plant has its first set of true leaves . The first leaves that develop from seed are called the seed leaf leaves . These are not the first set of true leaves . The honest leaves will educate after the seed leaf leaves on the plant .

Another way to tell when it is sentence to pot up your seedling is if you are starting to see the plant source either growing out the top or bottom of your plant . If the origin have nowhere else to develop they will start come to the top or bottom of the land . Potting up your seedlings is significant if the root word have no more space to grow . Pick a prominent container that is about an inch bigger than the radical ball .

You may need to pot up your seedlings several times before they can be moved to the garden depending on your geographical zone . Do n’t be entice to jump to a very large pot mightily away . Take the time and give care to give your seedling the best - growing experimental condition you could .

Many broccoli seedlings ready to be potted up into a larger pot

These broccoli seedlings have been started with 2 seeds per cell. These seedlings are ready to be potted up into 3-inch pots.

How to pot up seedlings

Potting up seedlings is a very light operation . verify to have the large container ready . Some industrial plant do n’t listen if their roots are disturbed when transplanting or potting up . Others do n’t wish their roots shake up so just work carefully as you channelize your seedlings .

Care for your seedlings until they are quick to be planted outside in the garden . Check to see if your plants call for to be potted up a 2nd or third time before travel to the garden to institute . You will need to harden off your plants before they are quick to be planted if you have been growing them indoors in a warm fix .

pot up is an easy way to ensure your plant have the place they ask to grow successfully . What are you growing in your garden this year that you’re able to start from source ?

Pepper plants with true leaves forming. Ready to be potted up into a larger pot

These pepper seedlings have their true leaves growing in the center of the plant. The larger leaves are their cotyledon leaves. These pepper seedlings are almost big enough to be potted up.

Tomato Seedlings that have been potted up into a larger container

Tomato seedlings that have been potted up into 3 inch pots