Vegetable and herb seedlings are often sold in a clump in a small container. One of the biggest mistakes beginning gardeners make is planting the whole clump instead of separating out the individual plants. The crowded seedlings end up growing into a hopeless jumble because they have to compete for water, nutrients, and sunlight. Teasing the plants apart before planting helps get them off to a healthy start.
Single seedlings of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants are usually potted up into 4-inch pots, but these containers also often house clumps of salad greens, basil, cilantro, dill, fennel, and other herbs.
Before you plant seedlings, its a good idea to take a peek in the container. If you see several individual stems in the pot, that's your clue that the seedlings need to be separated before planting.
To remove the seedlings from their container, squeeze its sides gently to loosen up the roots. Place one hand at the base of the plants and use your other to slide the pot off the root ball. Gently work the root ball apart. I find it helpful to subdivide the clump into two or three pieces and then carefully tease out the individual seedlings.
Try to hold the seedligns either by their roots or their leaves to prevent damaging the stems. Plant the seedlings as soon as possible after separating them. Space basil and dill seedlings 6 inches apart in a container and 10 inches apart in the garden. Space heads of lettuce, fennel, and Swiss chard 8 to 10 inches apart in the garden and slightly closer in containers.
Willi Galloway writes The Gardener column. She lives in Portland, Oregon and writes about her kitchen garden on her blog DigginFood. Her first book Grow. Cook. Eat. A Food-Lovers Guide To Kitchen Gardening will be published in January 2012.
(Images: All images by Willi Galloway)
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For the most part, my thumbs are pretty green, but for some reason, I cannot start plants from seeds. I eat enough salad mix, spinach and basil that it'd be cheaper to grow my own (and fun!), but somehow it all dies off just as the first set of true leaves starts. Any thoughts on how to prevent this?
Glad you like the articles! As for the seed problem, it sounds to me like you keep your soil too moist. When seeds shrivel and die just after germinating, the cause is usually damping off--a fungal disease that thrives in wet soil. You want to keep your soil damp because the seeds won't germinate if they dry out, but not soggy. Once they germinate you can back off on watering a bit and wait to water until the soil dries down to the top of your first knuckle. Hope that helps!
argh! I didnt even think of this. thanks.
Hmm...interesting. I can never keep those pots of basil alive when I buy them....this may be why!!! Will have to give it another go.
Willi! Where did you get the cute wooden planter??
Thanks! Trying again with windowsill herbs and will definitely separate my seedlings this time. One of the many things I've been doing wrong...
Thanks for this tip! I bought some seedlings in those containers that you're supposed to just plant in the ground and it will degrade and become part of the soil. Despite this, each little container had three seedlings growing closely together.
I think I'll go back this weekend and separate out all the seedlings and try again. I'm just surprised (though not sure why I should be) about how much *space* all this takes. I had hoped to have just a few planters for the plants (a couple containers of zucchini, a couple of eggplant, one of cucumber, and some herbs) and it looks like I'll need several more planters to space everything out as it should be.
this is great advice! trying it this weekend!
Honestly, I would avoid buying clumpy plants like this (is that from Trader Joe's?). I've always had better luck buying a container with one well-established plant in it rather than many weaker seedlings. Last year my one basil plant grew to nearly four feet tall-- much better than the ones like this I've tried in the past.
Thank you Thank you! I am trying a window sill herb garden for the first time this year and my Basil plant clearly needs to be spread into a couple pots. I was just going to replant in a bigger pot, but this makes much more sense.
No more buying planted basil for $7 at Whole Foods. Bless you!
Wrong article. Sorry, I need my coffee before I try to comment. :P
@embryoconcepts: are you overwatering? I had that problem with lettuce in the past. But this spring I decided to try again. I got one of those hanging planters lined with shredded coconut shell added potting mix and planted the lettuce seeds. It sits on my covered and screened porch, but gets probably at least 4 hours a day of strong sun. I live in Florida and the sun has already been brutal but I make sure that the soil in the pot is completely dry on top before watering again. It's actually gotten past the tiny leaf stage and most of the lettuce has grown large leaves that could probably be harvested/cut in another few weeks.
I've read that too much watering of seedlings doesn't allow the roots to grow properly and for fungus to attack them.
Good luck!
Sylwia--A bottle of wine came in the box! Sometimes you can buy them at wine stores.
laetitiae--Those little container that are *supposed* to degrade do so slowly, and plants end up root bound. Definitely always take plants out of them. You can put the containers in your compost where they will break down just fine.
foodefafa--I definitely avoid basil from trader Joes because it is always way to tall and leggy to do well in the garden. Single plants growing in a cell pack often do best, but if you can't find them look for seedlings growing in a clump that are still small (those that only have two or three sets of leaves) and separate them. They'll do just fine :)
If I planted some herbs last weekend and didn't do this (and didn't take them out of the "degradable" pots), is it worth pulling them up and re-planting them? I have them in containers, if that matters.