When do I transplant my seedlings?

Ricky · 12-06-2015, 09:06 PM

Finally have some seedlings up in a common bed. When should I transplant them and has anybody found a good technique to do so with out harming the roots?

Ricky

Olafhenny · 12-07-2015, 07:25 PM

Hi Ricky,
Do you have a bulb planter (BP), such as shown in the second and third picture here?
bulb planter - Google Search
Here is what I do, when transplanting small plants:
- Go to where the plant should go and take out a plug with the BP
- set the plug aside
- press the BP around the seedling and take it out with a plug of soil
- stick it into the hole of the planting site
- take out a new plug from the next planting site and stick it into the hole, vacated
by the previous seedling
- repeat
- when all done, stick the plug from the first hole into the hole left from the last
seedling

Well, that only works, if there is enough room between the seedlings for the BP to
get between the plants. If there isn’t, lift out a section of seedlings with a kitchen
egg flipper (do that, when you wife is not home, it prevents complications)

rinse
enough of the soil out, so that the seedlings can be separated. Place them into a
hole in the target site and carefully trickle lose soil around the roots.

Now, to be honest, that is not, what I really would do. I would just take a table
or tea spoon and scoop each seedling out with as much soil as possible and drop it
into a hole at the new site. The spoon method also works with those plastic seed
trays, with individual compartments for each seed.

I use the BP method, when transplanting small plants in the yard. These BPs come
in two sizes larger ones for tulips and daffodils and smaller ones for crocus and
hyacinths.

Good luck,
Olaf

Olafhenny · 12-07-2015, 07:59 PM

BTW, how long did it take for your seeds to germinate?

Ricky · 12-07-2015, 08:03 PM

I Starting soaking 10/26/15, they soaked for 6 days

Musa velutina – 1st sprout 12/3/15

Olaf when should I transplant the seedlings? I thought I read somewhere when they had three leafs. But any pictures of seedlings being transplanted, they are just little guys maybe a week old

Thanks for your reply

Olafhenny · 12-07-2015, 08:44 PM

Well that was fast!
I do not think the seedlings care very much, when you transplant them.
You should be governed by the conditions in the seedlings tray. As long as they do
not crowd each other to much, they are best not disturbed. Once they have formed a
small corm, they get hard to kill.

Also if you have considerably more seedlings than the number of plants you need/want,
as is often the case, when seeding anything, you need not be too concerned about
injuring some, when transplanting.

Kat2 · 12-07-2015, 08:50 PM

As Olaf said, if they not crowded, you don't have to rush to transplant. Depending on the soil they're in you might want to give them a little weak fertilizer. Waiting allows more roots to develop which means that losing a few when transplanting won't be as hard on your plants.

In the future you might want to consider making newspaper pots. There is absolutely no root destruction when you transplant them. There are oodles of instructions on the Net. I keep mine simple. Wrap a strip of newspaper around a cylinder (pill bottle (small) up to a soup can (large), pull down enough paper to smoosh the end/bottom and then staple the seam. (I'm not worried about a staple in the dirt.)

Olafhenny · 12-07-2015, 09:33 PM

Thanks, Kat, I had never heard of newspaper pots, but I will be sure to use them,
when I do my seeding/planting next spring.

Ricky · 12-07-2015, 10:06 PM

Thanks Olaf and Kat for your help and suggestions !!

12-06-2015, 09:06 PM	#1 (permalink)
Ricky Location: San Lorenzo Bolivia Find me on the map! Zone: Central South America 6000' Join Date: Sep 2015 Posts: 23 BananaBucks : 14,688 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 19 Times Was Thanked 27 Times in 13 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	When do I transplant my seedlings? Finally have some seedlings up in a common bed. When should I transplant them and has anybody found a good technique to do so with out harming the roots? Ricky

12-07-2015, 07:25 PM	#2 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 253,543 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: When do I transplant my seedlings? Hi Ricky, Do you have a bulb planter (BP), such as shown in the second and third picture here? bulb planter - Google Search Here is what I do, when transplanting small plants: - Go to where the plant should go and take out a plug with the BP - set the plug aside - press the BP around the seedling and take it out with a plug of soil - stick it into the hole of the planting site - take out a new plug from the next planting site and stick it into the hole, vacated by the previous seedling - repeat - when all done, stick the plug from the first hole into the hole left from the last seedling Well, that only works, if there is enough room between the seedlings for the BP to get between the plants. If there isn’t, lift out a section of seedlings with a kitchen egg flipper (do that, when you wife is not home, it prevents complications) rinse enough of the soil out, so that the seedlings can be separated. Place them into a hole in the target site and carefully trickle lose soil around the roots. Now, to be honest, that is not, what I really would do. I would just take a table or tea spoon and scoop each seedling out with as much soil as possible and drop it into a hole at the new site. The spoon method also works with those plastic seed trays, with individual compartments for each seed. I use the BP method, when transplanting small plants in the yard. These BPs come in two sizes larger ones for tulips and daffodils and smaller ones for crocus and hyacinths. Good luck, Olaf __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them. Last edited by Olafhenny : 12-07-2015 at 07:54 PM.

12-07-2015, 07:59 PM	#3 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 253,543 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: When do I transplant my seedlings? BTW, how long did it take for your seeds to germinate? __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them.

12-07-2015, 08:03 PM	#4 (permalink)
Ricky Location: San Lorenzo Bolivia Find me on the map! Zone: Central South America 6000' Join Date: Sep 2015 Posts: 23 BananaBucks : 14,688 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 19 Times Was Thanked 27 Times in 13 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: When do I transplant my seedlings? I Starting soaking 10/26/15, they soaked for 6 days Musa velutina – 1st sprout 12/3/15 Olaf when should I transplant the seedlings? I thought I read somewhere when they had three leafs. But any pictures of seedlings being transplanted, they are just little guys maybe a week old Thanks for your reply

12-07-2015, 08:44 PM	#5 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 253,543 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: When do I transplant my seedlings? Well that was fast! I do not think the seedlings care very much, when you transplant them. You should be governed by the conditions in the seedlings tray. As long as they do not crowd each other to much, they are best not disturbed. Once they have formed a small corm, they get hard to kill. Also if you have considerably more seedlings than the number of plants you need/want, as is often the case, when seeding anything, you need not be too concerned about injuring some, when transplanting. __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them.

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12-07-2015, 08:50 PM	#6 (permalink)
Kat2 Location: Now nesting in Titusville, FL Zone: 10A or 9B ish. Like it matters? Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 2,153 BananaBucks : 249,299 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,921 Times Was Thanked 2,669 Times in 1,322 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 595 Times	Re: When do I transplant my seedlings? As Olaf said, if they not crowded, you don't have to rush to transplant. Depending on the soil they're in you might want to give them a little weak fertilizer. Waiting allows more roots to develop which means that losing a few when transplanting won't be as hard on your plants. In the future you might want to consider making newspaper pots. There is absolutely no root destruction when you transplant them. There are oodles of instructions on the Net. I keep mine simple. Wrap a strip of newspaper around a cylinder (pill bottle (small) up to a soup can (large), pull down enough paper to smoosh the end/bottom and then staple the seam. (I'm not worried about a staple in the dirt.) __________________

12-07-2015, 09:33 PM	#7 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 253,543 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: When do I transplant my seedlings? Thanks, Kat, I had never heard of newspaper pots, but I will be sure to use them, when I do my seeding/planting next spring. __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them.

12-07-2015, 10:06 PM	#8 (permalink)
Ricky Location: San Lorenzo Bolivia Find me on the map! Zone: Central South America 6000' Join Date: Sep 2015 Posts: 23 BananaBucks : 14,688 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 19 Times Was Thanked 27 Times in 13 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: When do I transplant my seedlings? Thanks Olaf and Kat for your help and suggestions !!

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