Today we'll be transplanting some small plants that I grew from a seed. This is my first time starting tomatoes and peppers from seed, and this is how I did it.
1. Assemble supplies. My supplies included:
A. Plastic cups
B. A syringe to carefully water the small transplants
C. A pin and small knitting needle to punch holes in the cups.
D. Extra seed starter to fill the cups.
E. Trays to put the transplants in; I used pie tins and throwaway plastic takeout containers for this.
F. You may also need a fluorescent light or grow light to hang over your plants. You don't NEED need this, but your transplants may be long and gangly without the extra light.
You can buy some seedling trays/containers at Walmart, but you can also use any small container with a few holes punched in the bottom. I found that it was cheaper to buy small plastic cups than the 'real' seed starting trays.
2. Prepare the cups. With my Walmart cups, I poked 3-4 holes evenly spaced in the bottom. First, poking from the inside of the cup outward, I perforated the plastic with a pin, then went through the holes again with a small knitting needle. I did this to all of my cups.
1. Assemble supplies. My supplies included:
A. Plastic cups
B. A syringe to carefully water the small transplants
C. A pin and small knitting needle to punch holes in the cups.
D. Extra seed starter to fill the cups.
E. Trays to put the transplants in; I used pie tins and throwaway plastic takeout containers for this.
F. You may also need a fluorescent light or grow light to hang over your plants. You don't NEED need this, but your transplants may be long and gangly without the extra light.
You can buy some seedling trays/containers at Walmart, but you can also use any small container with a few holes punched in the bottom. I found that it was cheaper to buy small plastic cups than the 'real' seed starting trays.
2. Prepare the cups. With my Walmart cups, I poked 3-4 holes evenly spaced in the bottom. First, poking from the inside of the cup outward, I perforated the plastic with a pin, then went through the holes again with a small knitting needle. I did this to all of my cups.
2. Place seedlings in the plastic cups with more seed starter mix. You could also use the wet seed starter from the seedling tray that you will be pulling the plants out of. But there probably won't be enough for all of your seedlings.
4. Place the new transplants in a tray to catch water. Use plastic or styrofoam trays. If you don't use trays with your seedling cups, the water will seep out of the bottom.
5. Water each plant from the top with a syringe or two full of water. The first watering is the hardest, because your soil is loose and easily displaced. When you have watered the seedling once, the soil will pack and it will be easier to water from the top, should the need arise.
6. Set the transplants underneath a fluorescent light, moving the light as close to the plants as possible. My light is only a few inches above the plants. If you hang the light high above your plants, they will have a hard time absorbing it. They will grow long an gangly trying to get enough light.
4. Place the new transplants in a tray to catch water. Use plastic or styrofoam trays. If you don't use trays with your seedling cups, the water will seep out of the bottom.
5. Water each plant from the top with a syringe or two full of water. The first watering is the hardest, because your soil is loose and easily displaced. When you have watered the seedling once, the soil will pack and it will be easier to water from the top, should the need arise.
6. Set the transplants underneath a fluorescent light, moving the light as close to the plants as possible. My light is only a few inches above the plants. If you hang the light high above your plants, they will have a hard time absorbing it. They will grow long an gangly trying to get enough light.
A few last notes:
Make sure to label your cups/containers. It's easy to tell a pepper plant from a tomato plant, but not so easy to tell apart a Roma tomato from a Beefsteak tomato. At least not to my untrained eye.
Also remember to water your seedlings. An easy way to do this is to "bottom water", or pour some water in the trays (as opposed to watering each seedling). The water in the trays will be sucked up into each cup, through the drainage holes you punched in the bottom. Seedlings dry out fast, so don't forget to water! If you do forget and your seedlings start to shrivel and keel over, don't throw them out right away. Water them ASAP! After a good drink, they may revive.
Happy transplanting!
-Bethany
Make sure to label your cups/containers. It's easy to tell a pepper plant from a tomato plant, but not so easy to tell apart a Roma tomato from a Beefsteak tomato. At least not to my untrained eye.
Also remember to water your seedlings. An easy way to do this is to "bottom water", or pour some water in the trays (as opposed to watering each seedling). The water in the trays will be sucked up into each cup, through the drainage holes you punched in the bottom. Seedlings dry out fast, so don't forget to water! If you do forget and your seedlings start to shrivel and keel over, don't throw them out right away. Water them ASAP! After a good drink, they may revive.
Happy transplanting!
-Bethany
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